ITA
Mao Mushika and the Bears host ITA regionals for the second straight season.
With advancement to the postseason at stake, the California women’s tennis team – in conjunction with Saint Mary’s – will host the ITA Northwest Regional Championships from Friday through Tuesday at the Hellman Tennis Complex and Channing Tennis Courts in Berkeley and at the Timothy Korth Tennis Complex in Moraga. This marks the second straight season in which Cal and the Gaels will co-host the annual event, which is a qualifying tournament for the NCAA Singles Championship and NCAA Doubles Championship and is one of 13 ITA regional events around the country.
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Players from 17 teams will compete in the singles and doubles competitions at ITA regionals in the East Bay – Cal, UC Davis, Eastern Washington, Fresno State, Gonzaga, Oregon, Pacific, Portland, Portland State, Sacramento State, Saint Mary’s, San Jose State, Santa Clara, Seattle, Stanford, Washington and Washington State. The two singles finalists and the doubles champion from each of the 13 regions will qualify for the corresponding NCAA individual championship.
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Admission is free to the regional matches in Berkeley and Moraga. A free live stream is available for the matches at the Hellman Tennis Complex, though there is no live stream at the Channing or Korth courts.
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ITA Northwest Regional Championships
When: Friday-Tuesday
Where: Hellman Tennis Complex & Channing Tennis Courts, Berkeley, CA; Timothy Korth Tennis Complex, Moraga, CA
Watch: Hellman Tennis Complex Live Stream (PlaySight)
Draws & Results: ITA Site
Admission: Free
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Greco Lucchina, Moerk Wins Titles At Cal Fall Invite
Two young Bears combined to capture three titles last Sunday at the Cal Fall Invitational, with sophomore Greta Greco Lucchina and freshman Millie Johanna Moerk winning the top-flight doubles final in the morning and then each claiming a singles title in the afternoon at the Hellman Tennis Complex.
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The third-seeded Golden Bears defeated Sacramento State’s second-seeded Reese Walker and Palina Saulevich 8-3 for the Blue doubles crown. Greco Lucchina bested Iman Khan of Saint Mary’s 6-2, 4-6, 7-6(4) in the top-flight / Blue singles final to claim her second title of the tournament. Moerk won her second title of the tournament as well her first collegiate singles title when she beat the Hornets’ Walker 7-6(4), 2-6, 1-0(5) in the Blue consolation final.
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Bears Start Season At ITA All-Americans
Cal junior All-American Mao Mushika and senior Berta Passola Folch were each one win away from qualifying for the NCAA Singles Championship at the ITA All-American Championships in September. But each Bear fell in the singles round of 16 on Sept. 26 at the season-opening tournament in Cary, North Carolina.
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Mushika – seeded ninth and ranked 17th – lost 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 to Stanford’s fourth-seeded and sixth-ranked Valerie Glozman – the eventual champion – while the 113th-ranked Passola Folch dropped a 7-6(4), 6-0 match to Ohio State’s third-seeded and fifth-ranked Luciana Perry. The pair of Mushika and freshman Laura Cilekova also competed in main draw doubles in Cary but fell in their opening match.
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Last Time At ITA NW Regionals
Berta Passola Folch and Makenna Thiel reached the main draw doubles quarterfinals of the ITA Northwest Regional Championships in Berkeley in 2024, but the Bears fell to Washington’s top-seeded Reese Carter and Alexia Jacobs 8-2 to end Cal’s run in the tournament. Passola Folch and Mao Mushika also advanced to the quarterfinals of main draw singles.
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Poll Position
Three Bears are ranked in the ITA preseason singles poll in No. 17 Mao Mushika (3-2), No. 113 Berta Passola Folch (4-2) and No. 125 Greta Greco Lucchina (5-1). Mushika and Laura Cilekova (1-2) sit at No. 13 in the preseason doubles rankings.
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Next Time
A group of Bears will play in the Thunderbird Invitational from Oct. 21-Nov. 3 at Arizona State. Selected Bears will then compete in the ITA Fall Masters Championships in San Diego or ITA West Sectional Championships in Seattle from Nov. 6-9. Both events are the final qualification tournaments for the NCAA individual championships, which are the season-ending tournaments for the fall. The NCAA singles and doubles tournaments will run from Nov. 18-23 in Orlando, Florida.
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Stay Posted
For further coverage of the Bears, follow them on Instagram (@CalWomensTennis), X (@CalWomensTennis) and Facebook (/CalWomensTennis/).
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