Maryland Women’s Tennis Shines at UNF Invite as Katherine Hung, Lucia Donnelly Claim Singles Titles and Oliwia Orlinska Reaches ITA Quarterfinals
By Brian Hradsky
Maryland Sports Blog | Women’s Tennis | November 9, 2026
The University of Maryland women’s tennis team delivered an impressive weekend across two tournaments, capturing two singles flight championships at the University of North Florida Fall Invitational while producing a quarterfinal appearance at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Sectional Championships. Senior Katherine Hung and sophomore Lucia Donnelly each earned their first fall singles tournament titles, highlighting a successful trip to Jacksonville, Florida, from Nov. 6-8. Meanwhile, Oliwia Orlinska represented the Terrapins in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where she advanced through a competitive sectional draw before falling in the quarterfinals. The results provided Maryland with another encouraging performance as the program approaches the conclusion of its fall schedule.
Donnelly Battles Back to Capture Flight C Championship
Lucia Donnelly demonstrated resilience throughout the UNF Fall Invitational, winning three consecutive matches to secure the Flight C singles championship. Her championship run began Friday against Texas Tech’s Kaili Demi Teso, when Donnelly recovered from dropping the opening set to earn a 5-7, 6-2, 6-4 victory. The sophomore followed that performance with another dramatic comeback Saturday against North Florida’s Sydney Stark. After losing the first set, Donnelly survived a tightly contested second-set tiebreaker before dominating the deciding set to advance with a 4-6, 7-6 (9-7), 6-1 victory.
Sunday’s championship match presented another difficult challenge against Charlotte’s Elizabeth Ivanov. Donnelly again lost the opening set, but she responded by winning 12 of the next 15 games to secure a 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 victory and claim the title. Her ability to recover from early deficits became the defining characteristic of her tournament performance. Winning three consecutive three-set matches also demonstrated her endurance and ability to adjust under pressure.
Hung Dominates Flight F Competition
Senior Katherine Hung enjoyed an equally successful weekend, capturing the Flight F singles championship without surrendering a set in her three matches. Hung opened Friday with a convincing 6-3, 6-2 victory over College of Charleston’s Marra Bruce. She continued her strong play Saturday against Austin Peay’s Cocomi Saito, earning a 6-3, 6-3 semifinal victory. Those performances positioned Hung for a championship showdown against North Florida’s Zoe Dupaty.
Hung completed her undefeated weekend Sunday with another 6-3, 6-3 victory, securing her first fall singles tournament championship. Unlike Donnelly’s comeback-filled journey, Hung controlled her matches from beginning to end, winning six consecutive sets. Her consistency across three days was particularly impressive, as she never allowed an opponent to win more than three games in any set. The championship represented a strong individual accomplishment for the Maryland senior and provided another positive result for the Terrapins.
Orlinska Advances to ITA Sectional Quarterfinals
While Maryland competed in Jacksonville, Oliwia Orlinska faced a challenging field at the ITA Sectional Championships in Philadelphia. Entering the singles draw as the No. 5 seed, Orlinska opened Thursday against Cornell’s Chloe Fouhety and earned a hard-fought 7-5, 5-7, 6-1 victory. The three-set battle demonstrated her ability to respond after losing momentum in the second set. Her victory advanced her into Friday’s round of 16 against Princeton’s Madeleine Jessup.
Orlinska again needed three sets to advance, recovering from a 4-6 opening-set loss to defeat Jessup 4-6, 6-1, 6-4. The victory secured her place among the tournament’s final eight singles competitors. Her championship pursuit ended Saturday against USC’s Eugenia Zozaya Menendez, who earned a 6-3, 6-2 quarterfinal victory. Orlinska subsequently competed in the fifth-through-eighth-place playoff bracket Sunday, falling 6-2, 6-1 to Penn’s Esha Velaga.
Although Orlinska did not reach the semifinals, her quarterfinal appearance represented a meaningful accomplishment against strong collegiate competition. She earned two three-set victories against opponents from Cornell and Princeton before encountering USC in the quarterfinal round. The tournament provided another opportunity for Orlinska to compete against players from prominent national programs. Her performance also added to Maryland’s collection of notable individual results during the fall season.
Maryland’s Supporting Cast Adds Strong Performances
Maryland’s success at the UNF Invitational extended beyond its two singles champions, with Anastasiia Sorska and Mila Mulready also recording victories. Sorska opened with a 6-1, 6-3 victory over South Florida’s Sienna Leeson before defeating Texas Tech’s Laura Valentine Pop 6-4, 7-5 in the semifinals. Mulready began her tournament with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over North Florida’s Nicole Alfaro before falling to Samaya Smith in three sets. These performances illustrated Maryland’s depth across several singles draws.
The Terrapins also enjoyed success in doubles competition, particularly through the partnership of Diya Challa and Magdalena Baniak. The duo defeated Austin Peay’s Sati Aubakirova and Yi-Ching Huang 6-3 in the quarterfinals before advancing past Charlotte’s Elizabeth Ivanov and Amelie Drukerova 7-5 in the semifinals. Their championship opportunity ended with a 6-3 loss against UCF’s Marina Gatell and Jade Psonka. Despite falling short of the title, reaching the Flight 1 doubles final added another significant result to Maryland’s weekend.
Terrapins Building Momentum Toward NCAA Championships
Maryland’s successful weekend continued an encouraging fall season for head coach Katie Dougherty’s program. The Terrapins entered November with three players already qualified for the NCAA Fall Championships, including Emma Ghirardato, Diya Challa and Anastasiia Sorska. Ghirardato and Challa qualified in doubles, while Sorska secured a singles championship berth through her performance at the ITA Atlantic Regional Championships. The additional tournament success from Hung, Donnelly and Orlinska reinforced the program’s competitive depth.
The NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships are scheduled to begin Nov. 17, providing Maryland’s qualified players with an opportunity to compete on the national stage. The program will then transition toward its spring dual-match schedule, when individual performances will contribute directly to team results. Maryland’s combination of experienced upperclassmen and developing younger players offers reasons for optimism entering that portion of the season. The fall tournament results have provided valuable competitive experience against opponents from several conferences.
Brian’s Take: Maryland’s Depth Could Make the Difference
Maryland’s weekend was especially encouraging because its success came from several different players rather than relying on one standout performer. Hung demonstrated consistency and control throughout her championship run, while Donnelly showed the determination necessary to win difficult three-set matches. Orlinska’s quarterfinal appearance against a competitive sectional field added another positive result, even without a championship. Those contrasting performances suggest Maryland possesses players capable of winning matches in different ways.
The biggest takeaway is the program’s developing depth as it prepares for the spring season. With NCAA qualifiers already established and additional players capturing individual titles, Maryland has multiple contributors capable of making an impact. The next challenge will be translating those individual tournament performances into consistent victories during dual-match competition. If the Terrapins maintain their momentum, the 2027 spring season could offer another opportunity for the program to take a meaningful step forward.
Tournament Results
| Maryland player | Result |
|---|---|
| Katherine Hung | UNF Flight F singles champion |
| Lucia Donnelly | UNF Flight C singles champion |
| Oliwia Orlinska | ITA Sectionals quarterfinalist |
| Anastasiia Sorska | UNF singles finalist |
| Diya Challa / Magdalena Baniak | UNF Flight 1 doubles finalists |
| Mila Mulready | UNF singles semifinalist |
Note: Maryland’s published match-by-match results confirm Sorska’s semifinal victory but do not provide a final-round score, so her finalist status is based on advancing from that semifinal.
