The University of Mississippi Athletics

Women’s Tennis to Face Mississippi Valley State and Memphis for Final Home Matches
4/6/2026 | Women's Tennis
OXFORD, Miss. – Ole Miss women's tennis will close out its home stretch with two matches, the first against Mississippi Valley State and the second against Memphis on Tuesday, April 7, at the Palmer/Salloum Outdoor Tennis Center.
The Rebels (11-9, 5-8 SEC) are coming off a weekend where they defeated both No. 51 Mississippi State and No. 44 Alabama and will look to continue their win streak on Tuesday.
Ole Miss will first take on Mississippi Valley State (0-9, 0-7 SWAC) at 11 a.m.
After the match against Mississippi Valley State concludes, Ole Miss will celebrate Emma Kette and Emily Welker for senior day before the final match against Memphis.
Welker has won 57 overall total matches across both singles and doubles during her two-year tenure in Oxford, Mississippi, including going a team-best 20-5 in overall singles this season. In the fall, she finished in the Final Four of the NCAA Singles Championships, earning All-American status and becoming only the 14th Rebel to do so in program history.
Kette has spent four seasons with the Rebels and has compiled 58 overall match wins across singles and doubles.
Ole Miss will take on Memphis (2-15, 0-1 American Conference) at 4:30 p.m. to close out its final home match of the season.
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
- Secured the deciding match point in Ole Miss' upset of No.4 LSU
-Compiled a 7-6 record in singles and 7-6 record in doubles in the Fall of 2025
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
-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. 45 – Ole Miss
Singles:
No. 18 – Emily Welker (Ole Miss)
Doubles:
No. 9 – Andrea Nova and Emily Welker (Ole Miss)
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.
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 (11-9, 5-8 SEC) are coming off a weekend where they defeated both No. 51 Mississippi State and No. 44 Alabama and will look to continue their win streak on Tuesday.
Ole Miss will first take on Mississippi Valley State (0-9, 0-7 SWAC) at 11 a.m.
After the match against Mississippi Valley State concludes, Ole Miss will celebrate Emma Kette and Emily Welker for senior day before the final match against Memphis.
Welker has won 57 overall total matches across both singles and doubles during her two-year tenure in Oxford, Mississippi, including going a team-best 20-5 in overall singles this season. In the fall, she finished in the Final Four of the NCAA Singles Championships, earning All-American status and becoming only the 14th Rebel to do so in program history.
Kette has spent four seasons with the Rebels and has compiled 58 overall match wins across singles and doubles.
Ole Miss will take on Memphis (2-15, 0-1 American Conference) at 4:30 p.m. to close out its final home match of the season.
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
- Secured the deciding match point in Ole Miss' upset of No.4 LSU
-Compiled a 7-6 record in singles and 7-6 record in doubles in the Fall of 2025
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
-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. 45 – Ole Miss
Singles:
No. 18 – Emily Welker (Ole Miss)
Doubles:
No. 9 – Andrea Nova and Emily Welker (Ole Miss)
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.
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.
Players Mentioned
Serves Up with Riley Crowder and Owen Wilkinson (Tennis)
Monday, October 27
Ludmila Kareisová Clinches Women's Tennis Season-Opening Win at Memphis
Friday, January 17
The Season: Rebel Spirit Mentally
Monday, April 29
Women's Tennis open season with a win
Wednesday, October 08






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