ELON – The Elon women's tennis team returns to its home courts for the first time this fall as the Phoenix hosts the Jimmy Powell Invitational on Friday and Saturday at the Jimmy Powell Tennis Center.  
 
Elon will hold a tribute Friday morning for the late Anne Powell, who passed away earlier this year. It will begin at 9:15 a.m. before play begins at 9:30 a.m.
 
Jimmy Powell Invitational Briefing 
Tournament Details: Oct. 2-3, 2026 | Elon, N.C. | Jimmy Powell Tennis Center  
Admission: Free   
ITA Tournament Page: Click here
Elon Links: News | Roster | Schedule | Stats
 
Tournament Information

• Play will begin at 9:30 a.m. on Friday and 8 a.m. on Saturday.
• Friday will feature two rounds of singles and one round of doubles, with the first set of doubles matches slated to begin at 9:30 a.m. followed by the first round of singles at 10:15 a.m. The afternoon will feature the second round of singles beginning at 1:15 p.m.
• Saturday will feature two more rounds of doubles and a round of singles, with the first round of doubles at 8 a.m. followed by the second round of doubles at 8:45 a.m. The round of singles is slated to begin at 10:30 a.m.  
• Live scoring will not be available, but results will be provided at the conclusion of play each day.  
• The tournament field includes Davidson, ECU, Elon, James Madison and VCU.

 
Honoring Anne Powell

• Elon will hold a tribute for the late Anne Powell prior to play beginning Friday morning.
• The tribute will begin at 9:15 a.m. on Court 1 at the Jimmy Powell Tennis Center and is open to everyone.
• Anne Powell was an Elon trustee and devoted supporter of Elon tennis. In 1987, the Powells presented the university with a major challenge gift to construct the Jimmy Powell Tennis Center.
• To read more about the life of Anne Powell, click here.

 
About the Phoenix

• Elon has won back-to-back CAA championships after defending its conference crown in the spring. 
• The Phoenix returns five players from last year's championship team – Simone Bergeron, Cornelia Kack, Lisa Kranec, Alexis Nyborg and Mariana Reding. 
• Kack was named CAA Player of the Year in the spring after winning 13 dual singles matches at the Nos. 1 and 2 spots. Kack won all four of her completed singles matches against conference opponents, including against William & Mary in the championship match.  
• Bergeron and Reding both return after winning 13 dual doubles matches together a season ago to earn First-Team All CAA honors. Bergeron added 11 wins in singles to earn all-conference recognition, while Reding led the Phoenix with 15 singles victories, including a 12-match winning streak, and earned CAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player honors after going 4-0 in the conference tournament across singles and doubles. 
• Bergeron represented the Phoenix last fall at ITA Conference Masters, becoming the first Elon player to compete in the event. She won a pair of consolation singles matches at the tournament.  
• Kranec is back for Elon after securing the clinching point in Elon's 4-3 CAA championship match victory against William & Mary. She won 10 dual singles contests and paced the Phoenix alongside Kack with 14 victories in doubles to earn All-CAA recognition. 
• Nyborg picked up 12 dual wins in the spring playing the Nos. 4 and 5 positions, the third most singles wins on the Phoenix. She earned CAA Player of the Week honors after securing Elon's regular season victory against William & Mary.  
• The Phoenix welcomes four newcomers to this year's roster. Iga Piotrowska and Alexandria Warsing come to Elon as freshmen, while Lisa Dierick (Rider) and Sonja Rooth (Stephen F. Austin) are transfer additions.  
• Elon is led by two-time reigning CAA Coach of the Year Elizabeth Anderson, who is entering her 23rd season leading the Phoenix. She is joined by first-year assistant coach Carl Gedlitschka, who played college tennis at Cleveland State.  

 
Fall Recap

• Elon opened its fall season Sept. 12-13 in Chapel Hill at the Kitty Harrison Invitational. 
• The Phoenix tallied 16 victories over the three-day tournament with eight wins apiece in doubles and singles. Seven of the 16 wins came against Power Four opponents. 
• Kack and Piotrowska won the Navy Doubles draw, defeating the top-seeded pairing from Virginia in the semifinals, 7-6 (3).  
• Elon also defeated opponents from Charlotte, Duke, James Madison and Kansas State during the tournament.  
• All nine Phoenix played in the tournament, with Dierick, Piotrowska, Rooth and Warsing all making their Elon debuts. 
• Four Phoenix competed at the ITA All-American Championships in Cary from Sept. 19-22.
• Bergeron and Reding advanced to the qualifying draw at ITA All-Americans after defeating seeded pairs from Illinois and SMU. Kack and Kranec added another Power Four doubles victory, defeating Oklahoma in the prequalifying consolation draw.
• Kack earned entry into the prequalifying singles draw at the ITA All-Americans, playing a hard-fought main draw singles match against Tulsa.

 
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