NEWBERG, Ore. -- There's a lot of "new" for the George Fox women's tennis team.

The Bruins finished last season with a 15-8 record and an 11-3 Northwest Conference mark, good for a tie for second place. Fox qualified for the NWC tournament for the fifth straight season, losing in the semifinals to Pacific, 4-2.

Graduation hit the Bruins hard as they lost All-NWC first teamer Kalli Wiker as well as other key seniors in Cassey Hitch, Ari Rader and Abigail Bond. Without those four athletes other faces will have to step into the lineup.

" Having only had five players in the fall and four at the ITAs it gave us a great opportunity to work with each player individually and grow closer as a team, hopefully the work everyone put in during the fall will carry over to the spring season," said Bruin coach Rick Cruz.

Wiker wasn't the only First Team athlete in 2025; Riley Bobkiewicz returns for her third season as a Bruin and had an impressive showing at the fall ITAs. The 2024 NWC Rookie of the Year advanced to the semifinals of the ITAs, nearly moving on to the championship and looks to be a leader both on and off the court.

" I think [Riley] will be one of the top players in the conference this year," Cruz said, "she has put in the work and improved her consistency and ability to hit through players."

Alongside Bobkiewicz are four returning players and two freshman. The new additions are freshmen Abigail Gonzales and Audrey Gardner. Shanah Denham, who missed the fall after studying overseas, is also back for the spring.  Denham, who played the three spot for much of last season was Second Team All-NWC in 2025.  Meanwhile, Gonzales, a freshman from Vancouver, Wash., who was a late addition, and Gardner, another first-year from Sublimity, Ore., who joined the team shortly after the fall ITAs, have each impressed so far as they've gotten into the swing of collegiate tennis, Cruz said.

Fox boasts one senior for the 2026 season, Sophie Denham. The senior played all but two matches at the #4 spot, while splitting time on the doubles court with her sister, Bobkiewicz, and recent GFU grad Cassey Hitch. In the fall, she and Bobkiewicz paired up and advanced to the semifinals before falling to the eventual champions.

" Sophie, the teams captain, has been amazing throughout her career," Cruz said, "she's gotten better every single year."

Juhree Kizziar and Nicole Schnurbusch will both take on a bigger role this year.  Both sophomores saw some time on the court in their freshman campaign, with Kizziar playing 12 singles matches compared to Schnurbusch's two. Now, with seniors departing, the two will see more time as they move up. "Juhree played great with the time she got last year.  I'm looking forward to seeing her improvement this year. Nicole will also have to take on a bigger role this year and I look forward to seeing what she can accomplish with more playing time" said Cruz.

With a conference schedule that takes up 14 matches of their available days, Fox will have to get ready quickly — the Bruins begin the year with a home non-conference match against the College of Idaho before diving into NWC play with eight straight matches before a Spring Break trip to Florida. Even with the short nonconference schedule, Cruz believes this team can contend.

"Our goals haven't changed," Cruz said, "We expect to be competing for one of the top four spots in the conference".

Cruz loves how this team can just have fun and how they embody the Division III experience: exceptional athletes who are also great in the classroom and beyond. And while there may be some "new" with incoming athletes and the departing of familiar faces, one thing hasn't changed.

This team's drive to get the job done.