MARLBOROUGH, Mass. – With the conclusion of the regular season, the NEWMAC has announced the seeds for the 2026 Women's Tennis Championship bracket. The championship tournament will consist of six teams that will compete for the NEWMAC title, with matches beginning on Tuesday, April 28.

MIT claimed the top seed and regular-season title with a perfect 8-0 conference record and collected hosting rights for the semifinal and final rounds. MIT enters postseason play ranked tenth in the nation by the International Tennis Association (ITA), with Saina Deshpande and Fiona Lee ranked 13^th and 14^th in the nation in singles play by the ITA. Alaina Kolli and Artemis Pados are also regionally ranked in doubles play.

Babson College (7-1) secures the second seed, enters the postseason ranked seventh in the nation by the International Tennis Association (ITA). Matia Cristiani is the organization's top-ranked singles player and the reigning doubles National Champion, and is currently ranked fourth in the nation alongside her partner Sandra Sikharulidze. The Beavers will await the winner of the match-up between No. 3 Wellesley and No. 6 Wheaton College. 

Wellesley (6-2) is currently ranked 38^th in the nation by the ITA. The Blue have seen strong play from their No. 1 singles player, Sofia Corte-Real. The doubles team of Emilee Pak and Suzanne Xu was also named NEWMAC Doubles Team of the Week earlier this season. The Blue will face No. 6 Wheaton (3-5) on Tuesday at 5:00 p.m. Wheaton's Kara Greenlee and Alissa Ortiz were named NEWMAC Doubles Team of the Week once this season.

Smith College (5-3) claims the fourth seed and is currently ranked 56^th by the ITA. Smith's Ayla Hauser has played well at the No. 1 singles spot for the Bears. Smith will host No. 5 Springfield College (4-4) on Tuesday at 4:00 p.m. The Pride's Peyton Gaudreau was recently named NEWMAC Singles Player of the Week.

Top-seeded MIT will host the winner of the match between No. 5 Springfield and No. 4 Smith on Saturday, May 2. The winners of each semifinal contest will meet in the championship game on Sunday, May 3 at MIT.   

2026 NEWMAC Women's Tennis Championship Tournament

First Round - Tuesday, April 28th - at Higher Seeds
No. 5 Springfield at No. 4 Smith – 4:00 p.m.
No. 6 Wheaton at No. 3 Wellesley - 5:00 p.m.

Semifinals - Saturday, May 2nd - at Highest Seeds
Winner No. 5/No. 4 at No. 1 MIT – 12:00 p.m.
Winner No. 6/No. 3 at No. 2 Wellesley – 12:00 p.m.

Final - Sunday, May 3rd - at MIT
Semifinal Winners – 12:00 p.m.
 
About the NEWMAC

The NEWMAC is an association of 13 selective academic institutions: Babson College, Clark University, U.S Coast Guard Academy, Emerson College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Mount Holyoke College, Saint Anselm College (beginning reclassification process with NCAA in 2027-28), Salve Regina University, Smith College, Springfield College, Wellesley College, Wheaton College, and Worcester Polytechnic Institute, that are committed to providing high quality competitive athletic opportunities for student-athletes within an educational and respectful environment that embodies the NCAA Division III Philosophy. The conference also partners with eight Associate Members: Brandeis University (Women's Lacrosse, 2026-2027), New York University (Men's Volleyball, 2026-2027), Norwich University (Football), Simmons College (Rowing), SUNY Maritime College (Football), SUNY New Paltz (Men's Volleyball, 2026-2027), U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (Football), and Vassar College (Men's Volleyball, 2026-2027), while sponsoring 21 sports.