The University of Mississippi Athletics
Friday, January 23
Cary, N.C.
12 PM
Ole Miss
vs
Campbell
Women’s Tennis Begins the Spring Season Traveling to North Carolina
1/22/2026 | Women's Tennis
CARY, N.C. – Ole Miss women's tennis will begin its season on the road against Campbell University in Cary, N.C., on Friday before traveling to Raleigh, N.C., for the ITA Kickoff weekend.
Ole Miss women's tennis will commence its 50th season with first-year head coach Grant Roberts by playing at Campbell University in Cary, N.C., at the Cary Tennis Center at noon on Friday, Jan. 23. Following their match against the Camels, the Rebels will then make the short trip to Raleigh, N.C., for ITA Kickoff Weekend.
The four-team tournament will be hosted by North Carolina State University at the J.W. Isenhour Tennis Center. The Rebels are slated to play the No. 23 Florida Gators in their opening match on Sunday, Jan. 25. After that, the Rebels will face either No. 16 North Carolina State or Boise State on Monday.
The winner of the four-team tournament will qualify to compete in the ITA National Team Indoor Championship. The Rebels last qualified for the ITA National Team Indoor Championship in 2018 when they knocked off host-school Oklahoma State in the ITA Kickoff Weekend.
In the Fall season, Emily Welker advanced to the Final Four at the NCAA Singles Championships, which helped her jump to the No. 6 singles player entering the spring season. In doubles, Welker, along with Andrea Nova, earned All-American status, for the pair advanced to the Sweet 16 at the NCAA Doubles Championships. The duo enters the Spring at No. 58 in the ITA's ranked collegiate doubles pairings.
THE REBELS
Riley Crowder(Fr.) – Dothan, Alabama
- No. 1 recruit out of Alabama in the 2025 class
- 2022 USTA Alabama State Junior and Southern Junior Player of the Year
- Ranked as high as No. 167 in the ITF World Junior circuit
-Compiled a 6-3 record in singles and a 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
Andrea Nova (Jr.) – Prague, Czechi
- 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 courts 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 (Gr.) – Milan, Italy
-Career-high ITF Singles Ranking of 124
OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE NET
Campbell
The Camels have already begun their season with two in-state road matches against No. 3 North Carolina and No. 11 NC State, losing both matches 7-0. Their court one doubles pairing, Ilouna Aneca and Mollie Garcia, put together a strong fight against No. 4 Gabriella Broadfoot and Victoria Osuigwe of NC State, with an unfinished match that concluded with a score or 5-4.
Florida
The No. 23 Gators boast four players ranked in singles and one pair ranked in doubles, including No. 11 Gabia Paskauskas, No. 17 Nikola Daubnerova, and Xinyi Nong. Similar to the Rebels, Florida will open up their season on the road this weekend, playing Charleston Southern on Saturday before traveling to Raleigh. The Gators defeated Ole Miss 6-1 last spring.
North Carolina State
The No. 16 Wolfpack began its spring season last weekend with two doubleheaders, facing ETSU and Campbell on Saturday and NC Central and UNC Greensboro on Sunday. They would go on to win all four matches 7-0. The team consists of four players ranked inside the top 60 in singles and two doubles pairs ranked inside the top 40.
Boise State
The Broncos played their first match of the season against Idaho State. They would falter early with a 0-2 deficit before rallying to a 5-2 win.
RANKINGS
Team:
No. 16 – North Carolina State
No. 23 – Florida
Singles:
No. 6 – Emily Welker (Ole Miss)
No. 11 – Gabia Paskauskas (Florida)
No. 29 – Gabriella Broadfoot (NC State)
No. 31 – Mia Slama (NC State)
No. 38 – Lavinia Tanasie (NC State)
No. 60 – Anna Zyryanova (NC State)
No. 86 – Xinyi Nong (Florida)
No. 105 – Nikola Daubnerova (Florida)
No. 118 – Valery Gynina (Florida)
Doubles:
No. 4 – Gabriella Broadfoot and Victoria Osuigwe (NC State)
No. 17 – Nikola Daubnerova and Xinyi Nong (Florida)
No. 40 – Anna Zyranova and Jasmine Conway (NC State)
No. 58 – 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.
