Missouri State University’s women’s tennis team will participate in the 2026 Conference USA Women’s Tennis Championship, according to an April 14 announcement. The Bears have been assigned the No. 11 seed and are scheduled to face No. 6 Liberty University in the opening round on Wednesday, April 15 at 10:00 a.m. The championship is hosted by Middle Tennessee in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
The event marks Missouri State’s first appearance at the Conference USA tournament since joining the conference this season. If successful against Liberty, the Bears would advance to play No. 3 seed Kennesaw State on Thursday afternoon at 1 p.m.
In their most recent match on Sunday, April 12, Missouri State lost to New Mexico State with a score of 5-2. The Bears initially led after winning the doubles point, highlighted by victories from Lucy Latham and Matilde Ercoli at first position and seniors Billur Gonlusen and Raluca Puscas at second position. Puscas also secured a singles win for Missouri State.
This week’s match-up between Missouri State and Liberty will be their first-ever meeting in women’s tennis competition.
Head coach Austin Hale said, “We are looking forward to competing in our first year at the CUSA Tournament. This is what we’ve been building toward all season, and the team is excited for the opportunity and the challenge ahead. Raluca played a key role for us on Sunday, stepping up to help secure the doubles point and following it up with a strong singles win.” Hale added, “Our team has continued to grow and compete at a high level, and we’re confident in the way they have prepared. We are focused on bringing energy, staying disciplined, and embracing the moment as we head into postseason play.”
