Women's Tennis | 4/15/2026 6:32:00 PM

Kelly Dowuona will leave Saint Francis as the program's all-time leader in singles, doubles, and combined wins. Still, her path to that record and her journey to Saint Francis University was anything but easy. This is her Flash Feature.

With her father, Sully Dowuona, a former professional player for the Ghana national team, guiding her early development, her foundation in the sport was laid early. What once seemed like a clear path forward quickly became uncertain when injuries and setbacks forced her to question whether she would continue playing at the next level.

"Going into my senior year of high school, I injured my rotator cuff and had to take time off from tennis," Dowuona said. "I didn't have many results leading into the season. I had a strong junior year, but there was a significant gap, and most universities and recruiters don't view that favorably, so they typically overlook it. Once I finally got back onto the court, I was used to winning a lot. But then I lost eight matches in a row, and I felt defeated."

As she considered stepping away from the game she loved, a phone call from Saint Francis women's tennis head coach Eric Hovan changed everything.

"I was on the verge of quitting, thinking I didn't want to go to a school in the U.S. to play tennis because I wasn't good enough," Dowuona said. "But Coach Hovan reached out to me; he talked about the school, and I ended up having a call with him. He was very talkative, easygoing, and nice. He helped restore my confidence in tennis."

The call from Hovan and the move to Saint Francis reignited Dowuona's passion for the sport, but the demands of college tennis were daunting.

"I came in mainly with the mentality of not wanting to be the worst player on the court," Dowuona said. "I didn't want people to think that I was bad at tennis. I thought, I'm just going to play my game and hopefully get better. I want to improve."

Dowuona finished 14–12 in singles in her first year, competing primarily at No. 3, and went 16–12 in doubles. She won her first three collegiate singles matches at the Bucknell Invitational but was still adjusting to playing tennis in the United States after growing up in Brampton, Ontario.

"My first year had its highs and lows because I got really stressed out," Dowuona said. "It was different playing on a team; I was scared of losing and disappointing people. Back home, I was used to playing without anyone watching me. I went to tournaments on my own, without family or support. But I had a lot of people cheering for me because I was one of the last players on my team still competing. So it was like, oh, this is fine. This is good. I really think I was able to carry that with me and manage the highs and the lows throughout my first year here."

She went 16–8 in singles in her second year and 24–12 as a junior, with those 24 wins ranking second in program history. She finished the regular season of her senior year with an 18–12 record heading into this week's NEC Championships. Along with all her individual accomplishments, Dowuona helped the Red Flash reach its first-ever NEC Championship Game last season, and the team is poised to make another run this week.

"After my first year, I really got into the mindset that I know I want to win, but if I lose, I'm not going to let myself lose badly," Dowuona said. "I want it to be close, either a three-set match or a set that goes to a tiebreak. I think that also helped me start winning a lot, and my playing style really evolved into one that didn't give up in a match. If the match goes badly, let's make it as long as possible. That's my main focus when I'm playing."

"Kelly has had an extraordinary career at Saint Francis and will go down as one of the best players in school history," Hovan said. "Not only does she hold the program record for most wins, but she may also be among the best in conference history. However, Kelly is an even better person than she is a player. A three-year team captain, she has dedicated herself to the growth and success of our program. Many on this team and staff believe her impact will be felt for years to come and should set the standard for Saint Francis Red Flash women's tennis players going forward."

She is the true definition of a student-athlete and a competitor in the classroom. While her parents studied kinesiology, she developed an interest in exercise physiology at Saint Francis. Though it may not have been her first choice, her local racket club partnered with physical therapy clinics in its basement, and everything clicked after she spoke with a friend in a similar situation.

"It all started when I got injured," Dowuona said. "After injuring my shoulder, I became close with one of my physiotherapists. She shared her experience playing college tennis and how much she enjoyed studying something related to my current major. Throughout my healing process, I learned a lot about our muscles and how to help them recover. That's why everything came together regarding what I study today."

An injury in high school changed her path and nearly caused her to walk away from tennis. A message from Saint Francis and Hovan changed that trajectory, and Dowuona will leave Loretto as one of the best tennis players in program history. She is someone future women's tennis players can look to as an athlete who faced adversity, stayed the course, and, in the end, "became that someone" everyone wants to be.