Meet the Newcomers: Women's Tennis

IRVINE, Calif. – The UC Irvine women’s tennis team brings in six newcomers with two transfers and four freshmen in 2025-26. 

“We are excited to be adding six very talented players this season,” head coach Elizabeth Ferris Smith said. “We are so fortunate to have such a high caliber recruiting class. Each player is coachable, team oriented, and talented, but also hard working and ambitious both in tennis and academics. We are all looking forward to a great season!”

Quin Brady
Year: Junior 
Previous College: Point Loma 
High School: Da Vinci Design HS 
Hometown: Hermosa Beach, CA
UTR rating: 8.34
WTN rating: 19.0

Quin Brady was a member of the Point Loma women’s tennis team that won back-to-back PacWest Conference Championships (2024-25), and made history with the program’s first NCAA West Regional victory. In 2025, the Sea Lions advanced to the NCAA Division II quarterfinals. Brady went 18-4 in both singles and doubles, leading the team in wins. She earned first-team All-PacWest honors in doubles and was a third-team singles selection for the second year in a row. In the fall, Brady won the ITA West Region Doubles championship with teammate Arianna Audelo. The duo came in at No. 16 in the final ITA national doubles rankings after rising to as high as No. 4 during the season. As a freshman, Brady was tops on the squad in singles wins with an 18-2 overall record. She was a four-star recruit out of high school.

“Quin comes from a well-known and highly respected tennis family,” Ferris Smith said. “Her uncle and dad along with her sister and cousin have played high level college tennis and Quin is no different. She was someone we recruited as a junior player, but she chose Point Loma for her first two seasons. She had two wildly successful seasons, leading her team in singles and doubles victories, and helping her team to a deep NCAA run last season. She is also just as good in doubles as she is in singles. She is used to stepping on the court with a winners’ mentality. She will no doubt add a lot of depth.”

From Quin: “I’m looking forward to competing at UCI and growing in my game and with the team!” 

Kara Chen
Year: Freshman 
High School: Beckman HS 
Hometown: Tustin, CA 
UTR rating: 9
WTN rating: 21.1 

Kara Chen played her freshman year at Mater Dei High School, helping her team to the CIF Open Division Championship. She finished her high school career at Beckman while graduating with honors. Chen is a four-star recruit and owns a top-100 national ranking.

“Kara is as focused, determined and hard working as they come,” Ferris Smith said. “Nobody needs to be on her because she has so much self-discipline and drive, and she plays a ton of tennis. She’s getting herself match tough and sharp for this season and has big plans for herself. She can drive and hit the heavy topspin along with using the slice and can finish at the net. We are excited to help her fine-tune those skills even further.”

From Kara: “I’m super excited to start my journey at UCI as both a student and an athlete. I can’t wait to learn, grow, and give it my all on the court and in the classroom.”

Polina Jorniak
Year: Junior
Previous College: UC San Diego 
High School: Laurel Springs 
Hometown: Arcadia, CA 
UTR rating: 9.17 
WTN rating: 18.5 

As a freshman at UC San Diego, Polina Jorniak had the best singles winning percentage on the team during the 2023-24 season. She was named to the Big West Commissioner’s Honor Roll and played as high as No. 4 in singles and No. 1 in doubles. During her sophomore year, she moved up to the No. 3 position in singles. Jorniak was a four-star recruit out of high school.

“Polina was also someone we recruited when she was a junior player, but she chose UCSD for her first two seasons,” Ferris Smith said. “Polina has a relentless style and is a mentally tough machine out there. Nothing bothers her or gets in her way of competing hard. She has a very strong physique and is tough as nails. She is someone that can wear you down physically, mentally, and strategically. We are looking forward to helping her reach her potential in doubles as I think she can be equally successful in both.”

From Polina: “I am excited to join a new school with a great team, and I look forward to seeing where the rest of my collegiate career takes me.”

Mackenzie Lukin
Year: Freshman 
High School: Carlsbad HS 
Hometown: Carlsbad, CA 
UTR rating: 8.01
WTN rating: 24.1 

At Carlsbad High School, Mackenzie Lukin led her team to a CIF San Diego Section Division 1 Championship in 2023. She was named first-team All-CIF and first-team all-league. Lukin was also league MVP and won the 2022 Coastal League singles championship. She is a four-star recruit.

“Mackenzie is a high energy, positive player that has no quit in her and looks to run every ball down,” Ferris Smith said. “It doesn’t matter who she’s playing, she competes hard. She can play big but also with variety, and we are looking forward to bringing all those tools together to help her create a stronger identity on the court.”

From Mackenzie: “I am so excited to join the UCI Women’s tennis team. I am looking forward to improving my game along with giving it my all, making lifelong memories with my teammates, and battling for a Big West Championship.”

Sayuri Parandian
Year: Freshman 
High School: Granada Hills Charter HS
Hometown: Granada Hills, CA 
UTR rating: 8.4 
WTN rating: 21.1

At Granada Hills Charter High School, Sayuri Parandian was the line one singles player and team MVP all four years. She helped lead the Highlanders to back-to-back CIF Open Division Championships and was a semifinalist and finalist in CIF Individual Singles. Parandian is a four-star recruit.

“Sayuri is a lefty with a big game,” Ferris Smith said. “She has had a ton of success in high school tennis, but I think was a bit of a sleeper as far as USTA results go. Her results really exploded her senior season, especially this past summer with all her ITA summer circuit success. She’s showing she can compete with some high level players by using her sharp angles, pace and ability to take balls on the rise along with her spot on serve placement. The next step for her is to take even more advantage of her well placed shots and look to finish at the net. She will become an opponent to watch out for.”

From Sayuri: "I am beyond excited to be joining the UCI women’s tennis team for the 2025-2026 season. It already feels like home to me, and I can’t wait to compete alongside a team of girls I already truly love and enjoy being around.”

Ani Vanetsyan
Year: Freshman 
High School: Verdugo Academy
Hometown: Glendale, CA 
UTR rating: 7.65 
WTN: 24.5

Ani Vanetsyan is a four-star recruit out of Verdugo Academy in Glendale.

“Ani is a player that can lead with penetrating ground strokes and serve but also has the ability to use some variety,” Ferris Smith said. “We are looking forward to helping her develop the defensive and all court side of her game.”

From Ani: “I’m so grateful that I’ve been given the opportunity to represent UCI tennis. I’m so excited for the next four years, not only to making lifelong memories on the court, but off the court as well with my teammates.”