DePaul University Athletics
Sunday, January 18
Phoenix, Ariz.
12:00 PM
DePaul University
vs
UC San Diego
Women’s Tennis Opens Dual Season in Arizona
1/17/2026 9:00:00 AM | WOMEN'S TENNIS
Blue Demons begin spring campaign with pair of matches
CHICAGO – DePaul women's tennis embarks on the 2026 dual season with a trip to Phoenix. Grand Canyon will host DePaul and the UC San Diego Tritons at the GCU Tennis Facility.
Opening day for the Blue Demons begins on Sunday, January 18, at noon CT, against UC San Diego. DePaul is in action again to battle Grand Canyon on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Monday, January 19, at noon CT as well. The Scarlet and Blue have never faced the UC San Diego Tritons and are 1-0 versus the Lopes, with their lone match dating back to 2001.
Head coach Marisa Acre looks to guide this group back to the BIG EAST Championship again after appearances in 2021-22 and 2024. Entering her seventh year at the helm, Arce is 4-2 in season openers.
DePaul upperclassmen Hannah Smith and Sasha Stula lead the attack for the Blue Demons. Smith collected All-BIG EAST first-team awards in 2024 and 2025. The senior has her sights on winning the honor for the third consecutive year. Stula earned a second-team nod after jumping onto the scene as a sophomore with a 19-9 overall singles record.
Smith and Stula finished tournament action at a high level. Smith tallied a 9-3 singles record this fall, while Stula played to a 10-6 clip.
Freshman Yasemin Pehlivan played the majority of doubles competitions with Stula, posting a 6-3 mark in tournament play.
Redshirt-sophomore Helin Alvarez is set to make her Blue Demon dual season debut versus UC San Diego. The Venezuelan missed the 2025 spring campaign with a knee injury.
UC San Diego finished the 2025 season at 11-11, its best result since 2019 when the Tritons went 12-8. Head coach Sebastian Bader is in his third season and led the Tritons to a fifth-place finish in the Big West last season. During his career, Bader played on the ITF and ATP Challenger Tour from 2012-2017. Sophomore Allison Lian is the only returner for UC San Diego. Lian posted an 8-11 overall singles record in 2025.
Dané Vorster is in her second season leading Grand Canyon. In 2025, the Lopes played to a 13-11 mark and a 6-1 home record. Vorster started her coaching career in 2018 as an assistant with Northwestern. Before taking the job at Grand Canyon, Vorster served as the head coach at Belmont. Sophomore Bella Crossman returns this season for the Lopes after posting a 15-4 overall singles record a year ago.
FOLLOW THE BLUE DEMONS
For all the latest information on DePaul Women's Tennis, visit DePaulBlueDemons.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the Blue Demons on Twitter and Instagram.
Opening day for the Blue Demons begins on Sunday, January 18, at noon CT, against UC San Diego. DePaul is in action again to battle Grand Canyon on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Monday, January 19, at noon CT as well. The Scarlet and Blue have never faced the UC San Diego Tritons and are 1-0 versus the Lopes, with their lone match dating back to 2001.
Head coach Marisa Acre looks to guide this group back to the BIG EAST Championship again after appearances in 2021-22 and 2024. Entering her seventh year at the helm, Arce is 4-2 in season openers.
DePaul upperclassmen Hannah Smith and Sasha Stula lead the attack for the Blue Demons. Smith collected All-BIG EAST first-team awards in 2024 and 2025. The senior has her sights on winning the honor for the third consecutive year. Stula earned a second-team nod after jumping onto the scene as a sophomore with a 19-9 overall singles record.
Smith and Stula finished tournament action at a high level. Smith tallied a 9-3 singles record this fall, while Stula played to a 10-6 clip.
Freshman Yasemin Pehlivan played the majority of doubles competitions with Stula, posting a 6-3 mark in tournament play.
Redshirt-sophomore Helin Alvarez is set to make her Blue Demon dual season debut versus UC San Diego. The Venezuelan missed the 2025 spring campaign with a knee injury.
UC San Diego finished the 2025 season at 11-11, its best result since 2019 when the Tritons went 12-8. Head coach Sebastian Bader is in his third season and led the Tritons to a fifth-place finish in the Big West last season. During his career, Bader played on the ITF and ATP Challenger Tour from 2012-2017. Sophomore Allison Lian is the only returner for UC San Diego. Lian posted an 8-11 overall singles record in 2025.
Dané Vorster is in her second season leading Grand Canyon. In 2025, the Lopes played to a 13-11 mark and a 6-1 home record. Vorster started her coaching career in 2018 as an assistant with Northwestern. Before taking the job at Grand Canyon, Vorster served as the head coach at Belmont. Sophomore Bella Crossman returns this season for the Lopes after posting a 15-4 overall singles record a year ago.
FOLLOW THE BLUE DEMONS
For all the latest information on DePaul Women's Tennis, visit DePaulBlueDemons.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the Blue Demons on Twitter and Instagram.
Players Mentioned
/ WOMEN'S TENNIS
/ WOMEN'S TENNIS
/ WOMEN'S TENNIS
/ WOMEN'S TENNIS
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