Women's Tennis | 4/30/2026 11:49:00 PM

WEEKEND PREVIEW 
For the first time in program history, Saint Francis women's tennis will hit the road to participate in the NCAA Women's Tennis Tournament. The team is set to face host Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia, on Saturday, May 2, with a 2 p.m. start time.

LAST TIME OUT  
Saint Francis women's tennis captured the NEC women's championship with a 4-0 win over top-seeded FDU on Saturday afternoon at the Mercer County Tennis Center in West Windsor, N.J. Freshman Helena Lynn now holds the program record for the most wins in a single season after earning her 28th victory with a 7-5, 6-4 decision.

OPENING SERVE VS VIRGINIA
Entering the NCAA tournament with a 21-5 record, the host team, Virginia, is ranked No. 7 in the country. Saturday will mark the Cavaliers' 25th overall appearance in the NCAA Women's Tennis Championships and their eighth consecutive under head coach Sara O'Leary. The lineup features several key players from last year's team, including senior Annabelle Xu, who was named to the All-ACC Third Team in singles following a 22-12 performance in 2024-25, and senior Meggie Navarro, who made her WTA debut this fall, competing in the first round of doubles at the 1000-level Cincinnati Open, partnering with her sister, Emma. Navarro finished 2024-25 with a 19-11 doubles record.

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.

PRESEASON POLL
Announced on Tuesday, Feb. 3, the Saint Francis women's tennis team was voted to finish second in the NEC preseason poll. FDU earned the unanimous No.1 spot. Behind the Red Flash were Le Moyne at No.3, LIU at No.4, and Wagner rounding out the top five at No. 5.

HISTORY IS MADE
Perhaps in the most fitting way to cap off an already historic day in Saint Francis women's tennis history, on April 18 against FDU in the NEC Championship match, freshman Helena Lynn earned her 28th victory of the season after falling behind in the first set. She rebounded in a second-set tiebreaker to clinch the championship for her team with a final score of 7-5, 6-4. With this win, the underclassman now holds the record for most wins in a single season, previously set by Diana Zuba with 27 wins during the 2024 season.

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. 

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).