ATLANTA, Ga. | Alicia Owegi won the Women's B Flight during the 24
th Annual HBCU National Tennis Championships at the South Fulton Tennis Center.
Owegi won five matches on her way to winning the individual crown as the Alabama A&M University women's tennis team fell just short on repeating as HBCU National Champions. The Bulldogs finished second in the weekend tournament.
Owegi opened the flight with a Round of 32 6-4, 6-3 win over Tennessee State's Jovana Nikolic and beat Melisa Mekic, of Alabama State, 6-2, 6-1, to advance to the quarterfinals. She knocked off Jackson State's Helen Hernandez, 6-3, 7-5 and beat teammate
Nardine Salem, 6-3, 6-2 to reach the finals. In the championship match, Owegi rallied to defeat Cleanne Pickel, of Alabama State, 5-7, 6-3, 7-5.
Salem reached the quarterfinals by defeating Natalie Walsh (Tennessee State), 6-3, 6-1, and Dana Hall (Howard), 6-2, 2-6 (10-3).
Also in the B Flight,
Sofia Sotelo Raya opened with a 2-6, 6-2 (10-6) win over Valeria Orega (Xavier, La.) and beat Victoria Cooksey (Tennessee State), 6-1, 6-1, to advance to the quarterfinals. She topped Camille Hall (Howard), 6-2, 6-3, before dropping a 2-6, 6-2 (10-5) decision in the semifinals to Pickel.
In the A Flight,
Gabrielle Henderson opened with a 6-2, 4-6 (10-6) win over McKenna Wheatley (Xavier, La.), before falling in the quarterfinals to Franchesca Brown (Howard), 6-4, 6-2.
In the C Flight, Lavynia Sa fell in the Round of 32 to Jackson State's Daniela Tovar, 2-6, 7-5 (10-6).
Naomi Blanks beat Rim Assenhaji (Alabama State), 6-4, 6-4 and advanced to the quarterfinals with a 6-3, 7-5 victory over Gabrielle Pierce (Florida A&M). However, Polina Georgieva (Jackson State) ended the run in the quarters with a 6-3, 6-2 win.
Also in the C Flight, Mackenna Stewart dropped the opening match to Lauren Oliver (Howard), 6-0, 6-2.
Alabama A&M returns to action Oct. 3-4 by hosting the 2025 Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Fall Tournament at the AAMU Tennis Courts.
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