10/4/2026 | Women’s Tennis
BRUNSWICK, Maine – The Bowdoin College women’s tennis team enjoyed an outstanding weekend on its home courts at the ITA New England Regional Championships, highlighted by Caroline Stuhlfaut and Zoe Sun capturing the doubles championship and earning a trip to the ITA Cup.
The sixth-seeded Polar Bear tandem rolled through the regional doubles draw, culminating in a 6-2, 6-1 victory over top-seeded Sandra Sikharulidze and Elizabeth Shu of Babson in the championship match. With the title, Stuhlfaut and Sun become just the second Bowdoin doubles team to win the ITA New England Regional crown, joining Jamilah Karah and Cara Hung, who accomplished the feat in 2022.
Stuhlfaut and Sun will now advance to the ITA Cup, scheduled for October 15-18 in Rome, Georgia.
Tournament Highlights
- After receiving an opening-round bye, Stuhlfaut and Sun began their championship run with an 8-4 victory over Vanessa Vu and Te’Anna Mata of Babson. The Polar Bears then defeated Gaby Shiao and Maya Muhunthan of Amherst, 8-1, in the quarterfinals before dispatching third-seeded Lara Afolayanka and Lucinda Gatsionis of Wesleyan, 8-4, in the semifinals. In the championship match, Stuhlfaut and Sun capped their impressive weekend with a commanding 6-2, 6-1 victory over top-seeded Sandra Sikharulidze and Elizabeth Shu of Babson to claim the ITA New England Regional title.
- Bowdoin also received a championship performance from Naomi Williams in the B Singles draw. Williams put together a dominant run through the bracket, winning her first three matches by scores of 8-1, 8-1 and 8-0 before defeating Sam Talwar of Amherst, 8-5, in the semifinals. In the championship match, Williams capped her outstanding weekend with a 6-4, 6-1 victory over Ahn Lin of Williams to claim the B Singles title.
- Julia Ross authored Bowdoin’s deepest run in the A Singles championship draw, advancing to the semifinals. Ross opened with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Elli Gerontikou of Brandeis and followed with a 6-4, 6-2 win to reach the quarterfinals. She then prevailed in a three-set thriller, 7-6(6), 4-6, 10-8, before her run ended in the semifinals against fifth-seeded Mariia Kornilova of Wesleyan.
- Sun complemented her doubles championship with a strong A Singles performance. Seeded in the 9-16 group, she defeated Julia Zhang of Williams, 6-2, 6-1, and rallied for a 3-6, 7-5, 10-8 victory in the next round before falling to eighth-seeded Katie Driscoll of MIT in the quarterfinals.
- Stuhlfaut was the No. 6 seed in A Singles, while Willow Assante-LaBash also represented Bowdoin in the championship singles draw.
- Bowdoin had additional success in doubles as Nina Costalas and Naomi Williams won twice to reach the Round of 16. The Polar Bear pairing defeated Dana Kamal and Manuela Moscoso of Babson, 8-3, before knocking off eighth-seeded Brooklyn Bindas and Melanie Woodbury of Tufts, 8-5.
- Julia Ross and Lila Moldenhauer, along with Willow Assante-LaBash and Pavith Khara, also competed for Bowdoin in the championship doubles draw.
- In B Singles, sixth-seeded Pavith Khara also enjoyed a strong weekend, posting victories of 8-1 and 8-0 to advance through the draw. Lila Moldenhauer earned an 8-3 opening victory, while Polina Briggs also represented the Polar Bears.
Up Next
Stuhlfaut and Sun will represent Bowdoin at the ITA Cup in Rome, Georgia, October 15-18, competing against the nation’s top Division III doubles teams.
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