Five Greyhounds Named to 2026 Landmark Women’s Tennis All-Conference Teams
TOWSON, Md. --- Moravian University senior Izzy Szmodis, juniors Sydney Shifman and Leah Zolotareva and freshmen Kaelyn Balko and Natalia Smith have been selected to the 2026 Landmark Women’s Tennis All-Conference Teams.
TOWSON, Md. --- Moravian University senior Izzy Szmodis, juniors Sydney Shifman and Leah Zolotareva and freshmen Kaelyn Balko and Natalia Smith have been selected to the 2026 Landmark Women’s Tennis All-Conference Teams.
The Greyhounds have posted a 16-5 overall record and had an 8-1 slate in the Landmark Conference regular season that earned the Blue & Grey the second seed in the Landmark Conference Tournament. Moravian defeated third seed The Catholic University of America, 4-3, in the Semifinals to advance to the championship contest for the seventh straight tournament. The Hounds defeated top seed The University of Scranton, 4-3, to win the program’s sixth Landmark Conference title, and first since 2021, as the squad advanced to the NCAA Division III Tournament for the fifth time in program history. Moravian will face Hunter (N.Y.) College in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday, May 8 at 10:00 a.m. at Amherst (Mass.) College.
Zolotareva earned her third appearance on the All-Conference First Team in singles, and she was the Landmark Conference Player of the Year in 2025. Zolotareva has registered a 10-7 record while playing first singles, and she had a 3-3 mark in the Landmark Conference regular season. In three years, Zolotareva is 37-19 in singles action.
“It’s no surprise to see Leah earn All-Conference honors for the third year in a row,” stated Director of Tennis Mariana Freitas. “She’s a phenomenal player and incredibly disciplined. This was a challenging year as she dealt with an ankle injury early on, but she showed tremendous strength and resilience, continuing to compete at a high level even when she wasn’t at her best physically.”
Szmodis and Zolotareva were selected to the All-Conference First Team in doubles for the second straight season, and the pair has combined for a 17-7 mark this season. The duo is 13-4 in the first doubles position including 7-2 in the Landmark regular season. Szmodis has a program record 65 doubles wins in her career.
“Leah and Izzy have been playing together for a long time, and it shows,” Freitas noted. “They are a very strong and experienced duo who bring great energy and intensity into every match. They’ve put together another excellent season, and their consistency has been a big part of our success.”
Szmodis made the Second Team in singles after being on First Team in singles in 2024 and 2025 and the Landmark All-Conference Second Team in doubles in both 2023 and 2024. Szmodis has a 13-6 mark in singles action while playing in the second spot in the Moravian line-up, and she is 52-25 in singles action through the three seasons.
“Izzy had another incredible season, highlighted by reaching 50 career singles wins and helping lead this team to a conference championship,” exclaimed Freitas. “I’m extremely proud of the way she’s finished her senior year. She’s been a key contributor to our success over the past four years and has meant so much to this program.”
Balko earned her first postseason honor by making the All-Conference Second Team in singles. She has an 18-1 mark this season while playing at third, fourth and fifth singles, and Balko was 9-0 in the Landmark Conference regular season and won the final point in the Landmark Semifinal match to set the Hounds to the Championship contest. Balko has also set the school record for doubles wins in a season with a 21-5 mark this year while playing with several different partners.
“Kaelyn has had an outstanding freshman season, going undefeated in conference play and finishing with just one overall loss,” Freitas stated. “That’s an incredible accomplishment. She’s very driven and committed to improving, and we’re excited to see how far she can take her game moving forward.”
Shifman and Smith earned a spot on the Landmark All-Conference Second Team in doubles with a 12-4 mark. The duo is 6-1 at second doubles and went 5-0 in the Landmark Conference regular season. Shifman earned a spot on the Landmark All-Conference Second Team in singles a year ago.
“Natalia and Sydney were a new pairing for us this year, and they found a way to make it work,” commented Freitas. “They bring different playing styles, but they complemented each other really well and leaned into their strengths. They developed great chemistry and put together a very strong season.”
To view the full 2026 Landmark Women’s Tennis All-Conference Teams, visit https://landmarkconference.
