ROCK HILL, S.C. — Hima Fernando won three consecutive matches to reach the women's singles final at the 2026 Big South Conference Individual Tennis Championship Sunday at the Rock Hill Tennis Center.
Fernando, the top seed from Longwood, opened the tournament Friday with a 6-4, 6-1 victory over NJIT's Diana Fernandes. She followed with a dominant 6-1, 6-2 win against UNC Asheville's Srinidhi Madhu in the quarterfinals before defeating Presbyterian's Paulina Villegas 6-2, 6-3 in the semifinals to secure her place in the championship match.
Fernando faced Charleston Southern's second-seeded Carlota Farrés Carreter in Sunday's final. Farrés Carreter claimed the opening set 6-1 before Fernando battled in the second set, ultimately falling 7-5 to finish as the tournament's singles runner-up.
The run added another strong performance to Fernando's young Longwood career. The Manchester, England, native was named Big South Freshman of the Year in 2026 after earning second-team all-conference singles honors in her debut season.
Farah Asaad and Feline van Eijkelenburg also picked up singles victories for the Lancers on the weekend. Asaad rallied from a first-set loss to defeat Presbyterian's Roxy Valdés 2-6, 6-1, 6-2 in the opening round. She then faced Farrés Carreter, falling 6-4, 6-4.
Senior van Eijkelenburg battled through a three-set opening-round match against Presbyterian's Keira Stewart, winning 6-4, 4-6, 7-5. She then fell to Charleston Southern's Natsuki Yamagami 7-5, 6-4.
In the consolation singles draw, Alexandra Magia dropped a three-set match to NJIT's Feyza Aydin, 1-6, 6-1, 10-6.
Longwood also competed in doubles, with van Eijkelenburg and Magia falling to PC's Valdés and Villegas 8-4 in the main draw. The Lancers then lost to UNC Asheville's Madhu and Maria Sol Alvarez by the same score, 8-4, in the consolation draw.
Longwood closes the fall season Friday-Sunday at the UNCW Invitational in Wilmington, N.C.
