GREENVILLE, S.C. – Ahead of the 2026 tennis season, Conference Carolinas released its women's tennis preseason poll with the Converse Valkyries eighth.

The conference also released its Preseason Players to Watch and three Valkyries earned the distinction: seniors Khushi Kharb, Lais Martins and Laurel Maynor.

Kharb, a senior from Sonipat, Haryana, India, is a two-time first team all-conference selection, earning the honor in 2024 and 2025. She was selected third team all-conference in 2023. She posted a 14-3 dual-match singles record last season and played all 17 of her matches at No. 1 singles. She recorded an 11-7 record in dual-match doubles last season while playing all 18 matches at No. 1 doubles. She and Martins were 10-6 together as a pair, also playing all 16 matches together at No. 1 doubles.

Martins, a senior from Florianopolis, Brazil, posted a 7-9 dual-match singles record last season, with a 6-6 record at her primary position of No. 2 singles. She recorded a 10-7 dual-match doubles record with a 10-6 record while playing with Kharb at No. 1 doubles.

Maynor, a senior from Mount Pleasant, played up and down the singles lineup last season and recorded three wins. She went 7-6 in doubles matches with a 5-3 record at her primary position of No. 2 doubles.

The previous two years' Conference Carolinas champions both sit atop the poll as Lees-McRae, the defending champions, and Erskine, the 2024 champions, both received 160 points. The Bobcats received seven first-place votes and the Flying Fleet received five such votes.

Belmont Abbey received the final two first-place votes and 130 points, placing them third in the poll.

Mount Olive followed close behind with 128 points in fourth place. Francis Marion was fifth with 116 points.

Barton and Young Harris round out the teams with over 100 points with 111 points in sixth and 104 points in seventh respectively.

Converse is the first team under 100 points with 90 points in eighth place.

North Greenville, Chowan, and Emmanuel follow the Valkyries with 74, 61 and 57 points respectively.

There's a steep drop-off from 11th to 12th as Shorter accumulated 36 points. King followed in 13th place with 30 points and conference newcomer Ferrum rounds out the poll with 17 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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