STOCKTON, Calif.- Posting its highest win total in nearly 20 years, the Pacific women's tennis program finished five spots ahead of where it was predicted preseason and went on to play in the postseason in UTR Sports National Tennis Invitational (NIT).
 
It was the program's first postseason appearance since 2000.
 
The Tigers notched a 14-8 (4-2 WCC) record, and the 14 wins were the most since 2005. Pacific finished third in the WCC standings and qualified for the conference tournament for the first time since rejoining the league in 2013. The program was predicted to place eighth in the WCC Preseason Poll.
 
"Exciting season we had this year," assistant coach Mike Palacio said. "We are proud of the hard work, commitment and resilience the girls showed throughout the year. They came together and believed in what we were trying to accomplish as a team. This led us to the most wins we've had in almost 20 years, our first WCC conference tournament appearance and a top-three finish in the WCC."
 
The Tigers began the season out on the road for the entire month of February, including a trip to Hawaii. While there, the team volunteered at a local tennis center, helping children of all ages sharpen their tennis skills through a clinic. When back in California, the Tigers highlighted the stretch with their first win over UC Davis since 2015 in a come-from-behind victory in singles. 
 
"We've had so many great moments as a team, not just on court in our record number of wins, but also off the court on trips like our spring break trip to Hawaii and to San Diego," junior Megan Carmichael said.
 
In their second home appearance of the year, the Tigers kickstarted a four-match winning streak after sweeping Nevada 4-0. With a win over Northern Arizona, the team embarked on an eight-home match stand, going 6-2 over that stretch. 
 
With a resounding 4-1 win over Santa Clara on Senior Day, the Tigers traveled to Portland having solidified their spot in the WCC Tournament. They defeated Portland to advance to the semifinals.
 
"My highlight of the season, for me, was the WCC tournament," Carmichael said. "This was the first time we've ever gone and the fact that we were able to come together as a team and make a good run was so special."
 
Two members of the squad made All-WCC Tournament Team. Freshman Indiya McLeod went unbeaten in the tournament, which included a 7-6 (1), 6-3 over second-seeded San Diego in the semifinals.
 
Fifth-year senior Zoe Clydesdale-Eberle went 2-0 in the conference tournament with singles victories over both Portland and San Diego. 
 
To cap off a big year, the Tigers traveled to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida for the NIT and squared off with second-seeded West Virginia. Fifth-year senior Klara Kosan notched a three-set win on court one, while freshman Milena Maiorova followed suit with a win on court five.
 
Kosan was honored this year with three WCC weekly honors and was on both the All-WCC Doubles Second-Team and All-WCC Singles Second-Team. She earned All-Conference accolades for the fourth straight year after capturing 11 singles wins on court one.
 
Clydesdale-Eberle and Carmichael were recognized by the league for their success not just on the court, but in the classroom. Carmichael took home her second All-Academic First-Team recognition, while Clydesdale-Eberle was named to the Honorable Mention list.
 
"This year has been unforgettable for all of us and we're looking forward to next year to see what's in store for us as a team in the future," Carmichael said.
 
The Tigers graduated both Kosan and Clydesdale-Eberle over the weekend, but will retain a bulk of their production heading into the next year. 
 
"With the majority of the girls coming back next year, we're excited about the future," Palacio said. "We've set the precedent for our team moving forward and look to build on the incredible year we had."
 
#PacificProud