The UCF Knights Women’s Tennis team earned bragging rights last season as the first team on campus to earn at least a share of a Big 12 title. Now, head coach Bryan Koniecko and his young squad are back at it again as they try to claim a Big 12 title outright.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Knights for the 2026 dual-match season, plus a UCF Women’s Tennis All-Quarter Century Team:
Last Season
Contents
- Last Season
- Fall Recap
- This Season
- Who’s in Charge?
- Players to Watch
- What to Watch For
- Who We’ll Miss
- Who’s New
- Roster
- Schedule
- The Last Time…
- All-Quarter Century Team
(23-4, 12-1 Big 12) Lost in Big 12 Tournament to #15 Texas Tech; Lost in 2nd Round of NCAA Tournament to #12 NC State
Despite a main starting lineup consisting mostly of freshmen, UCF came just one win shy of tying for the most wins in a single season in program history.
The Knights blitzed through the Big 12, getting their best conference record in program history, on their way to sharing a conference regular season title, the first by any UCF program in the Big 12 era. Aside from the teams they shared the title with, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech, the Knights outscored the rest of the Big 12, 48-11.
Part of this success had to do with their doubles play with the Knights, going 17-0 when they won the point, and 6-4 when they did not, which included their season-ending loss to NC State in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Fall Recap
While not seeing the likes of Aya El Aouni or new transfer Daryna Shoshyna, the fall did present the rest of UCF’s underclassmen the opportunity to get more matches in ahead of the dual match season.
No Knights made it past the Round of 32 in singles play at the ITA Southeast Regionals, though two doubles pairs, each one including one of the team’s two freshmen, made it to the quarterfinals.
One of those freshmen, Lauren Seye, also did well in singles play, going 8-2.
This Season
Picked 2nd in Big 12 Preseason Coaches Poll; Ranked #24 in ITA Rankings
Despite being on three years’ probation and losing their head coach due to improper contact with recruits, Oklahoma State was voted as the favorite to finish at the top of the Big 12 this season.
While the Knights did get enough points to rank second in the preseason poll, the only first-place vote to not go to Oklahoma State actually went to the third-highest-ranked team, Arizona State. This season will mark the first time the Knights and Sun Devils face off as conference opponents. Texas Tech and Baylor are not far behind to round out the top five.
This season is also the first time UCF is going to host the Big 12 Tournament at the USTA National Campus, giving the Knights home-court advantage in the postseason.
Who’s in Charge?
Bryan Koniecko
10th season at UCF (3rd as Director of Tennis)
Coming into his 10th season in Orlando, Bryan Koniecko has now officially become the longest-tenured head coach in program history, having completed nine full seasons, and also has the most wins by a head coach in program history at 148, surpassing Gail Falkenberg’s 132.
“You’re proud to see where it is and where it’s going, but at the same time, it’s never enough, right?” Koniecko said. “That’s kind of what I feel; it’s like, what else can we do to get Orlando to see what we’re doing, to come out to see our brand, to come see the matches, how can we continue to take these next steps to becoming this premier program?”
Koniecko is once again faced with a predominantly young squad this season as he tries to make a return to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2021.
| Year | Overall | Conference | Conference Tournament | NCAA Team Tournament |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 13-9 | 0-4 | Lost in Quarterfinals (Tulsa) | – |
| 2018 | 20-5 | 5-1 | Lost in Quarterfinals (SMU) | Lost 2nd Round (Miami (FL)) |
| 2019 | 24-4 | 6-0 | Won AAC Tournament | Lost Sweet 16 (Pepperdine) |
| 2020 | 10-3 | 2-0 | No Tournament (COVID) | – |
| 2021 | 20-5 | 3-0 | Won AAC Tournament | Lost Sweet 16 (Duke) |
| 2022 | 16-8 | 3-0 | Lost in Quarterfinals (USF) | Lost 2nd Round (Miami (FL)) |
| 2023 | 11-12 | 1-1 | Lost in Final (SMU) | Lost 1st Round (Georgia Tech) |
| 2024 | 11-12 | 8-7 | Lost in Quarterfinals (OK State) | – |
| 2025 | 23-4 | 12-1 | Lost in Final (Texas Tech) | Lost 2nd Round (NC State) |
| Total | 148-62 | 40-14 | 2 Conference Tournament Titles | 6 Appearences |
Watch Bryson Turner’s preview video with Coach Koniecko here:
Players to Watch
Aya El Aouni
In a starting lineup consisting mostly of freshmen, Morocco native Aya El Aouni was the standout among them. Splitting time between courts 1 and 2, she ended up going 12-5 last spring in singles, on her way to an All-Big 12 First Team nod, and went 13-5 in doubles with Sophia Biolay, earning her an All-Big 12 Second Team nod.
