Liberty Women’s Tennis to face Washington in first NCAA Championship
April 28, 2026 : By Liberty Athletics
In its first-ever NCAA Championship appearance, the Liberty Women’s Tennis team will head north to Charlottesville, Va., to take on Washington in the first round of the national tournament on Saturday at 11 a.m. ET. University of Virginia, the No. 7 seed, serves as the regional host for the first and second rounds.
Liberty (16-9) secured the automatic bid in Conference USA, securing its first-ever conference title with a 4-0 triumph over Delaware on April 18. The Lady Flames won four matches in four consecutive days en route to their first-ever title, besting Missouri State (4-0), Kennesaw State (4-1), FIU (4-3), and Delaware in their improbable title run. They are the first CUSA women’s tennis squad to secure the championship with four matches played. Head Coach Dash Connell, who is in his second season at the helm, led the Lady Flames to the conference championship.
Connell was named CUSA Coach of the Year on Tuesday. Other postseason honors for the Lady Flames went to junior Maria Turchetto, Singles Player of the Championship and Singles First Team; Milana Tsulygina, CUSA Freshman of the Year and Singles Second Team; redshirt junior Daniella O’Neill, All-Conference Singles First Team; the pairing of Turchetto and sophomore Yoanna Radulova, Doubles Team of the Championship and Doubles First Team; and the pairing of O’Neill and Tsulygina, Doubles Second Team.
The Lady Flames entered the CUSA tournament having played only one conference match in regular season, a 7-0 thrashing of Delaware on Jan. 23. With the conference victory, Liberty improved to a collective 82-46 (.640) singles mark and a 40-24 (.625) doubles record.
Washington earned a 19-5 (9-4 Big Ten) record, finishing in the quarterfinal of the Big Ten Championship as the No. 5 seed.
The winner of Saturday’s contest will take on the victor of the matchup between No. 7 Virginia (21-5) and Saint Francis (13-7) later that day.
