ROME, Ga.  The USA South Athletic Conference office released its 2026 women's tennis preseason poll on Tuesday, which included a fourth-place prediction for Methodist as the Monarchs garnered a total of 15 points from votes cast by the league's head coaches. Coaches cannot vote for their own team in the balloting.
 
Six schools will represent the USA South in women's tennis competition this spring, with the poll suggesting that coaches expect North Carolina Wesleyan University to earn its fourth consecutive conference championship. The Battling Bishops received four first-place votes and 23 points overall.
 
In second place, Pfeiffer University finished with one first-place vote and 20 total points, while Southern Virginia University also tallied one first-place nod and 18 points to take third.
 
The Monarchs have a seven-point edge over Salem College, whose eight points were enough for fifth place in the poll, while Meredith College rounds out the field having collected six points.
 
The 2026 USA South Women's Tennis Tournament will occur exclusively on the campus of North Carolina Wesleyan, with just the top four teams in the conference standings advancing to compete in the two-day event this year. The tournament will take place on Friday, April 24, and Saturday, April 25.