She was also named the Southeast region’s Rookie of the Year by the ITA last season.
What to Watch For
How Dual-Match Tennis Works
The dual match begins with doubles play, in which three matches are played between a pair of players from each team. The school that wins two of three doubles matches gets one point.
After doubles play, six singles play matches are played between members of each school, each worth one point.
The school with the most points after all the matches are played is the victor. However, it is not uncommon for the dual match to end early once one team reaches four points, as it becomes mathematically impossible for the other team to come back.
Learning Curves
Koniecko said an athlete’s sophomore season can go one of two ways: They either try to push to get better, see what higher heights they can reach, or, now with a year under their belt, they feel like they have everything figured out.
Last season, the freshman did well against Big 12 opponents, but now those opponents are going to be coming into this season’s matches having played them before. So, last season’s freshmen replicate their success or perhaps improve upon it? Time will tell.
Be Careful Not To Stumble
Despite losing only once in Big 12 play, the Knights still ended up splitting the Big 12 regular season title three ways with Oklahoma State and Texas Tech last season. So, the margin for error to be the Big 12 regular season champion could very well be very low.
Last season, the closest the Knights came to getting upset in conference play was a road matchup against #67 BYU, in which they escaped, 4-3. This season, they’ll have a trip out to Arizona to face a Wildcat and Sun Devil squads that are both projected to finish in the top half of the conference. So, should the Knights want to be in control of their own destiny to win an outright Big 12 title, they’ll need to ensure a squad does not catch them off guard, especially on the road.
Who We’ll Miss
Sophia Biolay
One of two team captains last season, Sophia Biolay finished off her UCF career on a high note with 25 total wins in singles play, tied for the sixth-most in a single season in program history.
She is also the first Knight of the Big 12 era to be named All-Big 12 First Team in singles play twice.
Olivia Lincer
Olivia Lincer stood out in her two seasons as a Knight. As a freshman, she earned the Big 12’s Freshman of the Year honor, then followed it up by becoming the Big 12’s Player of the Year in 2025 after going 15-2 in singles play last spring and in the Top 100 of the ITA women’s singles ranking.
She ended up transferring to another Big 12 school, Oklahoma State, the school that will also be the home of her younger sister, Karolina, after she officially signed with the Cowgirls in November.
Who’s New
Darnya Shoshyna
Despite being the most experienced collegiate tennis player on this season’s squad and one of only two upperclassmen, Daryna Shoshyna is actually closer in age to the team’s sophomores than its other seniors.
Shoshyna started college early, leaving her hometown of Kharkiv, Ukraine, at 16-years-old in the wake of the city being at the center of a battle during the early stages of the Russian invasion in early 2022. She spent her first three seasons at Northern Arizona and is coming off getting unanimously named Big Sky MVP after going 17-1 in singles play and 10-6 in doubles play.
Koniecko said Shoshyna wanted to be a part of “big-time college athletics” for her senior year and that she is “such a warrior and improving for us.”
