UC Irvine Women’s Tennis (12-10, 3-6) 2025-26 season kept viewers hooked on each match, and showcased how well they worked together. From their warmups to their last match, each player displayed a determined attitude and team spirit, rooting for each other and having great chemistry in duo matches.
The official season began on Jan. 16, where they fell to University of Houston 4-0. After dropping two matches against Houston and University of Nevada, they got their first win at their first away game, a match against Santa Clara University, 4-3. Before Jan. 16, they went to multiple invitationals and other events, including the Big West Fall Selection Event, where senior Haily Huynh, senior Carolyna Fowler and sophomore Maily Huynh all won in the round 64 singles matches.
Haily Huynh was one of the captains of the UCI Women’s Tennis team for the second year in a row in the 2025-26 season, she went 9-17 in duo matches. She received The Big West’s annual Service and Leadership Award for 2026.
Fowler was named captain alongside Haily Huynh during their senior year, and they played four doubles matches together, winning one. However, Fowler was paired with senior Amanda Perez for doubles matches during their official season, and they won eight of 19 matches. They were named All-Big West Second Team in doubles.
Yen Nhi Huynh is a rising junior, and an exceptional tennis player. In the 2025-26 season, she won 12, and earned her second ITA Scholar-Athlete. During that season, UCI Women’s Tennis was recognized as an ITA All-Academic Time for the ninth year in a row. Huynh also earned the CSC Academic All-District Honors, and was named the All-Big West Second Team in singles.
This past season, the Anteaters fought for their longest win streak since the 2013-14 season, reaching a win streak of seven matches, starting when they defeated University of Portland 4-3 on Feb. 20 and ending on March 10 when they fell to University of Richmond 4-3. During their streak, their most notable win was against Oakland University on March 4, where they started off strong clinching doubles, and then won all of their singles matches, beating the Grizzlies 7-0.
While their full 2026-27 roster and schedule haven’t been released yet, along with their schedule, incoming freshman Rachel Gee will be joining the team this school year. She told UCI Athletics, “I chose UCI because it offers the perfect balance of competitive college tennis and strong academics. I’m excited to join a supportive team and grow as both a student and an athlete.”
Gee, who signed on Nov. 17, is from San Jose, Calif., where she attended Evergreen Valley High School. She is also a five-star recruit on TennisRecruiting.
“Her all court game along with her outgoing personality and high level academics will allow her to fit right in and have success straight away. The coaching staff and team will be excited to welcome her next fall!” head coach Elizabeth Ferris Smith told UCI Athletics.
From the Big West Fall Selection Event to the Big West Championships, UC Irvine Women’s Tennis had a strong and invigorating season, and with the next school year just around the corner, coaches and players are gearing up to go into the upcoming season. UCI will be participating in the Big West Fall Selection Event and host championship events during the school year.
Milo Cramer is a Sports Staff Writer for the summer 2026 quarter. They can be reached at mncramer@uci.edu.
Edited by Melissa Hernandez and Geneses Navarro
Milo Cramer is a drama major, literary journalism minor at UC Irvine. He's a sports staff writer for New University, and he hopes to pursue writing as a career on the side of acting in live theatre.