Mercer’s women’s tennis team concluded a strong weekend at the ITA Regional Championship in Orlando, Fla. on Monday, showcasing spirit and determination throughout the event.
Marina de Diego Quinones '26 and Sofiya Tsitavets '28, both of whom competed in both singles and doubles play against some of the region’s top collegiate talent, represented the Bears at the tournament. Their performances reflected the hard work and preparation put in by the athletes and coaching staff in the lead-up to the tournament, and the experience gained in Orlando should serve as a valuable stepping stone for the remainder of the season.
In singles play, Tsitavets faced a challenging draw but battled through three competitive matches. She opened play on Thursday against the University of North Florida's Jasmin Makela, forcing a three-set match before ultimately falling in three sets. On Friday, she advanced by walkover against Diana Khaydarshina of Florida International University, securing a spot in the next round. Tsitavets closed her singles run on Saturday with a loss in straight sets to Kennesaw State University player Izabella Person, 2-6, 5-7.
De Diego Quinones started the tournament on a high note, earning a straight-set victory over Sabrina Jaramillo of Florida Gulf Coast University, 6-1, 6-4. However, in her second singles match, Aysegul Mart of the University of Georgia had de Diego Quinones' number, beating the Bear in two sets.
Together, Tsitavets and de Diego Quinones formed a doubles pair and delivered closely contested matches. The duo opened with a win over Charlotte Ruud and Josefine Falster of the University of South Florida. They followed that performance up with another tight battle against Lauren Seye and Olicia Bergler of the University of Central Florida, where they came up just short with a final score of 8-6.
Overall, the Mercer tandem combined was responsible for a total of two wins in singles play and one in doubles.
With the tournament behind them, the Bears – along with their other teammates – now look ahead to their next competition. Mercer will return to action at the Wofford College Invite, from Nov. 7-9 in Spartanburg, S.C., where the team aims to build on its performance and continue developing strong momentum as it heads into the spring season.
