PORTSMOUTH, Ohio -- The women's tennis program closed its season out on a high note Sunday afternoon, as senior tennis players Brooklyn Foose, McKenzie Harman and Antonia Ilea were sent out the right way as Shawnee State claimed a 5-2 victory over Brescia (Ky.) in its final regular season match of 2025 at Daehler Tennis Center in Portsmouth.
Shawnee State was able to claim the doubles point victory as the Bears' No. 2 doubles unit of Foose and Miranda Johnson won 6-3 over Brescia's Auna Mclure and Layla Flakes. Maggie Clark and Makenna Pelphrey also claimed a forfeit win at No. 3 doubles -- sealing the doubles point for Shawnee State in the match.
In singles competition, Harman and Johnson took care of business at No. 3 and No. 4 singles -- winning 6-0, 6-2 over Brescia's Nevaeh Yates and 6-1, 6-1 over Mclure, respectively. Maggie Clark added in a victory as Clark, who won the opening set over Brescia's Reagan Lawson 6-3, scored the win at the position after Lawson retired from the remainder of the match between the two. Makenna Pelphrey's forfeit win at No. 6 singles seal the five points that Shawnee State obtained in the match.
Along with the wins, Harman and Ilea took Brescia's top doubles unit of Lawson and Jada Flakes to a 6-4 contest at No. 1 doubles, while Ilea took Layla Flakes to a tight 3-6, 6-7 decision at No. 2 singles.
Oakland City
Against Oakland City, Miranda Johnson also performed well -- taking her No. 3 singles match against Oakland City's Laynie Graham to the brink before falling by a 5-7, 6-3, 6-7 (3-6) margin. McKenzie Harman won four games at No. 4 singles against Oakland City's Sarah Acevedo as well.
From a tennis perspective, the senior trio of Foose, Harman and Ilea have been terrific leaders for the program in Greg Geremia's first season -- as Foose and Harman are four-year letterwinners who have remained with the program through transition periods while maintaining high academic GPAs, while Ilea is arguably one of the conference's most improved tennis players and an individual who has played at either No. 1 or No. 2 singles throughout the entirety of the season for the Bears.
