Furman University’s women’s tennis team defeated Western Carolina University 4-0 on Apr. 16 in the quarterfinals of the 2026 Southern Conference Championship at the Champions Club in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
The win allows Furman, which is seeded first and ranked No. 68 nationally, to advance to the semifinal round where it will face fourth-seeded Wofford. Western Carolina ends its season with a record of two wins and eighteen losses. Furman has reached the semifinals every year since the tournament adopted a team scoring format in 1998.
In doubles play, Elle Warren and Lillie Murphy—ranked No. 46 nationally—defeated Mariya Dobreva and Mia Miranda by a score of 6-1 at number one doubles. Bianca Ceroni and Macy Hitchcock won their match at flight two by an identical score against Zoe Lui and Kelly Coetzee. The third doubles match was left unfinished.
During singles competition, Murphy secured a victory when her opponent retired from their top-seeded contest after four games. Ceroni won her match at flight four with scores of 6-0, 6-1 over Axelle Van Beurden, while Sasha Dimitrov clinched Furman’s overall win by defeating Coetzee at number five singles with scores of 6-2, 6-4.
Other singles matches at flights two, three, and six were not completed as Furman reached the required points for victory.
