CLINTON, Miss. — Mississippi Christian University All-American Emily Buchanan has earned a spot in the 2026 ITA National Summer Championships after advancing to the semifinals of the Week 6 ITA Summer Masters Series.
Buchanan secured one of four automatic qualifying positions from the tournament, punching her ticket to the ITA National Summer Championships, scheduled for Aug. 8-11 at Baylor University's Hurd Tennis Center in Waco, Texas.
The championships serve as the culmination of the ITA Summer Series powered by WTN and will feature a 32-player singles draw and a 16-team doubles draw. Players will compete for a share of $20,000 in prize money, with Division I competitors also vying for ITA All-American Championship and USTA Pro Circuit wild cards.
Buchanan enters the national event after a historic 2025-26 season in which she established herself as one of the nation's premier Division II players. She recently earned ITA All-America honors in both singles and doubles after finishing among the top 20 in the final ITA Division II singles rankings and among the top 10 doubles teams alongside teammate Ann Cabot Stockett.
Her summer success continued with a semifinal appearance at the Week 6 ITA Summer Masters Series, making her one of 20 automatic qualifiers for the national championships.
Buchanan was one of four women's qualifiers from Week 6, joining champion Gabriella Rawles of Notre Dame, runner-up Ellasyn Deford of Xavier and fellow semifinalist Ariel Madatali of Illinois.
Notably, Buchanan is the only NCAA Division II player among the women's automatic qualifiers announced through the six-week ITA Summer Masters Series, highlighting her continued success against a field comprised primarily of Division I competitors.
Mississippi Christian concluded the spring season with a 27-2 record and advanced to the NCAA Division II national semifinals for the first time in program history. Buchanan played a leading role in that historic run before carrying her momentum into summer competition.
The ITA National Summer Championships begin Aug. 8 in Waco, with champions and finalists earning opportunities for additional postseason and professional-level events, including ITA All-American Championship and USTA Pro Circuit wild cards for eligible players.