Ole Miss women's tennis will commence its 50th season with first-year head coach Grant Roberts by playing at Campbell University in Cary, N.C., at the Cary Tennis Center at noon on Friday, Jan. 23. Following their match against the Camels, the Rebels will then make the short trip to Raleigh, N.C., for ITA Kickoff Weekend.
The four-team tournament will be hosted by North Carolina State University at the J.W. Isenhour Tennis Center. The Rebels are slated to play the No. 23 Florida Gators in their opening match on Sunday, Jan. 25. After that, the Rebels will face either No. 16 North Carolina State or Boise State on Monday.
The winner of the four-team tournament will qualify to compete in the ITA National Team Indoor Championship. The Rebels last qualified for the ITA National Team Indoor Championship in 2018 when they knocked off host-school Oklahoma State in the ITA Kickoff Weekend.
In the Fall season, Emily Welker advanced to the Final Four at the NCAA Singles Championships, which helped her jump to the No. 6 singles player entering the spring season. In doubles, Welker, along with Andrea Nova, earned All-American status, for the pair advanced to the Sweet 16 at the NCAA Doubles Championships. The duo enters the Spring at No. 58 in the ITA's ranked collegiate doubles pairings.
THE REBELS
Riley Crowder(Fr.) – Dothan, Alabama
- No. 1 recruit out of Alabama in the 2025 class
- 2022 USTA Alabama State Junior and Southern Junior Player of the Year
- Ranked as high as No. 167 in the ITF World Junior circuit
-Compiled a 6-3 record in singles and a 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
Andrea Nova (Jr.) – Prague, Czechi
- 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 courts 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 (Gr.) – Milan, Italy
-Career-high ITF Singles Ranking of 124
OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE NET
Campbell
The Camels have already begun their season with two in-state road matches against No. 3 North Carolina and No. 11 NC State, losing both matches 7-0. Their court one doubles pairing, Ilouna Aneca and Mollie Garcia, put together a strong fight against No. 4 Gabriella Broadfoot and Victoria Osuigwe of NC State, with an unfinished match that concluded with a score or 5-4.
Florida
The No. 23 Gators boast four players ranked in singles and one pair ranked in doubles, including No. 11 Gabia Paskauskas, No. 17 Nikola Daubnerova, and Xinyi Nong. Similar to the Rebels, Florida will open up their season on the road this weekend, playing Charleston Southern on Saturday before traveling to Raleigh. The Gators defeated Ole Miss 6-1 last spring.
North Carolina State
The No. 16 Wolfpack began its spring season last weekend with two doubleheaders, facing ETSU and Campbell on Saturday and NC Central and UNC Greensboro on Sunday. They would go on to win all four matches 7-0. The team consists of four players ranked inside the top 60 in singles and two doubles pairs ranked inside the top 40.
Boise State
The Broncos played their first match of the season against Idaho State. They would falter early with a 0-2 deficit before rallying to a 5-2 win.
RANKINGS
Team:
No. 16 – North Carolina State
No. 23 – Florida
Singles:
No. 6 – Emily Welker (Ole Miss)
No. 11 – Gabia Paskauskas (Florida)
No. 29 – Gabriella Broadfoot (NC State)
No. 31 – Mia Slama (NC State)
No. 38 – Lavinia Tanasie (NC State)
No. 60 – Anna Zyryanova (NC State)
No. 86 – Xinyi Nong (Florida)
No. 105 – Nikola Daubnerova (Florida)
No. 118 – Valery Gynina (Florida)
Doubles:
No. 4 – Gabriella Broadfoot and Victoria Osuigwe (NC State)
No. 17 – Nikola Daubnerova and Xinyi Nong (Florida)
No. 40 – Anna Zyranova and Jasmine Conway (NC State)
No. 58 – 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
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
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