Rutgers University
NJIT
Tennis Travels to NJIT
Jan 29 | Women's Tennis
NEWARK, N.J. — The Rutgers women's tennis team will open the 2026 spring season at Princeton on Saturday, Jan. 24 at 12 p.m.
Live streaming and live stats will be available for the match.
Last Time Out
Rutgers tennis fell at Princeton in its season opener, 5-2, on Saturday, Jan. 24.
The Scarlet Knights won the doubles point, with wins on the first two courts, before the Tigers won four singles matches to clinch the win.
Frankowska was the lone Scarlet Knight to come out on top in singles play, defeating Isabella Chhiv on the second court in straight sets, 6-1, 7-5.
Player to Watch
In early January, Karina Jumazhanova was named a Big Ten Player to Watch. She will look to build off a solid rookie performance in her sophomore campaign.
Last spring, went 5-7 in singles playing at the No. 3 and No. 4 spots. She accumulated a 4-1 record playing on the fourth court.
In addition, Jumazhanova recorded a 6-9 doubles record, including a 5-2 mark on the third court.
New Kids on the Banks
In the offseason, head coach Hilary Ritchie welcomed three newcomers to the team, including freshmen Miranda Case, Savannah Cohen, and Stella Schmitz.
Case hails from Haddonfield, New Jersey, and attended Haddonfield Memorial High School. Previous career highlights include 2022 L5 Open G16s doubles Champion and 2022 L4 Closed G16s doubles Finalist. Her history with Rutgers goes back to 1997, as her mother, Kristin, played tennis for the Knights till 2001.
Cohen comes from Westfield, New Jersey, and attended Westfield High School where she earned a 40-10 record in her two years. She won the Union County singles tournament as a sophomore and was named to the NJSIAA All Group-IV First Team and All-State Third Team. Last spring, Cohen finished second at a Level 2 National USTA tournament, garnering a 5-star status from Tennis Recruiting, as well as a national rank of 47 in the class of 2025.
Schmitz calls Kaiserslautern, Germany, home and attended Kaiserslautern High School. She is a four-time state champion and has earned multiple high finishes in ITF singles and doubles competition, along with a top-10 national German ranking. Her father, Frank, was a German professional tennis player on the ATP tour for 10 years.
The team is changing beyond new members, too. Assistant coach Noah Lilienthal has taken on a bigger role this season, and he and Ritchie are already collaborating on some team-wide goals.
The Returners
Rutgers also brings back a strong core, including key returners such as Zuzanna Frankowska, Zeynep Ilker, and Karina Jumazhanova.
Last season, Frankowska earned an overall singles record of 16-13, including a 6-10 mark in the fall at the No. 2 spot. Ilker ended spring 2025 with an overall record of 13-8, picking up victories on the last three courts. Jumazhanova finished last season with a 12-10 overall singles record.
Naomi Karki will continue to be in the lineup for the Scarlet Knights after finishing her sophomore campaign with an overall doubles record of 16-14, along with 10-8 dual and 6-6 tour doubles records. Similarly, Mai Nguyen will be returning after ending her junior campaign with an overall doubles record of 15-13 and a 10-8 dual doubles record.
Looking Ahead
Rutgers will host Delaware in its official home opener on Friday, Feb. 6 at 12 p.m. at the East Brunswick Racquet Club.
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Players Mentioned
