CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — University of Redlands women's tennis standout Maegan Deng (Torrance, CA) saw her impressive 2026 season come to an end Friday in the Round of 32 at the NCAA Division III Women's Tennis Championships, falling 6-3, 6-0 to Saina Deshpande of Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Battling illness throughout the morning, Deng showed determination and resilience by taking the court despite not being at full strength. The junior from Torrance, CA fought through a competitive opening set, staying within striking distance before Deshpande pulled away for the straight-set victory. 

Deng's appearance in the national championship tournament for the third straight year capped off a remarkable season for Redlands and added another milestone to her collegiate career. Competing on the national stage, she represented the Bulldogs as the No. 2 overall seed in singles and was among the top singles players in Division III tennis.

The Bulldogs conclude the 2026 campaign with a number of highlights, which included a SCIAC Tournament appearance as the No. 3 seed, posted a 12-9, 5-2 SCIAC record, had three players named All-SCIAC (Maegan Deng – 1^st Team, Lindsey Whelan – 1^st Team, and Maisy Reynoso – 2^nd Team) and capped off the year with Deng and Whelan qualifying for the NCAA Division III National Championships.