CARY, N.C. (April 23, 2026) – No. 3-seeded Howard University women's tennis saw its MEAC (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) Championship run come to an end Thursday afternoon, falling to reigning champion No. 6 South Carolina State in the quarterfinal round at Cary Tennis Park.
Howard showed resilience throughout the match, highlighted by multiple strong individual performances in singles play.
First Team All-MEAC freshman standout
Franchesca Brown (Atlanta) led the way for the Bison, earning a dominant straight-sets victory at No. 1 singles (6-4, 6-3). Brown also contributed in doubles action, teaming with junior
Lauren Oliver (Winston-Salem, N.C.) to secure a 6-4 win at No. 2 doubles, Howard's lone doubles victory of the day.
Oliver continued her strong showing in singles, capturing a straight-sets win at No. 6 (6-3, 7-5) while freshman
Chloe Goins (Burr Ridge, Ill.) battled to a three-set victory at No. 5 singles, rallying for a 7-6, 7-5, 6-2 decision.
Despite the individual successes, South Carolina State claimed the doubles point and secured wins in key singles positions to clinch the team victory.
Freshman
Camille Hall (Bowie, Md.) pushed her opponent to three sets at No. 2 singles, taking the second set before ultimately falling in a tightly contested match.
Senior
Selah Stibbins (Minneapolis) and junior
Dana Hall (Miami) also competed at No. 3 and No. 4 singles, respectively, but were unable to swing momentum back in Howard's favor.
All-MEAC selection junior
Imani Jean (Brooklyn, N.Y.), who served primarily as the squad's top singles player and one-half of the club's No. 1 doubles team, missed the match due to injury.
With the loss, the Bison conclude their 2026 campaign 5-13 overall and 4-2 in conference.
Howard Director of Tennis
Nicholas Askew and Associate Head Coach
Zach Tobias look to reload for the upcoming 2027 campaign in the program's pursuit for another MEAC title.
For more information on Howard University women's tennis, visit the official Howard Athletics website
www.hubison.com.
