FLUSHING, N.Y. - - The Wilmington University women's tennis team started its 2023-24 season at the International Tennis Association's (ITA) East Regional Tournament last weekend, sending four Wildcats into the Round of 16 in an impressive display at the home of the US Open.

Playing as individuals in the bracket style tournament, the Wildcats sent all eight student-athletes to the singles draw and four teams into the doubles draw.

Senior Jess Purdy advanced into the semifinal round on Monday before falling to the No. 1 seed Ebba Rosberg from St. Thomas Aquinas. Purdy was leading the second set, 4-1, before succumbing to Rosberg, 7-5 and 7-5. Rosberg went on to win the ITA East Regional Individual Championship.

Purdy got to the semifinals as the No. 6 seed, earning a first round bye. She then defeated a student-athlete from Daemen, 7-5 and 6-1, in the round of 64. She needed a third set tiebreaker to win her next match, 6-3, 4-6, and 10-5, before reaching the Round of 16 by winning the opening set, 6-2, against Adelphi's Astrid Bergh before Bergh retired. Queens' athlete Eva Rivoal couldn't go in the Quarterfinals, sending Purdy into the semifinals against Rosberg.

Three other Wildcats worked their way in the Round of 16, including 20^th seeded Kushi Khandoji, 27^th seeded Alva Norberg, and 30^th seeded Marley Trifunovic. All three earned a first round bye and Kushi Khandoji was the closest to get out of the Round of 16, forcing a third set tiebreaker against UDC's Polina Zelentsova. After losing the first set, 6-3, Khandoji fought back win the second, 7-5, but dropped the tiebreaker, 10-5. Khandoji defeated student-athletes from Franklin Pierce and St. Thomas Aquinas to get to the Round of 16.

Larize Nel won a pair of matches before falling in the Round of 32 in a third set tiebreaker and Valentina Ivankovic dropped a third set tiebreaker in extra points, 11-9, to Samanta Villegas Robles of St. Thomas Aquinas in the Round of 32.

Three of the double's teams reached the Round of 16 as well, after eaching earning a bye and winning a match. All four teams won a match in the doubles draw.

Ranked No. 16, Gloria Barcaro and Kushi Khandoji needed a 7-0 tiebreak to get around Daemen, 9-8, in the second round before falling to the No. 1 ranked duo from St. Thomas Aquinas, 8-5.

Fenna Swaan and Jess Purdy defated Franklin Pierce, 8-4, in the second round before falling, 8-6, to a pair from St. Thomas Aquinas in the Round of 16 as well. Alva Norberg and Valentina Ivankovic blacked a pair from Chestnut Hill, 8-0, in the second round before falling to New Haven, 8-4, in the Round of 16 as well.

Marley Trifunovic and Larize Nel blanked a team from Molloy, 8-0, in the opening round, but dropped their second match, 8-6, to a team from New Haven in the Round of 32.

The Wildcats will now get into dual matches for the rest of the fall season, looking to three-peat as Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Tournament Champions.

Singles:

6 – Jess Purdy – Bye – 7-5, 6-1 (Kyriakitsa Scime Daemen) – 6-3, 4-6, 10-5 (Alison Isaac CHC) – 6-2, ret (Astrid Bergh) – Retired (Eva Rivoal) – 5-7, 5-7 (Ebba Rosberg STAC Semifinal)

Larize Nel – 6-1, 6-0 (Maria Cedeno AIC) – 6-2, 2-6, 10-7 (Amanda Kadiri STAC) – 6-4, 1-6, 7-10 (Alina Kupfer SNHU RD32)

30 – Marley Trifunovic – Bye – 6-2, 6-1 (Maggie Kutner Molloy) – 6-0, 6-3 (Viktoriia Pavlovets (STAC) – 4-6, 1-6 (Alina Kupfer SNHU RD16)

20 – Kushi Khandoji – Bye – 6-2, 6-2 (Maria Paz Diaz Franklin Pierce) – 6-3, 6-1 (Elise Semmartin (STAC) – 3-6, 7-5, 5-10 (Polina Zelentsova UDC RD16)

Gloria Barcaro – 6-2, 6-7 (4-7), 5-10 (Camilla Caballero Molloy RD 128)

12 – Valentina Ivankovic – Bye – 6-0, 6-1 (Madison Mabrito New Haven) – 6-4, 5-7, 9-11 (Samanta Villegas Robles STAC RD 32)

27 – Alva Norberg – Bye – 6-1, 7-6 (7-1) (Victoria Azcona AIC) – 6-3, 1-6, 10-4 (Roisin Boyd Adelphi) – 4-6, 5-7 (Elita Silins STAC RD16)

Fenna Swaan – 6-4, 7-5 (Caterina Federici Adelphi) – 5-7, 6-4, 6-10 (Elita Silins STAC RD64)

Doubles:

16 – Gloria Barcaro/Kushi Khandoji – Bye – 9-8 (7-0) (Daemen) – 5-8 (Ebba Rosberg/Samanta Villegas Robles STAC #1 RD16)

Fenna Swaan/Jess Purdy – Bye – 8-4 (Franklin Pierce) – 6-8 (STAC RD16)

Alva Norberg/Valentina Ivankovic – Bye – 8-0 (CHC) – 4-8 (New Haven Rd16)

Marley Trifunovic/Larize Nel – 8-0 (Molloy) – 6-8 (New Haven (RD32)