Wake Forest Athletics
Women’s Tennis 2026 Recruiting Class Ranked Top-10 Nationally
2/3/2026 2:37:00 PM | Women's Tennis
The Demon Deacons’ No. 9 class ranks as the third-best in school history.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Wake Forest women's tennis head coach Jeff Wyshner will bring a star-studded class to Winston-Salem in 2026. Three top-50 players signed with Wake Forest in November, making the 2026 class the third-best in school history and one of the best in the country. On Monday, Tennis Recruiting Network ranked the Deacs' class as the ninth-best in America and No. 3 in the ACC.
Catherine Rennard (Asheville, N.C.), Lillian Santos (Scituate, Mass.) and Bella Jacutin-Mariona (Los Altos, Calif.) are the three players signed to wear the Old Gold and Black in 2026-27.
Meet the Players
Catherine Rennard – No. 18 nationally, No. 8 regionally, No. 1 in North Carolina
Rennard, the top prospect in North Carolina, chose to stay home and sign with the Deacs, making her Wake Forest's highest-ranked recruit in the class. Rennard is a blue-chip signee, earning the distinction thanks to a 41-19 (.683) overall record and an impressive 17-2 record against five-star prospects in high school. This past year, she starred in doubles at the 2025 UTSA Billie Jean King Championships, finishing second. She is the Deacs' second-highest ranked recruit in the past seven years, trailing only current freshman Evie Oxford (No. 8 nationally).
Lillian Santos – No. 23 nationally, No. 2 regionally, No. 1 in Massachusetts
Like Rennard, Santos is set to finish her high school career as the best player in her state. She signed with Wake Forest boasting a dominant 51-18 (.739) overall record. She has been fantastic against elite competition, holding a 26-15 record against blue-chip and five-star prospects. Since signing with Wake Forest in November 2024, Santos won the Girls' 18s National Clay Courts doubles final and recently won the Battle of Boca Women's Open Championship. She too earned a blue-chip grade following her dominant high school and individual career.
Bella Jacutin-Mariona – No. 48 nationally, No. 12 regionally, No. 11 in California
Yet another top-50 player, Jacutin-Mariona rounds out one of the best classes in school history. A five-star prospect, she won the prestigious CIF-Central Coast Section singles title at Los Altos High School, putting her in an elite class in the state. In addition to her singles title, she was a captain on the Los Altos team that won the CCS, NORCAL, and the 2025 state championship to become the top-ranked school in the country. Jacutin-Mariona currently holds a 12-9 (.571) overall record and has peaked as a top-20 player in her class.
With the addition of these top-ranked prospects, Wake Forest joins ACC rival North Carolina as the only two schools in the country with three top-50 national players. Additionally, the Deacs are one of just six programs bringing in two blue chip recruits.
Rankings
Top Recruiting Classes in Wake Forest history
2015– No. 7
2013– No. 8
2026– No. 9
2022– No. 15
2020– No. 15
2026 ACC Recruiting Rankings
1- North Carolina (No. 3 Nat'l)
2- Clemson (No. 5 Nat'l)
3- Wake Forest (No. 9 Nat'l)
4- Florida State (No. 10 Nat'l)
5- Stanford (No. 11 Nat'l)
6- Virginia (No. 12 Nat'l)
7- Notre Dame (No. 17 Nat'l)
8- Louisville (R.V. Nat'l)
This is Wake Forest's best class since 2022. Rennard and Santos will join Oxford and Sankavi Gownder as former blue-chip recruits on next year's team.
From Coach Wyshner
"It's exciting to see our fall 2026 recruiting class getting national recognition as a top-10 incoming group. 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!"
Catherine Rennard (Asheville, N.C.), Lillian Santos (Scituate, Mass.) and Bella Jacutin-Mariona (Los Altos, Calif.) are the three players signed to wear the Old Gold and Black in 2026-27.
Meet the Players
Catherine Rennard – No. 18 nationally, No. 8 regionally, No. 1 in North Carolina
Rennard, the top prospect in North Carolina, chose to stay home and sign with the Deacs, making her Wake Forest's highest-ranked recruit in the class. Rennard is a blue-chip signee, earning the distinction thanks to a 41-19 (.683) overall record and an impressive 17-2 record against five-star prospects in high school. This past year, she starred in doubles at the 2025 UTSA Billie Jean King Championships, finishing second. She is the Deacs' second-highest ranked recruit in the past seven years, trailing only current freshman Evie Oxford (No. 8 nationally).
Lillian Santos – No. 23 nationally, No. 2 regionally, No. 1 in Massachusetts
Like Rennard, Santos is set to finish her high school career as the best player in her state. She signed with Wake Forest boasting a dominant 51-18 (.739) overall record. She has been fantastic against elite competition, holding a 26-15 record against blue-chip and five-star prospects. Since signing with Wake Forest in November 2024, Santos won the Girls' 18s National Clay Courts doubles final and recently won the Battle of Boca Women's Open Championship. She too earned a blue-chip grade following her dominant high school and individual career.
Bella Jacutin-Mariona – No. 48 nationally, No. 12 regionally, No. 11 in California
Yet another top-50 player, Jacutin-Mariona rounds out one of the best classes in school history. A five-star prospect, she won the prestigious CIF-Central Coast Section singles title at Los Altos High School, putting her in an elite class in the state. In addition to her singles title, she was a captain on the Los Altos team that won the CCS, NORCAL, and the 2025 state championship to become the top-ranked school in the country. Jacutin-Mariona currently holds a 12-9 (.571) overall record and has peaked as a top-20 player in her class.
With the addition of these top-ranked prospects, Wake Forest joins ACC rival North Carolina as the only two schools in the country with three top-50 national players. Additionally, the Deacs are one of just six programs bringing in two blue chip recruits.
Rankings
Top Recruiting Classes in Wake Forest history
2015– No. 7
2013– No. 8
2026– No. 9
2022– No. 15
2020– No. 15
2026 ACC Recruiting Rankings
1- North Carolina (No. 3 Nat'l)
2- Clemson (No. 5 Nat'l)
3- Wake Forest (No. 9 Nat'l)
4- Florida State (No. 10 Nat'l)
5- Stanford (No. 11 Nat'l)
6- Virginia (No. 12 Nat'l)
7- Notre Dame (No. 17 Nat'l)
8- Louisville (R.V. Nat'l)
This is Wake Forest's best class since 2022. Rennard and Santos will join Oxford and Sankavi Gownder as former blue-chip recruits on next year's team.
From Coach Wyshner
"It's exciting to see our fall 2026 recruiting class getting national recognition as a top-10 incoming group. 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!"
Players Mentioned
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