RUSTON – The Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) released its Division I Women's Regional Rankings on Wednesday, with Louisiana Tech earning a No. 7 ranking in the Southern Region while junior Zoie Epps was listed No. 16 in the regional singles rankings.
 
The Bulldogs finished the 2026 campaign ranked seventh among all programs in the Southern Region, the second-highest ranked non-SEC program in the region while matching the second-highest regional team ranking in school history.
 
The recognition continues a stretch of sustained success for the Bulldogs, who have now finished among the region's top 10 teams in four of the last five seasons.
 
LA Tech compiled a 17-4 overall record in 2026, producing the highest winning percentage in program history at .810 while earning the program's first-ever No. 1 seed in the Conference USA Championship.
 
The Bulldogs won nine consecutive matches during the spring and posted a perfect 5-0 record at home, marking the program's first unbeaten home season since 2017.  LA Tech also went undefeated against CUSA opponents during the regular season for a second straight year, finishing 5-0 while totaling 12 victories away from home, tied for the second-most road and neutral-site wins in school history.
 
Nationally, the Bulldogs spent two weeks in the ITA Team Rankings and climbed as high as No. 64 in the country, tied for the highest national ranking in program history.  LA Tech advanced to the Conference USA Championship semifinals for a fourth consecutive season.
 
The Bulldogs dominated dual-match competition throughout the spring, compiling a 68-32 record in singles play and a 34-16 mark in doubles.  The doubles winning percentage established a new program record.
 
Individually, Epps, who was named CUSA Player of the Year and First Team All-CUSA in singles, earned the No. 16 spot in the Southern Region singles rankings, making her the highest-ranked non-SEC player in the region.  She also became the first player in program history to finish ranked inside the regional top 20 in back-to-back seasons.
 
The Norman, Oklahoma native produced one of the most dominant seasons ever by a Bulldog, posting an 18-1 singles record while playing every dual match at the No. 1 position.  Her .947 winning percentage ranks first in program history for a single season, while her 18 victories are tied for the third-most in school history.
 
Epps closed the year on a 15-match winning streak and went a perfect 7-0 against CUSA opponents without dropping a set.  She captured 38 of 40 completed sets during the spring and held opponents to five games or fewer in 15 of her 18 victories.
 
Southern Regional Rankings (Team)
1. Auburn
2. LSU
3. Ole Miss
4. Alabama
5. Mississippi State
6. North Alabama
7. Louisiana Tech
8. South Alabama
9. Troy
10. McNeese
 
Southern Regional Rankings (Singles)
1. Cadance Brace (LSU)
2. DJ Bennett (Auburn)
3. Ekaterina Khayrutdinova (Auburn)
4. Emily Welker (Ole Miss)
5. Kayla Cross (LSU)
6. Angella Okutoyi (Auburn)
7. Ashton Bowers (Auburn)
8. Ella McDonald (LSU)
9. Ava Esposito (Auburn)
10. Kristina Paskauskas (Alabama)
11. Addison Lanton (LSU)
12. Klara Milicevic (Alabama)
13. Merna Refaat (Auburn)
14. Charlotte Kempenaers-Pocz (Mississippi State)
15. Carolina Kuhl (LSU)
16. Zoie Epps (Louisiana Tech)
17. Gianna Oboniye (Mississippi State)
18. Riley Crowder (Ole Miss)
19. Eva Ionescu (Auburn)
20. Angelique Berrat (UL-Lafayette)