FLUSHING, N.Y. - - The Wilmington University women's tennis team had their best overall showing at the ITA East Regional Championships this weekend, with two student-athletes reaching the semifinals, including Siana MacDonald finishing as a finalist on Monday at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
Siana MacDonald became the second Wildcat to play for an ITA East Regional Championship, tying Neus Ramos Moreno who was also a Finalist in 2021. But it is the first time two Wildcats were in the semifinal round, as Liza Sylka came awfully close to playing teammate MacDonald in the final.
MacDonald entered the ITA East Regional Championships as the No. 3 seed, earning a first-round bye. In her first match, she defeated Saint Anselm's Camila Heredia Osante, 6-4 and 6-0. She then took down Saint Thomas Aquinas' Mar Caneves, 6-3 and 6-0, to reach the Round of 16. She then faced Adelphi's Oda Solevag Halvorsen and again won in straight sets, 6-2 and 6-2. She faced adversity for the first time in the quarterfinals against Adelphi's Zuzanna Witkowska, winning the first set, 6-2, but then lost the second set, 6-1, to enter a third-set super set. She calmly took control of the super set and won, 10-3, to reach the semifinals. She again won in straight sets in the semifinal, winning 6-2 and 6-0, against Queens' Sixtine Goubet. In the final, she faced Queens' 16th seeded Lilie Bizouerne, falling 6-3 and 6-1.
Liza Sylka advanced all the way to the ITA East Regional Semifinals as well, playing in her first match in the Round of 64. She defeated Bentley's Sonali Parasu, 6-1 and 6-3, and then defeated Saint Michael's Annabelle Aldrete, 6-2 and 6-1, to move on to the Round of 16. She then battled Lilly Bandel to a straight set victory, 6-2 and 6-4, running into teammate Ming-Fu Chen in the quarterfinals. Unfortunately, Chen needed to retire due to an injury, allowing Sylka to move on to the Semifinals. She fell to eventual champion, Lilie Bizouerne, 6-2 and 6-0.
Ming-Fu Chen made it three Wildcats in the quarterfinals, winning three matches before having to retire. Her play also started in the Round of 64, defeating Post's Julie Merlin, 6-4 and 6-0. She then needed a third set super set to get around Queens' Marie Bertran de Balanda, winning the first set, 6-0, before falling in the second. But she rebounded in the super set, winning a close match, 10-8, to advance to the Round of 16. Chen then squared up against teammate Molly Carlberg and the two battled to a third set super set as well. Chen won the first set, 6-1, but Carlberg fought back with a second set win, 6-4. Chen then came out on top in the super set, 10-7, to advance to the quarterfinals against another teammate in Liza Sylka.
Seeded fourth overall, Molly Carlberg won two matches before running into Chen in the Round of 16. After a bye in the Round of 128, she blanked Saint Michael's Jaylin Bedard, 6-0 and 6-0, to advance to the Round of 32. She then played well again in the Round of 32, defeating Franklin Pierce's Gabriela Almeida, 6-2 and 6-0, to set up a matchup with Ming-Fu Chen in the Round of 16.
Ines Oliveira and Gloria Barcaro each won a match in the Round of 128 before bowing out of the tournament. Elena Camacho had a bye in her first round but dropped a match in the Round of 64 in her first ITA East Regional Championship competition.
In doubles competition, all three pairings had a bye in the Round of 64, but none of the teams made it past the Round of 16. Second-seeded Molly Carlberg and Ming-Fu Chen defeated Southern New Hampshire's Nadya Lyekontseva and Megan Leck, 8-4, but then fell to a pairing from Adelphi, 8-6, in the Round of 16.
Fifth-seeded Liza Sylka and Siana MacDonald defeated Saint Anselm's Camila Heredia Osante and Julie Boerschig, 8-6, before falling to a pair from Queens in the Round of 16.
The Wildcats return to team dual matches on Tuesday afternoon, traveling to Dominican for another Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference match. The first serve is set for 3:00 p.m. in Orangeburg, New York.
Singles:
Ines Oliveira – W – 6-0, 6-0 (128); L – 6-7 (1-7), 3-6 (64)
Gloria Barcaro – W 6-0, 6-3 (128); L – 1-6, 3-6 (64)
Siana MacDonald (3) – Bye (128); W – 6-4, 6-0 (64); W – 6-3, 6-0 (32); W – 6-2, 6-2 (16); W – 6-2, 1-6, 10-3 (QF); W – 6-2, 6-0 (SF); L – 3-6, 1-6 (F)
Elena Camacho (14) – Bye (128); L – 5-7, 4-6 (64)
Liza Sylka – Bye (128); W – 6-1, 6-3 (64); W – 6-2, 6-1 (32); W – 6-2, 6-4 (16); W – injury (QF); L – 6-2, 6-0 (SF)
Ming-Fu Chen – Bye (128); W – 6-4, 6-0 (64); W – 6-0, 2-6, 10-8 (32); W – 6-1, 4-6, 10-7 (16); L – injury (QF)
Molly Carlberg (4) – Bye (128); W 6-0, 6-0 (64); W – 6-2, 6-0 (32); L – 1-6, 6-4, 7-10 (16)
Doubles:
Liza Sylka/Siana MacDonald (5) – Bye (64); W – 8-6 (32); L – 1-8 (16)
Elena Camacho/Gloria Barcaro – Bye (64); L – 6-8 (32)
Molly Carlberg/Ming-Fu Chen (2) – Bye (64); W – 8-4 (32); L – 6-8 (16)