Tigers Conclude ITA Central Regional Championships at Leftwich Tennis Center

Thursday, October 15

Memphis, Tenn.

University of Memphis

ITA Central Region Championships

Championship Central

Tigers Conclude ITA Central Regional Championships at Leftwich Tennis Center

Oct 20, 2026 | Women's Tennis

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The University of Memphis women's tennis team wrapped up several days of competition at the ITA Central Regional Championships over the weekend at Leftwich Tennis Center.

The Tigers welcomed student-athletes from 19 visiting programs to Memphis for the tournament, which ran from Thursday, Oct. 15, through Monday, Oct. 19. Both singles finalists and the doubles champion earned automatic berths to the NCAA Individual Championships.

Memphis collected 11 victories across singles and doubles play, highlighted by sophomore Emma Dvorackova and freshman Nela Linhartova, who advanced to the round of 16 in the doubles main draw.

The duo opened the tournament with an 8-7 (5) victory over Oral Roberts' Cassie Cervantes and Daniela Zegarra before defeating Missouri's Millie Skelton and Evelyn Whiteside, 8-2, in the round of 32. Their run came to an end against Oklahoma's Chloe Noel and Laura Brunkel (the tournament's eventual runners-up), 8-3, in the round of 16.

Sophomore Natalia Koppova led the Tigers in singles action, picking up two victories in qualifying to advance to the main draw. Koppova defeated Tulsa's Lucy Latham, 6-4, 6-0, before taking down Kansas State's Diana Smolinska, 6-4, 6-2. Her run ended in the round of 64 against Nebraska's Maria Taranova.

Freshman Mailina Nedderhut and fifth-year Maria Santos each opened singles play with straight-set victories. Nedderhut defeated Missouri's Evelyn Whiteside, 6-4, 6-2, while Santos topped Missouri's Alexandra Irina, 6-4, 6-0, before both fell in the round of 32.

Santos and Nedderhut also teamed up in doubles, earning an 8-2 consolation victory over Iowa's Shuqian Xu and Clare Schaefer after falling in the opening round.

Senior Leonie Moeller, ranked No. 107 nationally, bounced back from a three-set defeat to Kansas State's Sabrina Balderrama in the opening round of singles to earn a 6-2, 6-3 consolation victory over Kansas City's Luciana Braga.

In doubles, Moeller partnered with Koppova to defeat Kansas City's Alessandra Xibilia and Sophie Munks, 8-1, in the round of 64 before falling to Kansas State in the following round.

Junior Clemence Thouard and sophomore Alicia Mall also picked up an opening-round doubles victory, defeating Missouri State's Noah Rojas Hernandez and Leni Eichner, 8-5, before falling to Arkansas State in the round of 32.

Across the five-day event, Memphis totaled five doubles victories and six singles victories.

Results:

Doubles:
R64: Emma Dvorackova/Nela Linhartova def. Cassie Cervantes/Daniela Zegarra (Oral Roberts)          8-7 (5)
R32: Emma Dvorackova/Nela Linhartova def. Millie Skelton/Evelyn Whiteside (Missouri)                               8-2
R16: Chloe Noel/Laura Brunkel (Oklahoma) def. Emma Dvorackova/Nela Linhartova                                       8-3

R64: Leonie Moeller/Natalia Koppova def. Alessandra Xibilia/Sophie Munks (Kansas City                                 8-1
R32: Maralgoo Chogsomjav/Martaa Chogsomjav (Kansas State) def. Leonie Moeller/Natalia Koppova   8-3

R64: Clemence Thouard/Alicia Mall def. Noah Rojas Hernandez/Leni Eichner (Missouri State)                                    8-5
R32: Lilly Cvanciger/Sara Kastakova (Arkansas State) def. Clemence Thouard/Alicia Mall                                     8-4

R64: Neda Rahimkhani/Emma Rizzetto (Nebraska) def. Maria Santos/Mailina Nedderhut                               8-4
Consolation: Maria Santos/Mailina Nedderhut def. Shuqian Xu/Clare Schaefer (Iowa)                                               8-2

Singles:
R64: Maria Santos def. Alexandra Irina (Missouri)                                  6-4, 6-0
R32: Xin Tong Wang (Wichita State) def. Maria Santos                         6-4, 6-1

R64: Mailina Nedderhut def. Evelyn Whiteside (Missouri)                       6-4, 6-2
R32: Massiva Boukirat (Minnesota) def. Mailina Nedderhut                    6-3, 6-4

Qualifying: Natalia Koppova def. Lucy Latham (Tulsa)                            6-4, 6-0
Qualifying: Natalia Koppova def. Diana Smolinska (Kansas State)            6-4, 6-2
R64: Maria Taranova (Nebraska) def. Natalia Koppova                          6-4, 6-3
Consolation: Gabriella Kellner (Iowa State) def. Natalia Koppova            6-4, 4-6, 10-5

R64: Sabrina Balderrama (Kansas State) def. No. 107 Leonie Moeller 6-3, 6-7 (3), 6-4
Consolation: No. 107 Leonie Moeller def. Luciana Braga (Kansas City)     6-2, 6-3

R64: No. 109 Salakthip Ounmang (Oklahoma) def. Alicia Mall                6-0, 6-2
Consolation: Martaa Chogsomjav (Kansas State) def. Alicia Mall                        7-6 (2), 6-0

Qualifying: Nela Linhartova def. Erin McKenzie (Tulsa)                          6-4, 4-6, 6-0
Qualifying: Neda Rahimkhani (Nebraska) def. Nela Linhartova               6-1, 7-5

Qualifying: Sofia Loglo (Lindenwood) def. Clemence Thouard                3-6, 6-0, 6-2
Consol.: Andjelija Markovic (Missouri State) def. Clemence Thouard           6-3, 7-6 (6)

Qualifying: Natalie Oliver (Arkansas) def. Emma Dvorackova                 6-4, 6-3
Consolation: Mariana Higuita (Missouri) def. Emma Dvorackova             6-1, 7-6 (4)
Consolation: Jeselle Ante (Minnesota) def. Emma Dvorackova               6-2, 6-0

UP NEXT

Four Tigers (Leonie Moeller, Alicia Mall, Maria Santos and Mailina Nedderhut) will travel to the American Conference Individual Championships in Houston, Texas. Matches will begin Thursday, October 22 with the championship matches played on Sunday, October 25.

How to follow the Tigers: For complete information on Memphis Tigers Tennis, visit www.GoTigersGo.com and follow the team's social media channels on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.