ROME, Ga. – The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Women’s Tennis team returns to the postseason, opening play at the 2026 Sun Belt Conference Women's Tennis Championship tournament against Marshall in the second round on Thursday, April 23, at the Rome Tennis Center in Rome, Georgia.
Louisiana (13-5) received the tournament’s No. 7 seed when the Sun Belt Conference released its official bracket Monday evening, setting up a 1:30 p.m. (CDT) matchup with No. 10 seed Marshall (12-10). The winner advances to Friday’s quarterfinals to face No. 2 seed South Alabama (11-6).
All 12 matches of the championship will be streamed live on ESPN+, with live scoring available through Championship Central on SunBeltSports.org.
UL enters the championship as one of the league’s hottest teams, winning 11 of the last 13 matches to reach double-digit wins for the first time since 2018 and move within one win of matching the highest mark of head coach Stephanie Vallejos’ tenure. The surge was capped by a decisive 4-0 sweep of No. 3 seed Troy on April 11, a result that underscored the team’s depth and late-season form.
DUAL INFORMATION
Opponent: Marshall
Date: Apr. 23, 2026
Place: Rome Tennis Center (Rome, Ga.)
Time: 1:30 p.m. (CDT)
Live Coverage: Video [espn.com] | Scores [ioncourt.com]
Louisiana’s lineup has been anchored by standout singles play throughout the spring.
Two-time SBC Player of the Week senior Angelique Berrat owns a team-best 13-1 dual record on Court 1, representing her personal-high for singles wins in a season, and is currently on an active 11-match winning streak. Ana Martinez Vaquero sports a 9-1 mark, Martina Della Gora has landed 10 dual victories and Safia Zenbi has emerged, claiming seven of her last eight decisions since March 1 including four wins on Court 2.
As a team, the Ragin’ Cajuns posted a 54-26 singles record (.675) during the regular season.
In doubles, the pairing of Berrat and Nina Krecklenberg has been particularly effective, going 11-3 overall and providing Louisiana with a reliable point at the top of the lineup. The duo carries an active four-match win streak on Court 1 in the SBC Championship.
Against SBC opponents during the regular season, Louisiana went 3-1, earning wins over Southern Miss, Georgia Southern and Troy. The lone setback came in a narrow 4-2 decision against Texas State.
This marks the third consecutive season the SBC Championship is held in Rome, Georgia. Louisiana returns to the tournament for the first time since 2024, when it defeated ULM in the opening round before falling to Georgia Southern in the second round.
Under Vallejos, the Ragin’ Cajuns are 2-7 all-time in Sun Belt Championship matches, with their best finish coming in 2022 when they reached the quarterfinals in Peachtree City, Georgia.
Thursday’s contest also marks the first meeting between Louisiana and Marshall since the 2024 spring dual season.
2026 Sun Belt Women’s Tennis Championship (Rome, Ga.)
First Round – Wednesday, April 22
Match 1 – (12) Georgia Southern vs. (13) Georgia State – 9:00 a.m. CDT
Second Round - Thursday, April 23
Match 2 – (5) Texas State vs. Winner Match 1 – 9:00 a.m. CDT
Match 3 – (8) Coastal Carolina vs. (9) James Madison – 9:30 a.m. CDT
Match 4 – (6) App State vs. (11) Southern Miss – 1:00 p.m. CDT
Match 5 – (7) Louisiana vs. (10) Marshall – 1:30 p.m. CDT
Quarterfinals - Friday, April 24
Match 6 – (1) Old Dominion vs. Winner Match 3 – 9:00 a.m. CDT
Match 7 – (4) Arkansas State vs. Winner Match 2 – 9:30 a.m. CDT
Match 8 – (2) South Alabama vs. Winner Match 5 – 1:00 p.m. CDT
Match 9 – (3) Troy vs. Winner Match 4 – 1:30 p.m. CDT
Semifinals - Saturday, April 25
Match 10 – Winner Match 6 vs. Winner Match 7 – 12:00 p.m. CDT*
Match 11 – Winner Match 8 vs. Winner Match 9 – 12:00 p.m. CDT*
Championship - Sunday, April 26
Match 12 – Winner Match 10 vs. Winner Match 11 – 12:00 p.m. CDT
*The highest remaining seed will play at 12:00 p.m. CDT, and the other match will play at 12:30 p.m.
FOLLOW THE RAGIN' CAJUNS
Follow the Ragin' Cajuns on Twitter (@RaginCajunsWT) and on Instagram (ragincajunswt) to stay up-to-date with Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Women's Tennis.
Fans are also encouraged to stay engaged with the Ragin' Cajuns by downloading the #GeauxCajuns app. Click here [apps.apple.com] for iOS/Apple platforms and here [play.google.com] for Android platforms.
Admission to all Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Women's Tennis home matches throughout the season is free of charge for all and open to the public. Fans can track the progress of the matches involving Louisiana through links accessible from the Women's Tennis schedule page on RaginCajuns.com.