Long Beach State University Athletics
Women's Tennis Signs Three Standout Additions For 2026-27
7/15/2026 2:30:00 PM | Women's Tennis
Head coach Gertjan de Wilder welcomes freshman Sonia Van San and transfers Elen Jantacova and Makaila Cheng to The Beach
LONG BEACH, Calif. -- Long Beach State women's tennis head coach Gertjan de Wilder announced the addition of three talented student-athletes who will join the Beach for the 2026-27 season. The signing class features incoming freshman Sonia Van San from Belgium, along with junior transfers Elen Jantacova from Northern Arizona and Makaila Cheng from the United States Naval Academy.
"I'm incredibly proud of my first signing class as a head coach," said de Wilder. "We've spent a great deal of time identifying not only talented student-athletes, but also the right people who align with the culture and values we're building within our program. I'm excited to welcome them to Long Beach State and look forward to working with each of them as we continue striving toward our goals, both on and off the court."
Sonia Van San
Fr. | Etterbeek, Belgium | Koninklijk Atheneum Etterbeek
Van San arrives at Long Beach State following an accomplished junior career in Belgium and on the ITF junior circuit. She captured the Belgian U15 National Championship and claimed the Flemish U13 Championship before finishing runner-up at the 2025 Flemish Championships. Internationally, Van San won the ITF J30 Liège singles title and reached the ITF J30 Brussels singles final while advancing to three ITF J30 doubles finals. She also claimed multiple Belgian Women's Category 1 tournament titles and concluded her junior career ranked No. 22 in Belgium.
Elen Jantacova
Junior | Czech Republic | Northern Arizona
Jantacova joins the Beach after two successful seasons at Northern Arizona, where she earned All-Big Sky Singles Honorable Mention in each of her collegiate campaigns. She finished her career with the Lumberjacks ranked No. 5 in the ITA Mountain Region in doubles and reached a career-high ITA National Doubles Ranking of No. 113. Before beginning her collegiate career, Jantacova captured the ITF J5 Prešov singles championship and the PTT Women's Tournament title in Boynton Beach, Fla. She also recorded strong international doubles results, finishing runner-up at ITF J5 Prostejov and reaching the semifinals at ITF J4 Pszczyna and ITF J5 Liberec. Prior to competing collegiately, Jantacova was ranked No. 44 in the Czech junior rankings.
Makaila Cheng
Junior | Arcadia, Calif. | United States Naval Academy
Cheng transfers to Long Beach State after two seasons at Navy, where she was named the program's Rookie of the Year following an outstanding freshman campaign. A former five-star junior recruit who reached a career-high USTA national ranking of No. 59, Cheng helped lead the Midshipmen to their first Patriot League Championship by earning a straight-set victory at No. 5 singles in the conference championship match against Boston University. During her freshman season, she compiled a 16-6 overall singles record, including a 12-3 mark in spring dual matches, while posting a 15-6 overall doubles record. Cheng also captured the Doubles "B" Draw title at the Bill & Sandra Moore Invitational.
The trio joins Long Beach State as the Beach prepares for their first season under de Wilder sans interim title, who has officially taken over the program ahead of the 2026-27 campaign. With a combination of international junior success and proven Division I experience, the newest members of the Beach are expected to make an immediate impact as Long Beach State looks to contend in the Big West Conference.
"I'm incredibly proud of my first signing class as a head coach," said de Wilder. "We've spent a great deal of time identifying not only talented student-athletes, but also the right people who align with the culture and values we're building within our program. I'm excited to welcome them to Long Beach State and look forward to working with each of them as we continue striving toward our goals, both on and off the court."
Sonia Van San
Fr. | Etterbeek, Belgium | Koninklijk Atheneum Etterbeek
Van San arrives at Long Beach State following an accomplished junior career in Belgium and on the ITF junior circuit. She captured the Belgian U15 National Championship and claimed the Flemish U13 Championship before finishing runner-up at the 2025 Flemish Championships. Internationally, Van San won the ITF J30 Liège singles title and reached the ITF J30 Brussels singles final while advancing to three ITF J30 doubles finals. She also claimed multiple Belgian Women's Category 1 tournament titles and concluded her junior career ranked No. 22 in Belgium.
Elen Jantacova
Junior | Czech Republic | Northern Arizona
Jantacova joins the Beach after two successful seasons at Northern Arizona, where she earned All-Big Sky Singles Honorable Mention in each of her collegiate campaigns. She finished her career with the Lumberjacks ranked No. 5 in the ITA Mountain Region in doubles and reached a career-high ITA National Doubles Ranking of No. 113. Before beginning her collegiate career, Jantacova captured the ITF J5 Prešov singles championship and the PTT Women's Tournament title in Boynton Beach, Fla. She also recorded strong international doubles results, finishing runner-up at ITF J5 Prostejov and reaching the semifinals at ITF J4 Pszczyna and ITF J5 Liberec. Prior to competing collegiately, Jantacova was ranked No. 44 in the Czech junior rankings.
Makaila Cheng
Junior | Arcadia, Calif. | United States Naval Academy
Cheng transfers to Long Beach State after two seasons at Navy, where she was named the program's Rookie of the Year following an outstanding freshman campaign. A former five-star junior recruit who reached a career-high USTA national ranking of No. 59, Cheng helped lead the Midshipmen to their first Patriot League Championship by earning a straight-set victory at No. 5 singles in the conference championship match against Boston University. During her freshman season, she compiled a 16-6 overall singles record, including a 12-3 mark in spring dual matches, while posting a 15-6 overall doubles record. Cheng also captured the Doubles "B" Draw title at the Bill & Sandra Moore Invitational.
The trio joins Long Beach State as the Beach prepares for their first season under de Wilder sans interim title, who has officially taken over the program ahead of the 2026-27 campaign. With a combination of international junior success and proven Division I experience, the newest members of the Beach are expected to make an immediate impact as Long Beach State looks to contend in the Big West Conference.
Wednesday, March 27
Thursday, January 26
Monday, July 18
