NEW YORK — The Pratt Institute women's tennis team was voted first in the 2026 City University of New York Athletic Conference (CUNYAC) Preseason Coaches' Poll, the league office announced on Friday morning.
Competing as an affiliate member in women's tennis for the 2026-27 season, the Cannoneers earned five of the seven possible first-place votes and 47 total points. Pratt, alongside Saint Elizabeth University, will join the eight current full CUNYAC members in a newly formed NCAA Division III conference starting in the 2027-28 academic year.
The black-and-gold enters its new conference riding the momentum of back-to-back Atlantic East Conference championships, which included a perfect 12-0 season last spring. Senior Pallavi Verghese was highlighted as one of the CUNYAC Players to Watch, following a 10-2 campaign last season at No. 1 singles and earning Atlantic East Player of the Year honors.
Defending CUNYAC champion Hunter College collected a pair of first-place votes and finished second in the poll with 43 points. Baruch College, the 2025 runner-up, grabbed the final first-place vote and tallied 39 points for third place. Brooklyn College (31 points) and Lehman College (24 points) rounded out the top five. John Jay College (19), Albertus Magnus College (13), and York College (8) completed the eight-team field.
The 2026 CUNYAC Women's Tennis Championship begins with the semifinals on Tuesday, Oct. 27. The championship match will follow on Thursday, Oct. 29, with the winner earning the league's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament in the spring. Both rounds will take place at the Cannoneers' home venue, the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, N.Y.
