GREENVILLE, S.C. – Ahead of the 2026 tennis season, Conference Carolinas released its men's tennis preseason poll with the 2025 runner-up Converse Valkyries placing third. It is the Valkyries' highest placement in the preseason poll in program history.

Conference Carolinas also released its list of Players to Watch and three Valkyries were tabbed with the distinction: junior Takuma Furumaki, senior Marty Letessier and junior Manuel Roncero.

Furumaki, a junior from Shizuoka-shi, Japan, was a third team all-conference selection in 2024 and a 2025 all-tournament team selection. Last season he posted a 9-9 singles record and a 6-2 record at No. 3 singles. Furumaki shined in doubles play where he posted a 13-5 doubles record playing primarily with Stanley Waters ('25). The pair posted a 12-5 record together. This fall Furumaki is 4-1 in singles play and 2-1 in dual-match singles play. He is 6-1 in doubles matches and 3-0 in dual-match doubles.

Letessier, a senior Nimes, France, was a 2025 Conference Carolinas all-tournament selection. He posted a 12-7 singles record last season and was 9-3 at his primary position of No. 4 singles. Letessier was 10-7 in doubles play last season with a 5-7 mark at No. 1 doubles and 5-0 at No. 2 doubles. This season he is 5-2 in doubles matches and 2-1 in dual-match doubles.

Roncero, a junior from Valencia, Spain, was a third team all-conference selection in 2025. He is 3-0 in singles action and 1-0 in doubles action this season. He primarily played No. 1 singles last season for the Valkyries.

Defending Conference Carolinas champions Belmont Abbey topped the poll with 140 points and 10 first-place votes. Francis Marion placed second with 123 points and the final three first-place votes.

Converse finished third with 117 points, the most of any team not to receive a first-place vote. They were followed by Mount Olive with 105 points, the final team to pass the 100-point threshold.

Emmanuel, Barton and Young Harris followed the Trojans with the Lions finishing fifth with 92 points and the Bulldogs and Mountain Lions tied in sixth with 89 points. Lees-McRae takes eighth with 80 points. North Greenville finished ninth with 64 points before a steep drop off to 10th place.

Shorter and King tied for tenth with 34 points, Chowan placed 12th with 31 points and conference-newcomer Ferrum placed last with 16 points.

The Valkyries kickoff their spring 2026 slate with a road match against Columbus State on Sunday, Feb. 1 at 2 P.M.

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