Season Preview: Women’s Tennis primed for another successful year in 2022-23

By Wes Mayberry

| Women's Tennis 2022-23 Schedule |

ADA — After posting its 12th straight winning season in 2021-22, the Ohio Northern women's tennis team returns nine letter winners as it looks to increase that streak to 13 in 2022-23.

The Polar Bears finished 19-7 overall and 6-1 in the Ohio Athletic Conference last season. As the No. 2 seed in the OAC Tournament, they advanced to the finals for the fourth time in five appearances en route to finishing as the runner-up to Otterbein.

Senior and three-year letter winner Regan Landis (Elkhart, Ind./Concord) headlines the returners for 2022-23, boasting a 77-24 career record. The two-time Second Team All-OAC honoree is 38-14 in singles and 39-10 in doubles and is 22-6 overall in OAC play in her career. Landis is coming off a junior season in which she finished 39-12 overall, including 21-6 in singles and 18-6 in doubles, and was an OAC Player of the Week award winner in addition to earning ITA Scholar All-America and Academic All-OAC honors. She led the team in overall wins, tied for the team lead in doubles wins and ranked second in singles victories.

Senior Flo Sanchez (West Chester/Lakota West), another three-year letter winner, also returns for 2022-23, entering with a career mark of 24-10. She is 4-2 in singles and 20-8 in doubles and holds a 9-1 career record in OAC competition.

Junior Olivia Kesner (Lima/Central Catholic) and sophomores Katie O'Connell (Novi, Mich./Saint Catherine) and Miranda Wills (Ada) return as 30-plus match winners.

Kesner, a two-year letter winner, is 31-41 in her career and is a two-time First Team All-OAC and ITA Scholar Athlete honoree. An Academic All-OAC selection as a sophomore, Kesner is 14-21 in singles and 17-20 in doubles in her career.

O'Connell and Wills both shined as freshmen last season.

O'Connell was 32-4 overall, going 23-4 in singles and 9-0 in doubles, and was 8-1 in OAC play. She led the team in singles wins and ranked third in overall victories en route to earning All-OAC Honorable Mention and ITA Scholar All-American recognition.

Wills was 35-20 last season, including 20-7 in singles and 15-13 in doubles, while posting a 10-4 mark against OAC competition. She ranked second on the team in overall wins and third in both singles and doubles wins. Wills was a Second Team All-OAC and ITA Scholar All-America selection and earned one OAC Player of the Week award as a freshman.

Sophomore Julianne Sheldon (Ashtabula/Saint John) also returns after going 19-6 overall last season, including 11-5 in singles and 8-1 in doubles.

Sophomores Victoria Santana (Humacao, Puerto Rico/Colegio San Antonio Abad), Marisa Petrunich (Brownsburg, Ind.) and Cassie Stuber (Lima/Central Catholic) round out the group of returning letter winners for 2022-23.

Incoming freshmen Jenna Bell (Latrobe, Pa./Greater Latrobe), Abigail Cruser (Pendleton, Ind./Pendleton Heights) and Jamison Hurst (Granger, Ind./Penn) complete the 12-player roster.

The Polar Bears are set to open the 2022-23 season on Sept. 3 at home against Adrian (Mich.).