Dougherty Signs with Charleston Women's Tennis
7/8/2026 10:10:00 AM | Women's Tennis
CHARLESTON, S.C. – College of Charleston women's tennis head coach Doug Matthews announced the signing of Paula Dougherty Wednesday morning. Dougherty will join the Cougars from Charlotte and will be on the 2026-27 roster.
I'm excited to welcome Paula to the Cougar family! said Matthews. She brings a championship pedigree from Charlotte. She is lefty and has a lot of variety in her game. It was clear from the start that she really wants to be here and be a part of this program and community. I can't wait to get started with Paula and the team shortly!
Paula Dougherty – 5'8 – Raleigh, N.C. – Charlotte/Montana State
During her two seasons at Charlotte, Dougherty helped her team make two postseason appareances, including an NCAA Tournament appearance last year. During the 2026 spring campaign, Dougherty tallied four singles wins and went 2-0 in doubles.
During the fall of her sophomore year, she led Charlotte with 10 singles wins in 13 chances and added another five wins in doubles action. She went 3-0 at the UNF Fall Invite in doubles action and captured another three wins at ITA Carolina Regionals, including a Main Draw victory. That spring, Dougherty enjoyed a perfect singles slate in her first dual-match season with Charlotte. She went 8-0 in singles, mainly from the No. 6 slot, and added a doubles win to go a perfect 9-0 overall. She won 13 consecutive singles matches from the end of the fall season through the spring slate.
Prior to Charlotte, the Raleigh, North Carolina native attended Montana State. While in high school, she reached as high as No. 53 in the nation in 18's and peaked at the top of North Carolina's state rankings. Dougherty represented North Carolina in the Ozaki Cup as the top player and helped secure a win for the state for the first time in over 30 years. Additionally, she was a National Honors Society member and finished top-10 in her class academically at North Carolina Cyber Academy.
I chose College of Charleston because I loved the coaches and vision they have for the team, said Dougherty. I'm excited to be a part of the journey.
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