FLUSHING, N.Y. - - The Wilmington University women's tennis team officially started the 2024-25 playing season at the 2024 ITA East Regional Championships, as all seven Wildcats saw action in singles and doubles play at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
Newcomer Ming-Fu Chen (Taichung City, Taiwan) led the Wildcats on the court, advancing to the Round of 16 in singles and to the Quarterfinals in doubles in partner Lyza Sylka.
Ranked No. 31 in the open singles draw, Chen earned a bye in her first round and then got her tournament started by defeating Saint Michael's Emma Gredenhag, 6-2 and 6-3. She then took down New Haven's Candice Habay, 7-5 and 6-2, in the Round of 32. Her singles run stopped in the Round of 16 however, falling to the District of Columbia's and 15th ranked Desire Parn, 6-1 and 6-3.
Freshmen Molly Carlberg and Siana MacDonald each advanced to the Round of 32 for the Wildcats. Ranked No. 10 in the draw, MacDonald earned a bye and then defeated Assumption's Marie Knispel, 6-0 and 6-4. But Adelphi's Rosin Boyd defeated MacDonald, 6-1 and 6-3, in the Round of 32. Ranked No. 19, Carlberg also earned a bye and then defeated Adelphi's Ada Amarghioalei, 6-0 and 6-1, to advance in the bracket. Carlberg made a match of it against UDC's Parn, losing the opening set in a tiebreak, 7-6 (7-4), before coming back and inning the second set, 6-2. The third set tiebreak went the distance and then some, but Carlberg ultimately fell, 11-9.
Gloria Barcaro won her opening round match against the Distric of Columbia's Celia Bastin, 6-3 and 6-2, but fell to the No. 2 ranked Valentinna Ferrarini in the Round of 64. Kushi Khandoji, Lyza Sylka, and Inés Oliveira all fell in the first match of their tournaments.
Chen and Sylka had the best showing for the Wildcats in the doubles event, advancing to the quarterfinals before bowing out. Ranked No. 8 in the draw, the duo had a bye and then defeated a pair from Saint Thomas Aquinas, 8-6. They then beat a New Haven squad, 8-5, in the Round of 16, but matched up against the No. 1 pair in the draw from Adelphi, falling 8-2.
Ranked No. 9 in the doubles draw, Kushi Khandoji and Siana MacDonald also won a match following a bye. They defeated a team from Franklin Pierce, 8-3, but fell in their next match, 8-3, to the No. 7 ranked team from UDC, in the Round of 16.
Gloria Barcaro and Inés Oliveira fell in their opening round match against Queens College, 8-3.
The Wildcats host their first two dual matches of the season this week, first with Goldey-Beacom on Tuesday afternoon at the Delcastle Tennis Center. The opening serve of doubles is set for 2:00 p.m.