Results

Flushing, N.Y. - It was the doubles pair of Barbie Quagliardi and Nicole Kielan that led the Adelphi University women's tennis team to an exceptional showing at the 2019 ITA Division II East Region Small College Championships over the weekend at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing.

Quagliardi and Kielan swept through their opposition in the main doubles draw, en route to capturing the ITA women's doubles title. That now qualifies them for the 2019 ITA Cup, which will take place from Oct. 17-20 at the Rome Tennis Center at Berry College in Rome, Ga. The winners of those draws will advance to the 2019 Oracle/ITA National Fall Championships in November.

"Barb and Nicole were focused and came out with high energy. They were determined to win and make nationals," said Adelphi Head Women's Tennis Coach Frank Russo. "Tactically, they played as well as they have all season and it would have taken a monumental effort for anyone in the region to have stopped them from hoisting that trophy. I'm really proud of those girls and their efforts."

Quagliardi and Kielan, the No. 4 seed in the doubles draw, won by identical 8-3 scores in the first two rounds, before squeezing out their closest victory (8-5) of the tournament against St. Thomas Aquinas' Cassandra Rohr and Maya O'Brien to advance to the quarterfinals. The eventual champions knocked off Concordia's Ebba Rosberg and Paula Palero in straight sets (6-3, 6-1) in the final.

The tandem of Amanda Franstedt and Julia Kielan won their opening doubles tilt against Franklin Pierce's Laura Alvarez Tello and Sarah Rich, 8-0. Nicole Stay and Ashley Mannetta lost a hard-fought 9-7 decision to UDC's Estefania Castrillion and Sofia Bellucco in their first round match-up.

In singles, Quagliardi earned the draw's top overall seed and a first-round bye. She made quick work of SNHU's Isabella Andrade, 6-0, 6-1, in the second round, but was eliminated just one match later by Queens' Mala Makal, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4.

Stay reached the main singles draw, after defeating SNHU's Phebe Hall (8-0) and University of the Sciences' Stephanie Mazurek (9-7) in the qualifiers. Her momentum carried over into the main draw, where she reached the third round with a 7-5, 7-5 straight-set victory over Goldey-Beacom's Sara Edebo.

The Panthers will now return to dual match action on Thursday (Sept. 19), when they host Concordia College in a non-conference match at the Adelphi Tennis Courts at 3 p.m. in Garden City.