Pepperdine University’s women’s tennis team, ranked No. 21, began its 2026 season with a 4-1 win over Illinois at the Hawkins Indoor Tennis Center in Waco, Texas. The match marked the first dual of the campaign for both teams.
Pepperdine lost only three sets during the competition. Two newcomers to the team earned their initial collegiate dual match victories in both doubles and singles play. This result extends Pepperdine’s strong record against Big Ten opponents, with five wins in their last seven encounters since spring 2024.
“I’m really proud of the girls,” said head coach Tassilo Schmid following the match. “Flying out here and playing indoors is not an easy task. They have handled the first match of the season really well and we are looking forward to getting better on Sunday against Texas.”
In doubles action, Anastasiia Grechkina paired with newcomer Chantal Sauvant to win 6-4 on court two, while Alexia Harmon and Sonja Zhiyenbayeva secured a 6-3 victory on court three. These results gave Pepperdine the opening doubles point.
During singles play, Harmon delivered a straight-set win (6-2, 6-2) at flight five for Pepperdine’s second point. After Illinois took court one, Grechkina won her singles match by taking a tiebreak in the second set after winning the first set 6-2.
First-year players Leong and Sauvant each won their opening sets before their matches were left unfinished as Zhiyenbayeva clinched overall victory for Pepperdine by prevailing in three sets (6-3, 4-6, 6-2) on court three.
The Waves will next travel to Austin to face No. 12 Texas on Sunday at 11 a.m. Central Time.
Pepperdine women’s tennis has participated in 40 NCAA Tournaments since 1982 and has made eight NCAA Regional appearances as a team over the past nine tournaments. The program has claimed 33 West Coast Conference Championships—including an active streak of eleven consecutive titles—and produced several All-Americans who have continued into professional tennis careers.
For updates about Pepperdine women’s tennis, fans can follow @PepperdineWTEN on social media.
