#23 SMU (6-1) at Virginia Tech (3-3)
Friday, Feb. 20 • 2 p.m. CT
Blacksburg, Va. • Burrows-Burleson Tennis Center
#23 SMU (6-1) at #15 Virginia (8-4)
Sunday, Feb. 22 • 11 a.m. CT
Charlottesville, Va. • Virginia Tennis Complex
SETTING THE SCENE
• The newly ranked No. 23 Mustangs begin ACC play on the road with matches against Virginia Tech and No. 16 Virginia on Friday and Sunday.
• SMU enters the top 25 for the first time since the March 2nd edition of the ITA rankings in 2010.
• SMU aims to continue its best start since 2020, holding a 6-1 record entering conference play.
LAST TIME OUT
• Last time out, SMU swept UT Arlington 7-0 on the road. The Mustangs improved to 16-4 all-time against the Mavericks with the win.
• The Mustangs ride a four-match winning streak into their first ACC opportunity.
• SMU improved to 7-0 in doubles points this season in the outing.
• Sophie Llewellyn clinched the match for SMU against the Mavericks with a 6-1, 6-3 decision on court two for her fifth singles win of the spring.
UNBEATEN STANGS
ITA RANKINGS
• In the latest ITA rankings that were released on Feb. 19, the Mustangs are ranked No. 23 in the country. The rankings mark the program's highest since the March 2nd edition of the poll in 2010, when the Mustangs were ranked 22nd.
• In doubles, McGinley and Mireles rank slide up to No. 42.
• SMU has wins over three of the top 60 teams in the latest rankings (No. 40 Arizona, No. 42 Baylor, No. 60 Grand Canyon).
THE OPPONENTS
• Virginia Tech and Virginia faced off in Blacksburg on Wednesday, where the Cavaliers won 7-0 on the road.
• The Hokies enter the weekend with a 3-3 record and on a two-match losing streak.
• No. 15 Virginia holds an 8-4 record prior to its matchup with the Mustangs on Sunday. The Cavaliers are winners of two straight, regrouping after three losses to top 15 teams, including two matches at the ITA National Team Indoor Championships. Virginia has five ranked singles players, led by No. 33-ranked Annabelle Xu. In doubles, the Cavaliers have three pairs listed.
HISTORIC WIN IN WACO
• On Feb. 1, SMU collected a 4-3 win over Baylor in Waco. It marked the first win over the Bears since 1995.
• Gina Feistel clinched the winner-take-all final match of the day on court one with a 7-6(3), 0-6, 7-6(4) win over No. 40 Na Dong of Baylor.
LLEWELLYN ADVANCES IN NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
• In her NCAA Championship debut, Llewellyn advanced to the second round of the tournament by defeating Texas A&M's Violeta Martinez 4-6, 6-2, 6-1, before falling to eventual champion Reese Brantmeier in three sets in her next matchup.
• Llewellyn punched her ticket to the NCAA Singles Championships in November after reaching the semifinal round of the ITA Sectional Championships on Saturday.
• Llewellyn became the first Mustang to qualify for the NCAA Individual Championships since Marta Lesniak did so in 2011.
• Llewellyn finished the fall season with a 10-4 record.
NEW LOOK MUSTANGS
• Coach McKenna and staff brought eight newcomers to the 2026 roster, including four true freshmen and one transfer ahead of her first season on the Hilltop.
• Llewellyn and McGinley are the only two returners to the program from the previous season.
LET THE MCKENNA ERA BEGIN
• Coach McKenna begins her tenure at SMU after serving as the head coach at Wisconsin since 2017.
• McKenna's tenure at Wisconsin was defined by a dramatic program turnaround. When she arrived in the fall of 2016, the Badgers were coming off a 4-16 season and a winless Big Ten campaign. In her second year, Wisconsin began to show progress, and by her third season in 2018-19, the team posted an 18-6 record, finished second in the Big Ten at 9-2, and earned its first NCAA Tournament berth since 2005.
• By 2023, the Badgers had achieved one of the best seasons in school history: 20 victories (first in 25 years), a No. 11 national ranking at their peak (highest since 1996), and a season-ending No. 22 ITA ranking, along with the program's first NCAA Tournament win since 2002. Under McKenna's leadership, Wisconsin evolved from the bottom of the Big Ten into a nationally respected contender, consistently competing against and defeating top 25 programs.
• Over the last three seasons, McKenna has led the Badgers to a record of 58-21, including three straight NCAA Round of 32 appearances. Last season, McKenna coached Maria Sholokhova to a 2024 Women's ITA All-American Singles Championship, becoming the program's first All-American since 1998 in 2025.
• McKenna and Sholokhova became the first coach-player duo, men's or women's, to both win the ITA All-American Singles Championship.
