CARY, N.C., April 26, 2025 – In a commanding display of skill and teamwork, the South Carolina State Lady Bulldogs clinched their sixth consecutive Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Women's Tennis Championship title with a 4-0 victory over North Carolina Central University (NCCU) on April 26, 2025, at Cary Tennis Park in Cary, North Carolina.

With the victory, S.C. State won the MEAC's automatic qualifier to the NCAA Tennis Tournament which begins May 2. The Lady Bulldogs will learn their fate on Monday, April 28 during the NCAA Selection Show.  
 
Match 10: No. 1 South Carolina State def. No. 2 North Carolina Central (W) | 4-0 
 
The Lady Bulldogs set the tone establishing early dominance in doubles play. 
 
At No. 1 doubles, the duo of Sofya Chursina and Hind Semlali overpowered NCCU's Patricia Palencia and Gabriela Mejia Arenas with a decisive 6-2 win.  
 
The No. 3 pairing of Ashikha Amalnathan and Valeria Teran secured the doubles point for SCSU by defeating Alejandra Hidalgo Vega and Valentina De Aquino 6-3.  
 
The No. 2 doubles match was left unfinished, with SCSU's Nalanda Teixeira de Silva and Teodora Vujicic trailing NCCU's Mariana Zottoli and Valeria San Miguel Soria 4-5. 
 
South Carolina State continued their momentum into singles matches sealing the championship win.  
 
At No. 4 singles, Ashikha Amalnathan delivered a straight-sets victory over Patricia Palencia, 6-3, 6-2.  
 
Valeria Teran extended the lead with a 6-4, 6-1 win against Gabriela Mejia Arenas at No. 6 singles.  
 
MEAC Player of the Year, Sofya Chursina, clinched the championship by defeating Alejandra Hidalgo Vega 6-4, 7-5 at the No. 1 singles position.  
 
The remaining singles matches were unfinished as the Lady Bulldogs had already secured the necessary points for victory.  
 
This triumph marks South Carolina State's 19th overall MEAC Women's Tennis Championship title, solidifying their status as a powerhouse in the conference under the leadership of Coach Hardeep Judge, who was named MEAC Women's Coach of the Year. 
 
North Carolina Central reached their first-ever MEAC Championship final, representing a significant milestone and a testament to the program's growth under head coach Sophia Rachi. 
 
All-Tournament Honors 
Outstanding Coach: Hardeep Judge, South Carolina State 
Outstanding Player: Sofya Chursnia, South Carolina State 
 
All-Tournament Team 
Singles 1: Sofya Chursnia, South Carolina State 
Singles 2: Hind Semlali, South Carolina State 
Singles 3: Julia Jeffery, Morgan State 
Singles 4: Patricia Palencia, North Carolina Central 
Singles 5: Marta Serra Carles, Morgan State 
Singles 6: Valeria Teran, South Carolina State 
Doubles 1: Sofya Chursnia & Hind Semlali, South Carolina State 
Doubles 2: Mariana Zottoli & Valeria San Miguel Soria, North Carolina Central 
Doubles 3: Caroline Nicholls & Yulia Yorkova, Norfolk State 
 
For additional information, including brackets, team info, and live scoring, please visit the Tennis Championship Central page at MEACSports.com.