ATLANTA – Bethune-Cookman Women's Tennis opens the 2025 fall campaign on Thursday, Sept. 18, when the Wildcats travel to compete in the 24th Annual HBCU National Tennis Championships housed at South Fulton Tennis Center in Atlanta, Georgia.
 
Under the direction of Head Coach Chris Wollett, Bethune-Cookman is fielding four individuals in the four-day event.
 
Jalayah Shaw (Plant City, Fla.) and Zahara El-Zein (Harare, Zimbabwe) will take the court together in the "A" doubles draw. In the "B" doubles draw, a pair of freshmen – Madison Molock (Ocala, Fla.) and Taylor O'Neal (Indianapolis, Ind.) are paired together.
 
"I'm really excited to get the fall season underway with this group," said Wollett, starting his third full season at the helm in Daytona Beach. "We have a solid core of returning players who know our system and can provide leadership, combined with some talented newcomers who are eager to make their mark. It's always a good mix when you have that experience paired with fresh energy and new perspectives."
 
All four Wildcats will compete in singles across A, B and C draws as well.
 
Each draw is expected to start with the round of 32 or 64 in singles, and the round of 16 or 32 in doubles. Seeding for each draw will be determined by the newly adopted by the ITA, most up-to-date World Tennis Number (WTN) information. Each draw will have eight (8) seeds, while still taking into account institutions with multiple players in draws will not face each other (should they continue to win) until the semifinals or finals.
 
For a complete list of draws on the women's and men's side, please click here.
 
"We haven't been able to practice as much as we've wanted to because of the weather recently, but I like what I'm seeing from the team's work ethic and chemistry," continued Wollett. "Our expectations are to compete hard every match, continue developing as individuals and as a unit, and see how far this group can take us. The depth we have should serve us well throughout what promises to be a challenging but exciting fall campaign."
 
Trophies will be awarded to first and second place finishers in each flight and first place consolation winners. For every win in the main draw, a certain point count will be awarded; for every win in the consolation draw, 1.0 points will be awarded; and for doubles teams with two different institutions, half of the round's designated points will be awarded to determine the overall team champions, and those who placed second and third, respectively.
 
The HBCU National Tennis Championship has always stood for providing schools with the opportunity to compete in a tournament during the fall to allow players to meet, compete, and be crowned National Champions at the end of the tournament, both individually and as teams.
 
The HBCU National Tennis Championship is open to HBCU schools interested in participating, with players stemming from leagues across each of the SWAC, MEAC, CAA, Horizon, Big South, SIAC, OVC, GCAC and ECAC, respectfully. From the SWAC, joining Bethune-Cookman on the women's side are teams from Alabama A&M, Alabama State, Alcorn, Florida A&M and Jackson State.
 
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