Michigan State University Athletics
Thursday, October 8
Champaign, Ill.
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ITA Regionals
Photo by: Ryan Shepardson / Illinois Athletics
Michigan State Women’s Tennis Wraps Up ITA Regionals Action
10/12/2026 4:06:00 PM | Women's Tennis
Spartans Close Out Competition at ITA Midwest Regional Championships.
EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State women's tennis completed their weekend at the ITA Midwest Regional Championships in Champaign, Illinois with seven Spartans competing in a competitive fashion.
The Regional competition was hosted by Illinois and was played at Atkins Tennis Center. Play kicked off on Thursday, Oct. 8 with qualifying matches featuring four Spartans in contention.
Freshmen Amiya Bowles, Nora Syrtveit, Ariane Lesterhuis and junior Nina Plihal competed on Thursday, Oct. 8 in the opening of singles qualifying draw. Freshman Mengqiao Lu, along with juniors Ellie Blackford and Amara Brahmbhatt competed in the main draw, starting Friday, Oct. 9.
On Thursday in the qualifying draw of singles, Bowles defeated Valeriia Oleksyn of Southern Illinois Edwardsville, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4. Lesterhuis defeated Pei Chi Ho of Western Michigan, 6-1, 7-5. Both moved onto the second round of singles.
The main draw of singles kicked off on Friday, Oct. 9 with Lu defeating Neena Feldman of Northwestern, 7-6 [9-7], 7-5. Brahmbhatt also triumphed against Tianna Rangan of Wisconsin, 1-6, 6-4, 6-4.
Doubles matches continued the action on Friday with three Spartan pairings partaking in the action.
Pairings, Lucy King Oyebog Atang and Alessia Cau of Ohio State defeated Spartans Lesterhuis and Bowles, 8-6. Rebeca Garcia Miralles and Sophia Shlyakhta of Northern Illinois overcame the Spartan pairing of Syrtveit and Plihal, 8-3. In the final doubles match, Emily Sartz-Lunde and Reagan Levine of Michigan defeated MSU's Blackford and Mengqiao, 8-5.
Within the first round of doubles, all Spartan teams fell to their opponents.
Starting Saturday morning, Brahmbhatt continued domination through the second round of singles, defeating Cara Mester of Illinois 7-6 [7-4], 6-4.
Brahmbhatt ultimately fell on Sunday in the round of sixteen to Lucy King Oyebog Atang of Ohio State. Brahmbhatt made it the furthest of the Spartans within the singles divisions. In the round of sixteen Brahmbhatt put up a valiant effort, she was unable to secure a trip to the semi-finals, falling 6-3, 6-2.
That marked the end of the ITA Midwest Regionals for the Spartans. MSU now returns to East Lansing to prepare for the Spartan Invite from Friday-Sun, Nov. 6-8 hosted at Michigan State.
Keep up to date with the Spartan women's tennis team on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter by following @MSU_WTennis.
Tennis Match Results
ITA Regionals
Oct. 8-12, 2026
Champaign, Ill. (Atkins Tennis Center)
Thursday, Oct. 8
Singles
Garcia Miralles (NIU) def. N. Plihal (MSU) 6-4, 6-1
A. Bowles (MSU) def. Oleksyn (SIUE) 6-4, 6-3, 6-4
Sechi (DePaul) def. N. Syrtveit (MSU) 7-5, 7-6 [8-6], 6-3
A. Lesterhuis (MSU) def. HO (WMU) 6-1, 7-5
Latak (WISC) def. A. Lesterhuis (MSU) 6-1, 6-2
Aley (NW) def. A. Bowles (MSU) 6-1, 3-6, 6-4
Friday, Oct. 9
Singles
M. Lu (MSU) def. Feldman (NW) 7-6 [9-7], 7-5
Rabjohns (NW) def. E. Blackford (MSU) 6-2, 6-1
A. Brahmbhatt (MSU) def. Rangan (WISC) 6-1, 6-4, 6-4
Doubles
Oyebog Atang and Cau (OSU) def. A. Lesterhuis/A. Bowles (MSU) 8-6
Garcia Miralles and Shlyakhta (NIU) def. N. Syrtveit/N. Plihal (MSU) 8-3
Sartz -Lunde and Levine (UofM) def. E. Blackford/M. Lu (MSU) 8-5
Saturday, Oct. 10
Singles
Kovalcik (ND) def. M. Lu (MSU) 6-1, 6-3
A. Brahmbhatt (MSU) def. Mester (Illinois) 7-6 [7-4], 6-4
Sunday, Oct. 11
Singles
Oyebog Atang (OSU) def. A. Brahmbhatt (MSU) 6-3, 6-2
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
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