ETTRICK, VA - Shaw University women's tennis continued its dynastic run Saturday afternoon, defeating Bluefield State 4-2 to claim the 2026 CIAA Women's Tennis Championship — the program's eighth consecutive title Saturday afternoon on the campus of Virginia State University.
With the victory, the Lady Bears once again showcased their championship pedigree, using a strong doubles performance and clutch singles play to secure the title.
Shaw seized early momentum by winning the doubles point. The top tandem of
Serena Teluwo and
Camilla Angiani-Mortino delivered a decisive 6-3 victory, while the duo of
Allan Antonyan and
Veronika Phillippova added a 6-1 win to clinch the point. The number two tandem of
Halley Banda and
Tanaka Garikai held a 5-0 lead at the time of Shaw clinching the doubles point.
In singles action, Shaw secured three wins to seal the championship. Teluwo dominated at the No. 1 position with a commanding 6-4, 6-1 victory, while Angiani-Mortino followed with a strong 6-1, 6-0 win at No. 2. Phillippova closed out the decisive point at No. 6 with a flawless 6-0, 6-0 performance.
Bluefield State picked up wins at the No. 3 and No. 5 singles positions, but Shaw's depth proved too much as the Lady Bears controlled the match from start to finish.
For her outstanding performance throughout the tournament, Teluwo was named CIAA Tournament Most Valuable Player for the second consecutive season, further cementing her status as one of the conference's elite competitors.