ITHACA, N.Y. — The Cornell women's tennis team enters the 2026-27 season with its first full year under Carl H. Meinig '31 Head Coach of Women's Tennis Spencer Furman, blending a proven All-Ivy core with a four-player freshman class Furman believes can make an immediate impact.
"A lot of our team is young, so it's about growing and trying to improve," Furman said. "I have no idea what the lineup will be, and I don't think anyone on our team does. We know we have to make improvements from last year, like in doubles and at the bottom of our lineup, so we're trying to fill those gaps."
Cornell returns all four of its All-Ivy honorees from a season ago, led by senior Michelle Ryndin, who was a First Team All-Ivy selection in singles and doubles, and junior Sage Loudon, a Second Team All-Ivy honoree in both disciplines. Senior Victoria Zhao, an honorable mention pick, rounds out a supporting cast that also features senior Martina Marica and junior Andrea Martinez De Los Rios. Ryndin closed the season ranked 10th in the ITA New England region in singles, while Zhao (14th) and Loudon (15th) also finished in the top 20. Ryndin and Loudon teamed up for a ninth-place regional doubles ranking as well.
"Especially at the top of the lineup, they did well league-wise — that's why they got recognition," Furman said. "We're trying to maintain that and push it another level. From a leadership perspective, we have four freshmen who are really good, so we're hoping they can all work together."
Those four newcomers — Chloe Fouhety, Athena Orzechowski, Tanika Saravanan and Martha Thompson — have impressed Furman well beyond the court.
"Just good people, truthfully. I'm so confident in the way they'll represent Cornell," Furman said. "They're hard workers, too. They're always thinking about their game and how they can get better. I've been so pleased with them."
Furman, who was named the program's interim head coach last Sept. 30 before being elevated to the position full-time on July 23, called the transition a relief, though it hasn't changed the approach he's taken since day one.
"I always had the mindset, even as interim, that I want to build the program for the long term," Furman said. "If I'm going to be here for 20 years, what does the program look like? I'm always trying to set a foundation, whether it's recruiting or how we do things in practice."
He also thanked the program's alumni base, whose response to his hiring left an impression.
"One thing that really surprised me going from interim to permanent head coach was how much alumni and fans reached out," Furman said. "I'd love to say thank you to all of them. They've been very supportive of this team."
Among the returners that Furman praised was sophomore Dylan Gelber, who posted a team-best 14-7 singles record as a freshman at the No. 3 spot.
"Her greatest gift is that no matter how she's feeling, she'll fight her tail off," Furman said. "The next step for her is being more consistent day-to-day and a few things to clean up with her serve and return. Once she gets those things, she'll be playing at a really high level."
In addition to Gelber, Furman also pointed to Zhao and Ryndin as players who took clear steps forward last season.
"Victoria was one of our most improved players [last year]. She played high in the lineup and held her own all season and that honorable mention All-Ivy nod showed her work," Furman said. "Michelle showed she can play with the best in the conference. She's a super hard worker, very disciplined, and has so much power and skill on both sides. I'd love for her to keep going because she showed she's one of the best players in the league."
Cornell, which finished last year with an 8-12 overall record and 1-6 mark in Ivy League play, concluded the year with a 4-2 road upset of No. 69 Harvard, the program's first victory over the Crimson in more than a decade. Furman hopes that result, paired with a strong incoming class, will carry into the new season.
"That result gave us a sense of belief that we can compete with one of the best teams in the conference," Furman said. "Our team is already better with the freshmen added, so if we could compete with Harvard last year, we should be even better positioned this year. But we still have to keep focusing on our own improvement."