Roster
- 2 Freshman
- 4 Sophomores
- 0 Juniors
- 2 Senior
- 0 Americans
- 9 International Players (France, Spain, England, Poland, Germany, Morocco, Ukraine, Belgium, Kyrgyzstan)
| Name | Year | Hometown | 2025 School | Spring 2025 Stats | Fall 2025 Stats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vladislava Andreevskaya | So. | Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan | N/A | N/A | Singles: 3-1, Doubles: 2-1 |
| Olivia Bergler | So. | Gliwice, Poland | UCF | Singles: 17-6 , Doubles: 12-9 | Singles: 8-4, Doubles: 6-3 |
| Aya El Aouni | So. | Casablanca, Morrocco | UCF | Singles: 12-5 , Doubles: 16-7 | N/A |
| Marina Gatell | Fr. | Mallorca, Spain | N/A | N/A | Singles: 7-4, Doubles: 6-4 |
| Jade Psonka | So. | Amiens, France | UCF | Singles: 10-6 , Doubles: 9-6 | Singles: 7-3 , Doubles: 6-5 |
| Hannah Rylatt | So. | St. Helens, England | UCF | Singles: 13-10 , Doubles: 11-11 | Singles: 1-1, Doubles: 2-1 |
| Lauren Seye | Fr. | Drongen, Belgium | N/A | N/A | Singles: 8-2 , Doubles: 6-4 |
| Daryna Shoshyna | Sr. | Kharkiv, Ukraine | Northern Arizona | Singles: 17-1 , Doubles: 10-6 | N/A |
| Jantje Tilbuerger | Sr. | Ganderkesee, Germany | UCF | Singles: 2-2 , Doubles: 2-1 | Singles: 4-2, Doubles: N/A |
Schedule
Aside from ITA Kickoff Weekend, UCF will not have to leave the state of Florida until Mar. 6, and that’s even with three away matches.
As for the schools that they shared the Big 12 regular season title with last season, Texas Tech and Oklahoma State, the Knights host both of them this season on Mar. 15 and April 5, respectively. The match against the Cowgirls will also mark the return of Olivia Lincer to the USTA National Campus after transferring to Oklahoma State from UCF.
The USTA National Campus is also playing host to the Big 12 Tournament.
| Day | Date | H/A | Time | Opponent | Preseason ITA Ranking | UCF’s Results LY | 2025 record | Last Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday | Jan. 18 | Home | 12 p.m. | South Florida | – | Won, 4-0 | 6-15 | Lost in First Round of American Tournament. |
| Sunday | Jan. 18 | Home | 4:30 p.m. | Bethune-Cookman | – | Postponed | 2-15 | 9th in SWAC. |
| Saturday | Jan. 24 | Neurtral | 12 p.m. | UCLA | 17 | – | 18-9 | T-4th in Big Ten. Eliminated in Sweet 16 by (2) Texas A&M. |
| Sunday | Jan. 25 | Away/Neutral | TBA | LSU/Marshall | 5/- | – | 24-8/20-6 | T-6th in SEC. Eliminated in Elite Eight by (5) North Carolina / 6th in Sun Belt. |
| Friday | Jan. 30 | Away | 4 p.m. | Florida State | – | Won, 4-3 | 13-10 | T-9th in ACC. |
| Friday | Feb. 13 | Away | 1 p.m. | Florida International | – | Won, 4-1 | 15-5 | CUSA Tournament Champion. Eliminated in 1st Round by Stanford. |
| Sunday | Feb. 15 | Away | 1 p.m. | Miami (FL) | – | – | 10-13 | T-9th in ACC. |
| Friday | Feb. 20 | Home | 6 p.m. | Florida Atlantic | – | Lost, 4-2 | 17-2 | Lost in American Tournament semifinals. Eliminated in 2nd Round by (8) Duke. |
| Sunday | Feb. 22 | Home | 12 p.m. | Stetson | – | Won, 4-0 | 18-5 | ASUN RS & Tournament Champion. Eliminated in 1st Round by (16) Washington. |
| Thursday | Feb. 26 | Home | 6 p.m. | BYU | – | Won, 4-3 | 18-10 | T-7th in Big 12 |
| Saturday | Feb. 28 | Home | 12 p.m. | Utah | – | Won, 4-1 | 9-15 | 12th in Big 12 |
