The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
LSU
Women’s Tennis Begins Conference Play Against No. 4 LSU
2/21/2026 | Women's Tennis
OXFORD, Miss. – Ole Miss women's tennis to play its home opener and its first SEC match of the season against No. 4 LSU on Sunday, Feb. 19, at 1 p.m. at the William F. Galtney Indoor Tennis Center.
Ole Miss (5-1) will face No. 4 LSU (7-1) to begin conference play. The Rebels have won four matches and will have an opportunity to secure a top-ranked win.
LSU has already put up strong performances this spring. Their wins include No. 18 UCLA, No.14 Tennessee and No. 9 NCSU. Their only loss of the season was to No. 1 Georgia in the ITA National Team Indoor Quarterfinal.
The match also includes a giveaway! Fans who attend the match will receive a generic yellow lab Ole Miss bandana stuffed animal.
FOLLOW THE REBELS ON SOCIAL
For more information on Ole Miss Women's Tennis, follow the Rebels on Twitter at @OleMissWTennis, on Facebook at OleMissWTennis and on Instagram at OleMissWTennis. Also, follow Coach Roberts on Twitter, @gdrob91.
THE REBELS
Riley Crowder(Fr.) – Dothan, Alabama
- No. 1 recruit out of Alabama in 2025 class
- 2022 USTA Alabama State Junior and Southern Junior Player of the Year
- Ranked as high No. 167 in the ITF World Junior circuit
-Compiled a 6-3 record in singles and 5-4 record in doubles in the Fall of 2025
Ichino Horikawa(Sr.) – Kyoto, Japan
- Posted a career-high ITF Junior ranking of No. 173
- Compiled a 21-18 singles record in the junior circuit
-Compiled a 7-6 record in singles and 7-6 record in doubles in the Fall of 2025
Emma Kette (Sr.) – Rammelsbach, Germany
- 37-31 singles record and 21-16 doubles record over her career
- Defeated No. 122 Talia Neilson (Florida) at the 2024 ITA Sectionals
- Reached the quarterfinal round in doubles and the Sweet 16 in singles at the 2024 ITA Southern Regional
Andrea Nova (Jr.) – Prague, Czechia
- Went 13-12 in singles and 12-14 in doubles during her sophomore campaign
- Helped the Rebels reach the 2025 NCAA Tournament
- Shifted between the fourth, fifth and sixth court in 2025
-Along with Welker, reached the round of 16 at the 2025 NCAA Doubles Championship
Brooklyn Olson(So.) – Kansas City, Kansas
- Went 4-0 in dual singles matches in 2025
- Overall singles record of 10-8
- Blue Chip five-star recruit
Alice Soulié (So.) – Angers, France
- Paced the team in dual victories with 12 in 2025, also adding nine wins in doubles
- Nine of her wins came against conference opponents in 2025, also tops for the team
- Clinched the match-winning point against No. 13 Texas to give Ole Miss its biggest upset of the 2024-25 season
- The Soulié/Welker duo defeated Georgia's then-No. 75 tandem of Aysegul Mert and Hayden Mulberry
Emily Welker (Gr.) – Limbach-Oberfrohna, Saxony, Germany
- Ranked No. 6 in ITA singles at the end of the 2025 Fall season
- Reached the NCAA Singles Championship Semifinals in 2025, defeating opponents ranked Nos. 106, 88, 45 and 26
-Along with Nova, reached the round of 16 at the 2025 NCAA Doubles Championship
Owen Wilkinson(Fr.) – Oxford, Mississippi
- Top-ranked recruit in her class out of Mississippi, according to Tennis Recruiting Network
- Won two consecutive MHSAA Class 6A state titles in girls' singles in 2022 and 2023
Beatrice Stagno (Fr.) – Milan, Italy
-Career-high ITF Singles Ranking of 124
RANKINGS
Team:
No. 4 LSU
Singles:
No. 11 – Emily Welker (Ole Miss)
No. 51 – Kayla Cross (LSU)
No. 75 – Cadence Brace (LSU)
No. 96 – Kinaa Graham (LSU)
No. 107 Kenna Erickson (LSU)
No. 114 – Carolina Kuhl (LSU)
No. 115 – Addison Lanton (LSU)
Doubles:
No. 40 – Ella McDonald and Kayla Cross (LSU)
No. 51 – Ella McDonald and Kenna Erickson (LSU)
No. 71 – Andrea Nova and Emily Welker (Ole Miss)
No. 80 – Alexia Marginean and Kinaa Graham (LSU)
RETURNING REBELS
After graduating four seniors from the previous year's team, all five remaining players will remain at Ole Miss for the 2025-26 campaign. This season marks Emma Kette's fourth year with the program, as well as Andrea Nova's third year. Among those returning from last season, Nova leads with 13 wins this past spring. Emily Welker started a majority of matches at court 1 for the Rebels in 2025. Alice Soulié led the team with nine conference wins this past season.
FRESH FACES
The Rebels brought in three freshmen this offseason to round out the remainder of the roster. Riley Crowder joins the team as the No. 1 recruit coming out of Alabama this past recruiting cycle. Additionally, Owen Wilkinson will come in as the No. 1 recruit coming out of Mississippi, boasting two MHSAA Class 6A titles in girls' singles at nearby Oxford High School. Ichino Horikawa comes to Ole Miss by way of Japan after posting a career-high ITF Junior ranking of No. 173.
Players Mentioned
