Wake Forest Women's Tennis 2026 Recruiting Class Ranked 11th Nationally

The incoming freshmen trio for the Demon Deacons—Lillian Santos, Catherine Rennard, and Bella Jacutin-Mariona—marks the program's highest-ranked recruiting class since 2013. Santos and Rennard have achieved Blue-Chip status, while Jacutin-Mariona is classified as a five-star player. All three players are positioned within the top 35 of TRN's individual rankings.

Lillian Santos from Scituate, Massachusetts, is the top recruit in her state and currently ranks No. 16 nationally, up from No. 28 last fall. She has been a top-35 player since 2023 and holds the second position in New England. Noteworthy accomplishments in 2025 include winning the National Clay Courts championship and being a doubles finalist at both J300 and J200 events in the International Tennis Federation (ITF) World Tennis Tour Juniors circuit.

Catherine Rennard, a native of Asheville, North Carolina, stands as the No. 1 player in her state and is at a career-high No. 17 nationally, having improved 15 spots since June 2024. She has consistently progressed each year since her freshman year, when she was just inside the top 30. Rennard had a notable performance in the summer of 2025 at the USTA Billie Jean King Girls National Championships, where she reached the doubles finals.

Bella Jacutin-Mariona, from Los Altos, California, is recognized as one of the top competitors in her state, having ranked as high as No. 6 in California and currently sitting at No. 33 nationally. Over the summer, she was close to breaking into the top-20 national rankings at No. 21. As captain of the Los Altos Eagles, she contributed to her team's success, leading them to consecutive California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) State Northern California championships in 2024 and 2025.

Historically, the top recruiting classes in Wake Forest Women's Tennis include:

- 2015 – No. 7

- 2013 – No. 8

- 2026 – No. 11

- 2022 – No. 15

- 2020 – No. 15

In the 2026 ACC recruiting class rankings, schools include Virginia (No. 3), North Carolina (No. 4), Florida State (No. 9), Wake Forest (No. 11), Stanford (No. 15), Clemson (No. 16), and Notre Dame (No. 19).

Coach Wyshner expressed enthusiasm about the recognition of the 2026 recruiting class, stating, "Bella, Catherine, and Lillian are exceptional young women who I know are going to have a huge impact on our program next year and over the next four years. They have continued to work hard and grow as players since their commitments to Wake, and we very much look forward to getting them to campus and getting to work with and be around them every day!"

The TRN Media Poll utilized input from junior tennis experts, including reporters and tournament directors, to establish the rankings. Schools accrued points based on their placement in the voting.

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