| Friday | Mar. 6 | Away | 2 p.m. | Arizona | – | – | 19-11 | T-5th in Big 12. Eliminated in 1st Round by Illinois |
| Sunday | Mar. 8 | Away | 2 p.m. | Arizona State | – | – | 15-10 | T-5th in Big 12. Eliminated in 2nd Round by (3) Michigan |
| Friday | Mar. 13 | Home | 6 p.m. | Colorado | – | Won, 4-0 | 9-14 | T-13th in Big 12 |
| Sunday | Mar. 15 | Home | 12 p.m. | Texas Tech | 20 | Lost, 4-1 | 23-3 | Co-Big 12 RS Champion & Big 12 Tournnament Champion. Eliminated in 2nd Round by Stanford |
| Friday | Mar. 20 | Away | 5 p.m. | Iowa State | – | Won, 4-0 | 11-13 | 11th in Big 12. |
| Sunday | Mar. 22 | Away | 1 p.m. | Kansas | – | Won, 4-1 | 14-12 | T-7th in Big 12. Eliminated in 1st Round by South Carolina |
| Saturday | Mar. 28 | Away | 2 p.m. | Houston | – | Won, 4-0 | 4-16 | 16th in Big 12 |
| Friday | Apr. 3 | Home | 6 p.m. | Kansas State | – | Won, 4-1 | 10-12 | 10th in Big 12. |
| Sunday | Apr. 5 | Home | 12 p.m. | Oklahoma State | 10 | Won, 4-3 | 22-8 | Co-Big 12 RS Champion. Eliminated in Elite Eight by (3) Michigan |
| Friday | Apr. 10 | Away | 1 p.m. | Cincinnati | – | Won, 4-1 | 10-13 | T-13th in Big 12 |
| Sunday | Apr. 12 | Away | 10 a.m. | West Virginia | – | Won, 4-0 | 8-17 | T-13th in Big 12 |
Big 12 Conference Tournament:
- Hosted by UCF at the USTA National Campus
- Dates: April 15-18
The Last Time…
UCF won a conference tournament title: 2021. The Knights might have made it to the Big 12 Tournament Final last season, but ended up getting defeated by Texas Tech.
All-Quarter Century Team
Singles
| Name | Career | Resume |
|---|---|---|
| Valeriya Zeleva | 2019-2022 | 2x AAC Player of the Year (2019 & 2021), 2x Unainimous All-AAC (2019 & 2021), 2 NCAA Singles Tournament Berths (2019 & 2021), reached as high as #17 in the nation |
| Rebeka Stolmar | 2017-2021 | 3x All-AAC (2018, 2019 (unainimous) & 2021), 2021 NCAA Singles Tournament Berth, reached as high as #30 in the nation, |
| Marie Mattel | 2019-2023 | 2x Unainimous All-AAC (2022-2023), 2 NCAA Singles Tournament Berths (2022-2023), reached as high as #31 in the nation |
| Sophia Biolay | 2021-2025 | 2x All-Big 12 First Team Singles (2024-2025), earned an at-large bid for 2024 NCAA Singles Tournament, reached as high as #35 in the nation. |
| Evgeniya Levashova | 2019-2022 | 2x All-AAC (2021-2022), 2021 AAC Most Outstanding Player, reched as high as #37 in the nation |
| Monica Matias | 2014-2018 | 2x All-AAC (2016-2017), Most career singles victories in program history, part of 2018 NCAA Tournament Team |
Doubles
| Duo | Career | Resume |
| Rebeka Stolmar & Marie Mattel | 2019-2021 | First ITA All-Americans in program history (2020). 2nd-most wins by doubles pair in program history (35), Reached as high as #3 in the nation. |
| Valeriya Zeleva & Ksenia Kuznetsova | 2019-2021 | Qualified for 2019 NCAA Women’s Doubles Tournament, Only UCF entry to win a match in NCAA Singles or Doubles Tournaments, both named to All-AAC team in 2019 & 2021, most wins by a doubles pair in program history (37), ranked as high as #7 in the nation. |
| Jenny Frissel & Elvira Serrot | 2007-2009 | Named All-CUSA First Team Doubles in 2009, went 12-4 together on No. 1 court, ranked as high as #27 in the nation |
