COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The Notre Dame women’s tennis program attempted to add to the number of participants to qualify for the NCAA Singles & Doubles Championships this past weekend by competing at ITA Sectionals. Representing the Irish at Texas &M was singles participants Bojana Pozder and Sophia Holod and the doubles pairing of Akari Matsuno & Rylie Hanford.
Both Pozder and Holod hit a roadblock in the opening round of 32. Pozder lost in a hard fought three-setter, 7-6(3), 2-6, 6-3 to Maria de la Paz Alberto of Iowa State. Holod also forced a first set tiebreak but ultimately fell 7-6(2), 6-3, to Iowa’s Daianne Hayashide (ranked 71st).
Now, Pozder did garner a win in College Station before the weekend was over, topping Oklahoma’s Chloe Noel, 6-4, 6-3.
In the doubles main draw, No. 57 Matsuno/Hanford tried to upend No. 38 Smetannikov/Kupres but dropped it, 6-1, 7-5.
Matsuno & Hanford did bounce back on Saturday to garner a solid win over Wisconsin’s tandem of Reynoldson/Ivanova, 7-5, 3-6, 10-7.
Lastly, Pozder will be making the trip to Orlando with her teammate Bianca Molnar for the NCAA Doubles Championships – qualifying at the ITA Midwest Regionals
ABOUT ITA SECTIONALS
ITA Sectionals will take place at four different sections/sites across the country. Only players and doubles teams who have yet to earn entry into the NCAA Championships and have made deep runs at the ITA All-American or ITA Regional Championships will be eligible for participation.
The 2025 ITA Sectional Championships will have a draw size of the following, (Singles: 32) (Doubles: 16). From this, six singles players from each section (24) will qualify for the NCAA Singles Championship (semifinalists, two quarterfinal playoff winners). Meanwhile, three doubles teams from each section (12) will qualify for the NCAA Doubles Championship through the Sectional Championships (champion, finalist, third place).
ABOUT THE NCAA INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
The NCAA Individual Championships are in the second year of a two-year pilot program designed by the NCAA Division I Competition Oversight Committee, which positions the NCAA Division I Individual Championships in November rather than in May following the NCAA Team Championships.
This year’s NCAA Individual Championships will take athletes to Lake Nona, Florida where they will compete at the USTA National Campus. These championships will take place from November 18-23.
Consisting of four events in which players can qualify from, the NCAA Individual Championship pathway is made up of the ITA All-American Championships, ITA Regional Championships, ITA Sectional Championships, and ITA Conference Masters Championships.
SINGLES MAIN DRAW RESULTS
- R32: Maria de la Paz Alberto (ISU) def. Bojana Pozder (ND), 7-6(3), 2-6, 6-3
- R32: #71 Daianne Hayashida (IOWA) def. Sophia Holod (ND), 7-6(2), 6-3
DOUBLES MAIN DRAW RESULTS
- R16: #38 Daria Smetannikov/Mia Kurpes (TAMU) def. #57 Akari Matsuno/Rylie Hanford (ND), 6-1, 7-5
CONSOLATION/EXTRA
- #63 Audrey Spencer/Nao Nishino (OSU) def. #57 Akari Matsuno/Rylie Hanford (ND), 6-3, 4-6, 10-6
- #57 Akari Matsuno/Rylie Hanford (ND) def. Ellison Reynoldson/Ekaterina Ivanova (WIS), 7-5, 3-6, 10-7
- #31 Emily Sartz-Lunde (MICH) def. Sophia Holod (ND), 6-2, 6-0
- #65 Audrey Spencer (OSU) def. Sophia Holod (ND), 6-1, 6-3
- Hephzibah Oluwadare (OSU) def. Sophia Holod (ND), 6-4, 6-3
- Bojana Pozder (ND) def. Chloe Noel (OK), 6-4, 6-3
- Gloriana Nahum (OK) def. Bojana Pozder (ND), 6-1, 6-4