LEWISTON, Maine -- The Bates women's tennis team heads west to Southern California to open the 2026 spring season, marking its first trip to the West Coast since 2018. From 2019 through 2025, the Bobcats kicked off the spring campaign in Orlando, Fla.

Bates opens the season Feb. 16 at No. 29 University of Redlands, followed by matches against No. 33 Caltech (Feb. 19), Whittier (Feb. 20.) and California Lutheran (Feb. 21). The Bobcats then return to campus, hosting No. 26 Vassar in their home opener on Feb. 28  (11 a.m.) before beginning NESCAC play in Merrill Gymnasium against No. 15 Tufts on March 7.

Last season, Bates narrowly missed qualifying for the NESCAC playoffs. While three starters graduated, the Bobcats return a strong veteran core and add a promising first-year class as they look to take the next step under second-year head coach Deepak Sharma.

Junior captain Iris Westmoreland returns after anchoring the lineup at No. 1 singles last spring and will again be a key factor in the Bobcats' success. She earned notable singles wins against Connecticut College and in Bates' historic victory over Williams College. Westmoreland also defeated Colby's Jade Finestone in both the spring and fall after dropping their first meeting as a first-year. In doubles, she partnered with senior Isabella Saul for wins at No. 1 doubles against Tufts, Connecticut College, and Smith. Westmoreland studied abroad in Denmark during the fall semester.

Saul, also a team captain, is another key returner after primarily playing No. 2 singles last season. She picked up important singles wins against Connecticut College and Williams and won doubles matches with three different partners during the spring. Saul currently owns the most career doubles wins of any player on the roster. Her top doubles result last spring was a 7–5 win over Tufts alongside Westmoreland. In the fall, Saul earned a notable singles win over Priyanka Challapalli at the Hamilton Invitational and partnered with all four first-years in doubles, helping guide the team's newcomers.

Junior Elise Hepburn also returns after playing mostly at No. 3 singles last spring, earning wins against Smith and Connecticut College. She led the team in doubles wins last season with five, including four with Olivia Gidlow '25 and one with Saul. Hepburn's doubles win with Saul came against Division II Eckerd. Like Westmoreland, Hepburn studied abroad during the fall semester and returns for the spring season.

The newest Bobcats showed steady progress during the fall season, which consists of individual tournaments and hidden duals. Avni Bakre earned her first collegiate win against a Smith opponent at the Vassar Invitational and added singles wins against Grace Qian of Hamilton and Elise Brennan of Trinity. She also recorded three doubles wins, all with fellow first-years.

Hannah Farber posted three singles wins in the fall, highlighted by a victory over Sara Lippin of Vassar at the Vassar Invitational. She also recorded three doubles wins with three different partners, and narrowly dropped a doubles match against Hamilton in a tiebreak.

Emelyn Harris won four total matches during the fall, earning her first collegiate singles and doubles wins Sept. 13 at the Vassar Invitational. Her strongest singles performance came in a win over Dayana Caluna of Smith. Harris also earned doubles wins while partnering with senior captain Grace LaFountain.

Lia Swire stood out during the fall, particularly in doubles, where she led the team with four wins. She earned victories with three different partners, including a pro-set tiebreak win over Hamilton at the Vassar Invitational. Swire also recorded two singles wins, including a victory over Olivia Chin of Smith at the ITA regional tournament.

Bates earned three conference wins last season, its most since the 2021–22 campaign. With a strong mix of experienced leaders and young players eager to prove themselves, the Bobcats look to continue building momentum this spring.