For a third consecutive year, Arizona women’s tennis is competing in the NCAA Tournament.
Ryan Stotland’s program has steadily risen over his eight years as head coach, and now the Wildcats are on the precipice of winning an NCAA Tournament match for the first time since 2012 when they take on Notre Dame on Saturday in Columbus, Ohio.
Arizona (20-9) closed the regular season as of the nation’s hottest teams, winning nine straight matches and 12 of its last 13. The Wildcats won their opening match at the Big
12 Tournament before falling to UCF in the semifinals.
Arizona is led by All-Big 12 honorees Martyna Ostrzygalo, Josie Usereau, Maria Garcia and Ciara Moore, all of whom are underclassmen. Tucson native Tanvi Narendran and Zoya Clachuk fill out Arizona’s starters.
Stotland spoke with AZDesertSwarm ahead of the NCAAs. Here’s an edited question and answers with Stotland on what’s led to the team’s strong 2026 season, his relationship with men’s tennis coach Clancy Shields and his outlook for the postseason.
AZDesertSwarm: What do you credit the team’s late season success to?
Sotland: “It’s really nice to see the team come together, and we had a lot of injuries in the beginning of the year. So to get through the non-conference season not as great as we would like without health, and we’ve only been playing with about six healthy people since conference, and we’ve been on cruise control. So it’s been really fun. We won a lot of tight matches, but we’ve come through. And as I tell the team, winners win, and we’ve been doing that.”
What was the turning point this season?
“The first match we beat UCF at home who was obviously a top 20 team. I think after that win and getting Zoya (Chulak) back in the lineup and having six people in the lineup that were healthy, that we could beat anybody. And it proved right after that that we were going to compete and beat pretty much anyone in our path.”
Have you noticed the team’s confidence change?
“Yeah, for sure. I think the big thing is, is we knew we were actually disappointed we didn’t win the conference tournament, where a lot of teams didn’t make it. We wanted to win it, and that was our goal. We were disappointed we lost in the semifinals because we thought we had a chance to win it. The confidence is there and I think we’re going into NCAA knowing that we can beat anybody”
Were you able to come away with some encouragement from the Big 12 tournament loss to UCF?
“Yeah, I think we learned a lot of things that we can fix for the NCAAs So I think that’s the big thing, is you learn from your losses. That’s what losses are for. And so if we can learn our lessons, we can really turn that around in the NCAAs. We know in the NCAAs everyone’s good so we can’t have an off day.”
How has Big 12 play helped prepare the team for the postseason?
“There’s 11 teams basically in the (Big 12) that could make it, and that’s pretty impressive out of like 40 (at large) spots. So it just shows you the depth of the conference made us really strong, and just playing in tough environments made us really tough. So I think the Big 12 really helped us prepare for what’s yet to come.”
How has the team’s success on Big 12 road trips helped you get ready for NCAAs?
“Yeah, we can win tough environments. So that’s the great thing is, we won on the road. We won at home. We won a lot in a row. Nothing was given to us. We had to go earn it.”
What do you most enjoy about coaching this particular team?
“Just the resiliency. I think that’s the biggest thing is I really enjoy the resiliency of we’ve had some setbacks, but it hasn’t deterred our season. And it’s pretty cool to see going from about No. 73 in the country to No. 26 right now.”
What have you done from a recruiting standpoint to get this group together?
“I think we’ve just gotten better. Since I started here, we had very little success that we started with. And then after that we got a little bit better and a little bit better. So I keep getting more better players, better players, better players, and that’s really helped with the talent level. So it’s just been a growth, and that’s been really fun to be a part of, is to see the people that put in the work first to build this program where it is now, and see the talent that we’re bringing in is much higher and stronger. And it’s really cool to see.”
When you see the success that the men’s side has had, do you think your two programs feed off each other in a way?
Yeah, for sure. Clancy (Shields) has done an amazing job, probably the greatest job in college tennis history with his program and how he’s turned around and kept it going. So it really motivates us that they’re doing great, and I think we can keep trying to match that. Clancy’s done an amazing job. So we’re just trying to build together.”
Do you and Clancy provide feedback during the season?
“Yeah we work together, I think, better than most, because we’ve grown up with each other, and we know each other very well.I think we use each other as backboards and just trying to learn and try to ask questions. We’re in a very lonely spot as the head coach of a program, so I think we use each other to balance, to get some feedback on what our decisions are, things like that. He really does help us a lot, and I hope I help him a little bit.”
When a match is tight, are you more of a vocal coach or do you let them do their thing without too much interference?
“We’ve been in that spot so many times this year that you kind of have to kind of know the situation. So sometimes they need to joke. Sometimes they need some strategy. Sometimes you just let them fly. So it really depends on the situation. A lot of times we’re just trying to help with strategy. How to beat their opponent. That’s our job. So that’s where I’ve been at a lot this year, which has been really fun, but also stressful, because I think Martyna has played in the most of them, but we’ve had other ones step up and be heroes in many different situations.”
What’s your outlook for the NCAAs?
“I don’t think anybody wants to see us, so I think that’s a good thing, that if they see us in their draw, I think they’re going to be worried. I really think that we have a chance to advance and move possibly to the Sweet 16. I can guarantee you nobody thinks it’s going to be an easy match if they play us.”
the draw,
What does it mean for the program to consistently be in the conversation for the postseason?
“That’s the goal. We always want to be there. It’s difficult because you look at all the great programs below us that aren’t going to make the tournament every year, and it’s pretty incredible that we keep doing this and we’re getting higher and higher ranked. So that’s been really fun, to see. But yeah, the NCAA Tournaments are a very, very difficult thing in the tennis world to make, and so getting in every year is definitely our goal. But now that we’re here, it’s kind of where the standard is. We better make it.”
