WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Only four traveled to the ITA Florida Regional Championships, and all four secured bids to the ITA Cup. Highlighted by sophomore Aurora Compganucci's incredible run to the singles final and a runner-up finish from new faces Esma-Nur Dodooglu and Maria Bylina in doubles.
Compganucci opened singles play with a dominant 6-0, 6-0 victory over St. Thomas' Camila Salamanca before outlasting Keiser's Ceylin Ipek, 6-4, 3-6, 10-8. She then cruised past fifth-seeded Karlie Scott Kersey of the College of Coastal Georgia, 6-0, 6-0.
In the quarterfinals, Compganucci rallied to knock off Keiser's Fredikke Trollsaas, 1-6, 6-3, 6-2, before dispatching eighth-seeded Ofer Kivity, 6-3, 6-1, to earn a spot in the championship match. Her run ended in the finals third-seeded Lena Couto of Keiser, 6-3, 6-1.
Second-seeded Irene Parigi joined Compganucci in the singles semifinals. Following an opening-round walkover, Parigi rolled past St. Thomas' Leticia Orlandov, 6-1, 6-0, and Keiser's Emily Kim, 6-4, 6-2. She then topped seventh-seeded Versace Gatti of the College of Coastal Georgia, 6-1, 6-1, before third-seeded Couto halted her run, 6-4, 6-2.
Maria Bylina also reached the singles quarterfinals, after knocking off the one-seed Madeleine Chellas of New College of Florida. After blanking Keiser's Jessica Popescu in the second set of a 6-2, 6-0 victory, Bylina outlasted Chellas, 6-3, 6-7 (3-7), 6-3. Eighth-seeded Kivity ended Bylina's run in three sets, 6-0, 6-7 (3-7), 6-1.
Dodooglu rounded out Southeastern's singles competitors, advancing by walkover and retirement before seventh-seeded Gatti took a 6-2, 6-4 decision.
In doubles, fourth-seeded Dodooglu and Bylina made their way to the championship match. The Fire duo rolled past St. Thomas' Sofia Nardone and Eva Cancarevic, 8-1, before shutting out College of Coastal Georgia's Kersey and Elaine Warren, 8-0, in the quarterfinals.
Dodooglu and Bylina then knocked off top-seeded Couto and Trollsaas, 8-5, in the semifinals. Their run concluded in the championship against second-seeded Ipek and Kim, 6-2, 6-2. Nevertheless, they secured ITA Cup bids
Compganucci and Parigi also reached the doubles semifinals. The pair bested Keiser's Hana Djedovic and Kivity, 8-5, and College of Coastal Georgia's Gatti and Defne Ursane, 8-6, before second-seeded Ipek and Kim advanced to the final with an 8-1 decision.
After a grueling tournament, Parigi and Compagnucci secured singles and doubles bids, with Bylina and Dodooglu joining in doubles. The Fire will return to action at the Embry-Riddle Invite in Daytona Beach, Fla., on Oct. 2, before adventuring to Rome, Ga. for the ITA Cup on Oct. 15.
