Kenzie Nguyen Clinches NCAA Singles Championship Berth at ITA Northeast Regional Championships

Thursday, October 15

Princeton, N.J.

Columbia

ITA Regionals

Kenzie Nguyen at ITA Regional Championships

10/20/2026 4:14:00 PM | Women's Tennis

Nguyen becomes first Lion since 2016 to earn berth at NCAA Championships

NEW YORK — Columbia women's tennis player Kenzie Nguyen clinched a spot at the NCAA Singles Championships in November after defeating Princeton's Pearlie Zhang, 7-5, 7-6(5), in the ITA Northeast Regional Championships semifinals Tuesday.

Nguyen advanced through four rounds of singles play to secure her berth, opening with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Stony Brook's Paisha Douglas before defeating Penn's Lara Stojanovski, 6-2, 6-3, in the round of 32. She continued with a 6-3, 6-1 win over Penn's Peien Deng in the round of 16 and a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Princeton's Alice Ferlito in the quarterfinals.

In the semifinals, Nguyen took the opening set, 7-5, then won the second-set tiebreak, 7-5, to earn her place at the NCAA Singles Championships. She became the first Lion to compete at the NCAA Singles Championships since Kanika Vaidya did it in 2016.

Sophomore Margot Phanthala also put together a strong singles run, advancing to the quarterfinals. Phanthala defeated Penn State's Susana Souhrada, 6-3, 6-0, and Delaware's Fleur Sprengers, 6-1, 6-3, before beating teammate Amber Yin, 6-4, 7-5, in the round of 16. Phanthala fell to Princeton's Isabella Chhiv in three sets, 1-6, 6-4, 6-4, in the quarterfinals.

Yin, Gayathri Krishnan and Elena Zhao each advanced to the round of 16. Yin recorded three victories, including a 6-0, 6-0 win over Temple's Sofia Becerra Morin, while Krishnan defeated Wagner's Victoria Madail Perez and Penn State's Brianna Baldi. Zhao earned wins over Penn's Elizabeth Tkachenko and Penn State's Charlotte Benedetti Ravon before her run ended against Princeton's Alice Ferlito.

In doubles, Phanthala and Nguyen and the pairing of Krishnan and Sabrina Lin each advanced to the quarterfinals. Phanthala and Nguyen recorded wins over Temple, NJIT and Princeton, while Krishnan and Lin defeated Wagner, Rutgers and Princeton before both Columbia duos saw their runs end in the quarterfinals.

The Lions return to action this weekend when Columbia hosts the Ivy League Qualifier at the Philip & Cheryl Milstein Family Tennis Center. The three-day tournament begins Friday, Oct. 23 and runs through Sunday the 25th.

Full Tournament Results
Qualifying Singles - Thursday, Oct. 15

Amber Yin (COL) def. Luana Paiva (Fordham), 6-1, 6-1
Amber Yin (COL) def. Sasha Motlagh (Penn), 6-1, 6-0
Susana Souhrada (Penn State) def. Kylie Nguyen (COL), 6-2, 6-2
Sabrina Lin (COL) def. Evelina Zhuk (FDU), 6-1, 6-4
Denisse Arinez Guilarte (Duquesne) def. Sabrina Lin (COL), 4-6, 6-4, 6-3
Isabelle Oak (COL) def. Isabella De Luise (Villanova), 6-1, 6-3
Margaux Devaul (Lehigh) def. Isabelle Oak (COL), 6-3, 6-2

Main Draw Singles Round of 64 - Friday, Oct. 16

Margot Phanthala (COL) def. Susana Souhrada (Penn State), 6-3, 6-0
Amber Yin (COL) def. Sofia Becerra Morin (Temple), 6-0, 6-0
Maelie Monfils (Penn State) def. Michelle Li (COL), 6-2, 6-0
Margaux Devaul (Lehigh) def. Margaret Hui (COL), 6-4, 6-2
Gayathri Krishnan (COL) def. Victoria Madail Perez (Wagner), 6-2, 6-0
Zuzanna Frankowska (Rutgers) def. Emily Baek (COL), 6-2, 6-4
Kenzie Nguyen (COL) def. Paisha Douglas (Stony Brook), 6-2, 6-4
Elena Zhao (COL) def. Elizabeth Tkachenko (Penn), 6-2, 6-2

Main Draw Doubles Round of 64 - Friday, Oct. 16

Jaden Davidson/Kira Farrakhova (Seton Hall) def. Michelle Li/Isabelle Oak (COL), 8-6
Irmak Ozturk/Lou Baudouin (Temple) def. Amber Yin/Emily Baek (COL), 8-2
Margot Phanthala/Kenzie Nguyen (COL) def. Yasmin Costa/Tianna Zhou (Temple), 8-5
Gayathri Krishnan/Sabrina Lin (COL) def. Victoria Madail Perez/Liepa Sataite (Wagner), W-Inj.
Kylie Nguyen/Elena Zhao (COL) def. Mia Palladino/Ladina Bruhin (Stony Brook), 8-6

Main Draw Singles Round of 32 - Saturday, Oct. 17

Margot Phanthala (COL) def. Fleur Sprengers (Delaware), 6-1, 6-3
Amber Yin (COL) def. Athina Schlepphorst (Penn), 6-2, 7-6(7-5)
Elena Zhao (COL) def. Charlotte Benedetti Ravon (Penn State), 6-4, 6-1
Gayathri Krishnan (COL) def. Brianna Baldi (Penn State), 6-3, 7-5
Kenzie Nguyen (COL) def. Lara Stojanovski (Penn), 6-2, 6-3

Main Draw Doubles Round of 32 - Saturday, Oct. 17

Margot Phanthala/Kenzie Nguyen (COL) def. Ana Frost/Vanya Virmani (NJIT), 8-2
Gayathri Krishnan/Sabrina Lin (COL) def. Miranda Case/Naomi Karki (Rutgers), 8-4
Maelie Monfils/Patricia Grigoras (Penn State) def. Kylie Nguyen/Elena Zhao (COL), 8-7(7-3)

Main Draw Singles Round of 16 - Sunday, Oct. 18

Margot Phanthala (COL) def. Amber Yin (COL), 6-4, 7-5
Pearlie Zheng (Princeton) def. Gayathri Krishnan (COL), 6-3, 6-0
Kenzie Nguyen (COL) def. Peien Deng (PENN), 6-3, 6-1
Alice Ferlito (Princeton) def. Elena Zhao (COL), 6-1, 6-1

Main Draw Doubles Round of 16 - Sunday, Oct. 18

Margot Phanthala/Kenzie Nguyen (COL) def. Lilian Liu/Anna Nguyen (Princeton), 8-2
Gayathri Krishnan/Sabrina Lin (COL) def. Berklie Simmering/Anna Maria Fedotova (Princeton), 8-3

Main Draw Doubles Quarterfinals - Sunday, Oct. 18

Isabella Chhiv/Pearlie Zheng (Princeton) def. Margot Phanthala/Kenzie Nguyen (COL), 8-3
Maelie Monfils/Patricia Grigoras (Penn State) def. Gayathri Krishnan/Sabrina Lin (COL), 8-5

Main Draw Singles Quarterfinals - Monday, Oct. 19

Isabella Chhiv (Princeton) def. Margot Phanthala (COL), 1-6, 6-4, 6-4
Kenzie Nguyen (COL) def. Alice Ferlito (Princeton), 6-2, 6-2

Main Draw Singles Semifinals - Tuesday, Oct. 20

Kenzie Nguyen (COL) def. Pearlie Zhang (Princeton), 7-5, 7(7)-6(5)

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