Milligan Scores Lone Upset of Day One of Women's Tournament

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - The quarterfinal round of the 2026 Appalachian Athletic Conference Women's Tennis Tournament opened Monday at Champions Tennis Club with four teams moving on. SCAD Atlanta, Brenau, Milligan, and Tennessee Wesleyan each secured victories in the women's bracket, with two of the matches ending in 4-0 sweeps and one more decided at 4-1.

SCAD Atlanta posted the most decisive result of the opening round, defeating Columbia 4-0 at Champions Club. SCAD took control immediately by winning all three doubles flights, 6-0 at No. 1, 6-0 at No. 2 and 6-1 at No. 3. That start set the tone for singles, where Shalimar Talbi beat Natalia Diaz 6-0, 6-0 at No. 1, Joann Leijten won 6-0, 6-1 at No. 4, and Adrianna Kluska added another 6-0, 6-0 result at No. 5. Carmine Becoude and Manuella Eloundou also held leads in recorded results, while one singles flight was listed as unfinished. Talbi, Leijten, and Kluska each figured prominently in both doubles and singles as SCAD advanced without allowing a team point.

Brenau followed with a 4-1 win over Montreat in a match that included the most resistance of the morning session. Kristina Radovic helped Brenau establish an early edge, teaming with Emma Ackermann for a 6-3 win in doubles before defeating Clara Roman 6-3, 6-3 at No. 1 singles. Maëlys Perle Pigeonneau delivered one of the tighter finishes of the round with a three-set win over Yamile Cuiza, recorded at 6-4, 4-6, 3-0. Montreat's point came from Ana Marija Horvacki, who beat Nadja Noriega-Alcala 6-4, 6-2 at No. 4 singles, but Brenau had already built enough cushion through doubles and the upper singles flights to close out the quarterfinal.

The closest team match came between Milligan and Johnson, where Milligan emerged with a 4-2 victory after Johnson gained an early advantage in doubles. Johnson won the No. 1 and No. 3 doubles flights, while Milligan answered with a 6-0 win at No. 2 from Parker White and Lauren Wimmer. Singles decided the match. Averie Stalnaker gave Johnson a point with a 6-0, 6-4 win over Melissa Duarte at No. 1, but Milligan responded through depth. Tara Stewart won a three-set match over Francesca Crosa, Madison Berry defeated Marina Lasneaux 6-0, 4-6, 6-1, and White added another key singles point in a three-set victory over Berkley Clark. Several flights stretched deep into third sets, and Milligan's ability to finish those long matches carried it into the semifinals.

Tennessee Wesleyan closed the quarterfinal slate with a 4-0 win over Truett McConnell. The Bulldogs swept doubles play, taking the No. 2 and No. 3 flights by 6-1 and 6-0 margins and also claiming the opening doubles position in the recorded results. In singles, Laia Berne and Ana Serrano each turned in 6-0, 6-0 wins, while Ruslana Kovalenko added a 6-1, 4-0 recorded result at No. 1. Kovalenko also teamed with Margarita Tatur for a doubles win, and Berne paired with Honoka Tsuji in another dominant doubles performance. Tennessee Wesleyan's control in both formats left little doubt by the time the deciding points were secured.

The day's results fit the tone of a tournament quarterfinal, with quick starts in doubles often deciding the path forward. SCAD Atlanta and Tennessee Wesleyan each swept into the next round, Brenau handled a challenge from Montreat, and Milligan survived the most competitive match on the court list. With the quarterfinals complete in Chattanooga, the AAC women's tournament moves on with four teams still in contention for the conference title.