NEW ORLEANS (Sept. 27-29, 2024) – The Our Lady of the Lake University women's tennis team had a productive weekend at the 2024 NAIA Gulf ITA Regional Tournament hosted by Xavier University of Louisiana from Sept. 27-29.

Head Coach Dave Watts said, "It was an amazing weekend for OLLU tennis. The players fought so, so hard the entire weekend."

In the Round of 64, Sofia Gonzalez de la Vega defeated Marthe Chopin, 6-1, 6-4. Alexandra Mille beat Isabella Leaño from Loyola University, 6-1, 6-2. Both Gonzalez and Mille were eliminated in the Round of 32. No. 8 ranked Lucia Popluharova defeated Elizaveta Mikhailova from Louisiana Christian University 6-3, 6-2.

Popluharova was eliminated in the Round of 16.

In the Round of 32 of doubles competition, Mille and Marie Peters beat Raquel Coelho Rodrigues and Mikhailova from Louisiana Christian, 8-5.

In the 16th round, No. 4 ranked Popluharova and Millie Wileman defeated Avery Frierson and Ana Cecilia Castillo from Loyola, 8-0. Mille and Peters were eliminated.

In the quarterfinals, Popluharova and Wileman advanced after beating Chloe Henderson and Adele Feres from Loyola, 8-6. OLLU lost in the semifinals 9-8 (8-6).

In the women's singles consolation competition, Ely Laure Ah-sou defeated Leaño from Loyola, 8-0. In the Round of 16, Ah-Sou advanced after beating Tatum Sikes from Texas A&M University-Texarkana 8-0.

Ah-sou continued to win her quarterfinals match against Ana Julia De Paula Mandrot from LSU-Shreveport, 802. In the semifinals match, she defeated Daniela Maldonado Perez from Shreveport, 8-6)

In the championships, Ah-sou defeated Rodrigues from Louisiana Christian 8-1.

"It was a storied weekend for the women's team," Watts commented. "After losing her first round, Ely went on to win four straight matches and eventually win the back-draw. She played amazing tennis and had an amazing attitude the whole way. Millie and Lucia made it all the way to semis of doubles and even had a few match points to get to the finals but just came up a bit short. It was by far the best result we have had on the women's side. I really believe that they can play with any doubles team in the country. Really proud of the group."  

What's next

The Saints will prepare for their spring season in 2025.