By: Joseph Hovey
No. 6 seed Liberty (13-9) vs. No. 3 seed Kennesaw State (11-6)
Murfreesboro, Tennessee | Outdoor Tennis Center | Thursday, April 16 | 2 p.m. EDT
KENNESAW, Ga. — Kennesaw State women's tennis begins postseason play on Thursday versus Liberty in the quarterfinal round of the 2026 Conference USA Women's Tennis Championship in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
The Lady Flames advanced to face the Owls with a 4-0 defeat of No. 11 seed Missouri State on Wednesday morning.
OWLS IN THE POSTSEASON
The No. 3 seed Owls seek their first CUSA tournament win and first postseason win overall since a 4-0 defeat of Eastern Kentucky in the 2023 ASUN Championship. KSU and Liberty also met in last year's tournament, with the No. 5 seed Lady Flames coming out on top 4-2 over the 4
th-seeded Owls. Thursday marks the fifth all-time meeting between the two teams. Liberty leads the series 4-0.
SEASON REVIEW
Despite a 4-2 loss to now-No. 1 seed Louisiana Tech in the regular season finale, KSU arrives in Murfreesboro with plenty of momentum from a successful 2026 campaign.
The Owls' 11 wins are tied with the 2023 squad for the second-most in director of tennis
Matt Emery's tenure. Along the way to an 11-6 regular-season record, KSU ripped off an eight-match win streak, from Feb. 18 to March 20, the second-longest in program history.
The eight-match roll included the program's first-ever win over a power-conference opponent, a 4-3 defeat of Virginia Tech on March 10. Another historic mark came with the program's highest-ranked opponent defeated to date in a 4-0 blanking of No. 58 South Alabama on March 22.
In four matches versus CUSA foes, the Owls' only loss came to the top-seeded Bulldogs. KSU owns conference wins over Middle Tennessee (4-3), New Mexico State (4-1) and Jax State (4-0).
The Owls are 46-36 (.561) in singles play and are led by court-two stalwart
Sofia Madrid's 10-3 season record. Madrid enters the postseason with a conference-long win streak of 10 singles matches. The senior from Neuquen, Argentina, ranks sixth all-time at KSU with 33 career wins.
KSU's 26-18 (.591) doubles' record is fueled by Madrid and
Ema Baraniakova's 11-5 court-one record. The pairing has won seven of their last 10 matches and was awarded CUSA Women's Doubles Team of the Week on April 1.
KNOW THE FOE
Liberty (13-9) entered the postseason having lost four of its last five matches, with defeats coming to No. 26 Wichita State, No. 29 Charlotte, North Texas and Richmond. The Lady Flames are 73-42 (.635) in singles with Milana Tsulygina (15-4) and Celina Joseph (14-5) leading the way. Tsulygina and Daniella O'Neill's 11-7 doubles mark has Liberty at 33-22 (.600) on the season.
The Champions Fund
The Champions Fund is a newly created, 100% tax deductible, philanthropic opportunity to contribute strategic revenue to Kennesaw State Athletics, with the goal of strengthening our ability to recruit and retain top-tier talent in this new era of collegiate athletics. Contributions to the Champions Fund will help aid in funding student-athlete recruitment and retention, as well as helping the Owls provide competitive excellence through investments in coaching, travel and facilities. The fund will also give an elevated student-athlete experience, including enhanced academic, nutrition, wellness and leadership programs. Donate to the Champions Fund here and help us support our Kennesaw State Owls.
