Women's Tennis | 3/1/2026 2:08:00 AM
OPENING SERVE VS FLORIDA SOUTHERN
Florida Southern returns a core that helped fuel last season's success, including Kennedi Brown, who went 11-11 in the top doubles spot, while Emily Jennewein and Ronja Scheuermann finished the year 14-6 in the No. 2 doubles position. The third doubles pair, Jolie Miller and Annika Berrendorf, returns for another season after posting a 14-5 record.
OPENING SERVE VS ASSUMPTION
Coming off a dominant 2024-25 season, the Greyhounds finished 14-5 overall and 6-2 in the conference. Head Coach Cris Popa returns for his fourth season, featuring key returners such as Laurence Bosmans, Marie Knispel, Carolina de Souza, and her twin sister Danielle de Souza.
OPENING SERVE VS SPRING ARBOR
Last season, the Cougars finished with an overall record of 7-11. So far this season, Spring Arbor's standout player is junior Victoria Herrington, who leads the team with a 4-3 overall record.
LAST TIME OUT
Saint Francis women's tennis earned a 5-2 win over Lehigh, claiming the doubles point with victories at No. 1 and No. 2 before securing four singles matches. Kelly Dowuona won in straight sets, while Helena Lynn, Reagen Mangan, and Morgan Tuffs each battled to three-set victories to seal the team's result.
NEXT SERVE
Saint Francis women's tennis is back in action on Sunday, March 15, as they take on NEC foe Binghamton at Gorilla House Gym in Altoona, Pennsylvania, with a start time of 12 p.m.
AT THE HELM
As head coach, Hovan continues his fifth season in Loretto. Very few words can describe his career other than "successful," as he's helped both the men's and women's teams reach new heights. In 2023-24, he was named NEC Coach of the Year after helping the men reach their second NEC Championship Game. Last season, the women's tennis team made the NEC Championship Game for the first time in program history.
NATIONAL RECOGNITION IN THE LO'
On Nov.25 of 2025, the Saint Francis University women's tennis doubles team of
Sophia Cunningham and
Emma Marais earned national recognition from the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA), marking the program's first after going 6-1 in the fall slate of the 2025 season. As of this writing, the underclassmen duo is still the only NEC doubles team nationally ranked during the 2026-26 season.
ALL-TIME LEADER
Senior
Kelly Dowuona is the program's all-time leader in combined wins and, as of Friday, Sept. 6, the all-time leader in singles matches with 59 victories. Last season, she posted a 24-12 singles record and a 21-14 doubles record. Her 24 singles wins are tied for the second-most in a single season in program history, a record also achieved by
Dasha Chichkina in 2024-25. As of Feb. 9, Dowuona is at 11-10, bringing her career total to 71 wins.
NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK
While the Red Flash women's tennis team boasts experience from last year's championship team, Coach Hovan and Assistant Coach Palko added four first-year players:
Gabriela Almanza (Orlando, Florida/Lake Nona),
Helena Lynn (Bethlehem, Pennsylvania/Mother Divine Grace),
Emma Marais (Lodi, California/Vista Oaks Charter), and
Julia Ritchey (Roaring Spring, Pennsylvania/Central).
