CARY, N.C. – No. 3-seeded Howard University women's tennis saw its MEAC Championship run come to an end Thursday afternoon, falling to 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, Ga.) 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, Minn.) and junior Dana Hall (Miami, Fla.) also competed at No. 3 and No. 4 singles, respectively, but were unable to swing momentum back in Howard's favor.

With the loss, the Bison conclude their 2026 campaign 5-13 overall and 4-2 in conference.

For more information on Howard University women's tennis, visit the official Howard Athletics website www.hubison.com.