University of North Carolina Athletics
Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati
Three Tar Heels Advance At ITA Regionals
October 16, 2026 | Women's Tennis
COLUMBIA, S.C. – Carolina women's tennis opened the 2026 ITA Carolina Regional in Columbia, S.C. on Thursday. Alana Boyce, Avery Nguyen, and Mary Grace Rennard got the Tar Heels started in the Qualifying Draw of singles, each picking up two wins to advance.
In the round of 64 in the Qualifying Draw, all three competing Tar Heels earned wins. Avery Nguyen had a strong start to the day for Carolina with a straight-set win over her opponent from ECU. The freshman won each set with a dominant score of 6-1. Alana Boyce and Mary Grace Rennard both dropped the first set of their matches but bounced back to win in three sets.
UNC built off the early momentum as they headed into the afternoon round of 32. Once again, Nguyen cruised to a win in straight sets. Boyce also put together a strong performance in the second round, recording a win in straight sets. In similar fashion to her first match, Rennard dropped the first set before storming back to win in three.
The trio of Heels advance to Main Draw action on Friday.
Thursday Results
Singles
Avery Nguyen (UNC) d. Giorgia Grisogono (ECU) 6-1, 6-1
Alana Boyce (UNC) d. Kady Tannenbaum (Wake Forest) 4-6, 6-2, 6-2
Mary Grace Rennard (UNC) d. Lisa Kranec (Elon) 4-6, 6-1, 6-2
Avery Nguyen (UNC) d. Martina Vazquez Valles (Charleston Southern) 6-3, 6-2
Alana Boyce (UNC) d. Lisa Dierick (Elon) 6-2, 6-4
Mary Grace Rennard (UNC) d. Charlotte Vanstone McGrath (Coastal Carolina) 5-7, 6-4, 6-3
ITA Regional Championships
South Carolina women's tennis is set to host the ITA Carolina Regional Championships from Oct. 15-20. South Carolina will welcome athletes from over 20 universities to compete at the Carolina Outdoor Tennis Center this weekend.
ITA Regionals will take place at 13 different regions/sites across the country. Regionals is also an opportunity for athletes to qualify for the NCAA Doubles and Singles Championships. This tournament will qualify the two singles finalists from each region while only the doubles champion at each site will qualify for the NCAA Championships.
In the round of 64 in the Qualifying Draw, all three competing Tar Heels earned wins. Avery Nguyen had a strong start to the day for Carolina with a straight-set win over her opponent from ECU. The freshman won each set with a dominant score of 6-1. Alana Boyce and Mary Grace Rennard both dropped the first set of their matches but bounced back to win in three sets.
UNC built off the early momentum as they headed into the afternoon round of 32. Once again, Nguyen cruised to a win in straight sets. Boyce also put together a strong performance in the second round, recording a win in straight sets. In similar fashion to her first match, Rennard dropped the first set before storming back to win in three.
The trio of Heels advance to Main Draw action on Friday.
Thursday Results
Singles
Avery Nguyen (UNC) d. Giorgia Grisogono (ECU) 6-1, 6-1
Alana Boyce (UNC) d. Kady Tannenbaum (Wake Forest) 4-6, 6-2, 6-2
Mary Grace Rennard (UNC) d. Lisa Kranec (Elon) 4-6, 6-1, 6-2
Avery Nguyen (UNC) d. Martina Vazquez Valles (Charleston Southern) 6-3, 6-2
Alana Boyce (UNC) d. Lisa Dierick (Elon) 6-2, 6-4
Mary Grace Rennard (UNC) d. Charlotte Vanstone McGrath (Coastal Carolina) 5-7, 6-4, 6-3
ITA Regional Championships
South Carolina women's tennis is set to host the ITA Carolina Regional Championships from Oct. 15-20. South Carolina will welcome athletes from over 20 universities to compete at the Carolina Outdoor Tennis Center this weekend.
ITA Regionals will take place at 13 different regions/sites across the country. Regionals is also an opportunity for athletes to qualify for the NCAA Doubles and Singles Championships. This tournament will qualify the two singles finalists from each region while only the doubles champion at each site will qualify for the NCAA Championships.
Players Mentioned
Friday, October 16
Thursday, October 15
Wednesday, October 14
Tuesday, October 13