WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - The No. 8 (ITA Division II women's top 25) Flagler College women's tennis team advanced to the NCAA Division II Round of 16 with a 4-1 win over No. 6 Catawba College this afternoon at the Wake Forest Tennis Center.

Flagler improved to 21-5 overall and returns to the Round of 16 for the first time since 2023 when they made the final four. Catawba suffered its first loss of the season (24-1). With this win, the Saints head to Altamonte Springs, Florida where they will play in the 16-team tournament, which begins on May 21 and span to the final round on May 25 at Sanlando Park. The Saints will wait to for the remaining regional tournaments to conclude for the seeding of the final rounds.

Sticking with the new doubles teams from their last match prove to work in their favor yet again for the Saints. Laura Jipescu and Adela Latalova handily defeated Rin Igarashi and Sofia Antolini 6-1. The sealing win came from Eryka Kruk and Sofia Balsera against Nika Dundovic and Tina Gomes 6-2. No. 3-ranked Dana Heimen and Anastasia Nikolova were on the brink of winning prior to the stoppage, as they were up 5-4 against Liliana Drukerova and Ami Miya.

Jipescu continued to dominate during the two-day stretch as she defeated Vaishnavi Venkatesh 6-2 and 6-1. No. 8 Heimen had a tight 7-6 (7-5) first set against No. 72 Antolini, then finished on a 6-0 sweep. Balsera secured the deciding win against Igarashi. Dropping set one, Balsera went on to take set two and three in 6-3.

This is the third time in four years that the Saints have played their way into the NCAA Round of 16.