Thursday marked the beginning of the 2026 ITA Division I Women’s East Sectional Championship tournament in Philadelphia. The tournament opened with a round of 32, where Maryland’s Oliwia Orlinska and Emma Ghirardato would have the opportunity to advance into Friday’s round of 16.
While Orlinska and Ghirardato took the courts in Pennsylvania, six other members of
the squad–Anastasiia Sorska, Mila Mulready, Diya Challa, Katherine Hung, Lucia Donnelly, and Magdalena Baniak–would head to Jacksonville, Fla., to participate in the UNF Fall Invite beginning on Friday, Nov. 6.
Both Orlinska and Ghirardato were scheduled to begin their singles matches at 12 p.m. on Thursday at the University of Pennsylvania. Orlinska was set to face Cornell Freshman Chloe Fouhety while Ghirardato was scheduled to take on North Carolina State’s Victoria Osuigwe.
Orlinska, who has a 13.55 World Tennis Number, won her match 7-5, 5-7, 6-1, sending her to the round of 16. Ghirardato, however, would lose to Osuigwe 6-4, 7-6 (5), marking an early end to her campaign. The ITA Sectional Championship will end on Sunday, Nov. 8 – the same day as the UNF Fall Invite.
Looking beyond this weekend, though, Ghirardato, Challa, and Sorska will soon have to prepare for the NCAA Fall Championship, which will be in full swing on Tuesday, Nov. 17.
In other news
Maryland basketball players Baba Oladotun and Pharrel Payne were both featured in ESPN’s 2027 big board.
Former Maryland basketball center Derik Queen came off the bench to help lead the New Orleans Pelicans to a thrilling overtime win over the Utah Jazz on Wednesday, Nov. 4.
Maryland men’s and women’s lacrosse teams visited the children’s hospital at the University of Maryland Medical Center.
Maryland football revealed a change in uniforms for its upcoming road game against Purdue.
