Northwestern's fencing program signed four high school recruits in April as it prepares to defend the Central Collegiate Fencing Conference championship it won in February in Granville, Ohio.

Epeeists Ana Beckman and Sophia Elston headline the incoming class, joined by saberist Jaslene Lim and foilist Anice Orvananos, according to the Daily Northwestern. Beckman won three tournaments during her senior year of high school, including a title at The Remenyik.

The Wildcats posted a 33-4 record in 2025-26 under 10th-year head coach Zach Moss, earning a No. 5 national ranking. Their only losses came against the top three teams in the country: No. 1 Notre Dame (twice), No. 2 Columbia and No. 3 Harvard.

The CCFC title came down to the final match of the team competition. Northwestern beat No. 7 Ohio State 17-10. That result avenged a one-point loss to the Buckeyes at the 2025 championships and gave the program its third conference title overall and second in three years, following trophies in 2024 and 2021.

Northwestern went on to finish sixth at the 2026 NCAA Women's Fencing Championships in March at Notre Dame, scoring 54 points. The event marked the first time since 1989 that the Wildcats were mathematically capable of winning a national title, after the NCAA reverted to separate men's and women's championships following 36 years of co-ed scoring that had disadvantaged Northwestern's women-only roster.

Sophomore foilist Daphne Chan Nok Sze, a Paris Olympian from Hong Kong, won the individual foil title at the CCFC championships with a 13-0 record, according to InsideNU. First-year saberist Elaine Lu finished seventh at NCAAs and earned Second Team All-American honors, the program's highest first-year finish since Sky Miller placed second in sabre in 2021.

The Wildcats return seven All-CCFC honorees for 2026-27. When the 2025-26 schedule was released in October 2025, Moss said, "We are looking forward to a great year with a strong, committed group of fencers and are thrilled to have the opportunity to pursue an NCAA Championship."

The 2026-27 schedule has not been announced. The Schiller Duals at Ryan Fieldhouse, a home highlight in recent seasons, could bring top-level team fencing back to Evanston this winter.