Main Story: Brown opens its 2026-27 fencing season by hosting the Northeast Fencing Conference, aiming to build on a 25-8 campaign that included a second straight conference title and a 17th-place NCAA finish. The Bears return several top performers, including NCAA competitors Jessie Chen and Ashley Lou, and add three California recruits.

By the Numbers
  • Brown went 25-8 overall in 2025-26.
  • The Bears won the Northeast Fencing Conference for the second consecutive year.
  • Chen finished 59-53; Lou went 57-40; Amy Mao posted a 51-26 record.
  • Brown placed 17th at the NCAA Championships; Chen finished 23rd and Lou 18th individually.
Yes, But

Brown’s returning NCAA experience is a strength, but its two NCAA competitors finished below .500 at the championship tournament: Chen went 4-19 and Lou 8-15.

State of Play
  • Brown hosts its first conference tournament Nov. 15 and travels to Wellesley for the second on Jan. 23.
  • The schedule includes the Penn Invite, Ivy Championships at Yale and regional championships at Boston College.
  • Three newcomers — Emma Bush, Sydney Liu and Lea Yang — join a roster led by returning veterans.
What’s Next

The Bears begin competition this weekend, with the season building toward Ivy Championships on Feb. 6, regional championships on March 7 and the NCAA Championships at Duke on March 25. Selected Brown fencers will compete at the NCAA meet.

Bottom Line

Brown has a strong foundation of proven returners and accomplished newcomers; the key test is turning last season’s team success into deeper results at the NCAA level.