PORTLAND, Ore.— The Lewis & Clark College women's tennis team is off to its best start since 2018, posting a 7-3 overall record and a 5-2 mark in Northwest Conference play.
 
Northwest Conference Preseason Poll
 
Lewis & Clark was picked to finish fourth in the NWC Coaches' Preseason Poll with 30 points. Three-time defending conference champion Whitman College was selected as the favorite with 49 points and seven first-place votes. Pacific University finished second in the poll with 41 points and one first-place vote.
 
Whitworth University (39 points) was picked third, just ahead of the River Otters. George Fox University was selected fifth with 26 points, while the University of Puget Sound and Willamette University tied for sixth with 15 points each. Linfield University rounded out the rankings in eighth with nine points.
 
FIRST HALF RECAP
 
Lewis & Clark opened the spring season with a 4-3 win over George Fox before traveling to Los Angeles for a nonconference road trip. The River Otters went 2-1 against three Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference opponents.
 
After returning to NWC play, Lewis & Clark went 4-2 with wins over Puget Sound, Willamette, Pacific and Linfield. The River Otters finished the first half of conference play in third place behind Whitman and Whitworth.
 
KEY RETURNERS
 
The 2023 NWC Women's Tennis Rookie of the Year and a three-time All-NWC selection, senior Susanna Anand returns as the team's No. 1 singles player. She earned First Team All-NWC honors for the second consecutive season last year after posting an 11-9 overall record, including a 6-5 mark in conference play. This spring, Anand owns an 11-2 overall record, including a 7-1 mark at No. 1 singles and a 5-1 record in NWC matches.
 
Junior Charlotte Makoni has contributed in both singles and doubles during her first two seasons, primarily competing at No. 2 singles and No. 1 doubles with Anand. She has recorded 29 career singles wins and 25 doubles victories. This season, Makoni is 6-4 in dual matches, including a 2-0 mark at No. 1 singles and a 4-4 record at No. 2.
 
After a slow start last season, junior Maya Curry has found her rhythm at Lewis & Clark. She holds a 6-4 dual-match singles record this spring, including a 4-3 mark in NWC play. Curry is 2-1 at No. 3 singles and 4-3 at No. 4.
 
THREE THINGS TO WATCH
 

1. After a second meeting with George Fox on Saturday, the River Otters play their final non-conference game on March 18 when they host Salisbury University.
2. Lewis & Clark travels to eastern Washington the first weekend of April to face Whitworth on April 4 and Whitman on April 5.
3. The River Otters host Pacific on April 11 in their regular-season home finale and Senior Day. Before the match, the program will recognize senior Susanna Anand.