Thursday, November 5
Liberty University
vs
ITA Conference Masters
11/7/2026 3:53:00 PM | Women's Tennis
LYNCHBURG, Va. – Liberty's doubles pair of Aranai Martinez and Daniella O'Neill blazed a new trail for the program, becoming the first to reach the ITA Sectional final and advance to the NCAA Doubles Championship.
In addition, Liberty's pair of Maria Turchetto and Yoanna Radulova became the first Lady Flames duo to win in the first round of the ITA Conference Masters Championships.
To qualify for the NCAA Doubles Championship at the ITA Sectionals, Liberty needed to finish in the top three of the event's 16-team draw. No Sectional final match was played since both finalists already qualified for the NCAA Doubles Championship.
In Philadelphia, Pa., Marinez and O'Neill opened the event with a nail-biting 6-4, 6-7 (10), 1-0 (7) triumph over Princeton. They followed that by ousting a pair from Rutgers, who had just upset the No. 2 seed from Virginia, with a 6-1, 5-7, 1-0 (7) victory.
In the semifinal match, needing a win to qualify and to avoid a third-place match, the duo was pitted against Yale's Orly Ogilvy and Leena Friedman. The duo overcame falling in the first set, roaring back to take the second and third for a 3-6, 6-3, 1-0 (5).
From the ITA Conference Masters in Rome, Ga., Radulova and Turchetto topped Tarleton State's pair with a 6-4, 5-7, 1-0 (7) triumph. As just the second group from Liberty to be selected to represent Conference USA in the event, the pair became the first to win the opening night of the tournament. The two were ousted by North Florida's pair, who were coming off an upset triumph over No. 2 seed UCLA, 6-2, 6-1.
Martinez and O'Neill were already the first Lady Flames in program history; they add on to the milestone with the qualification for the NCAA Doubles Championships. Last season, Liberty reached its first-ever NCAA Championship as a team with its first-ever conference championship.
The NCAA Doubles Championship begins on Tuesday, Nov. 17, in Athens, Ga. The selections and draws will be announced on Monday at 4 p.m. on NCAA.com.
ITA Conference Masters
Yoanna Radulova/Maria Turchetto (Liberty) def. Aya Ishii/Maria Castano (TSU) 6-4, 5-7, 1-0 (10-7)
Gabriella Goyins/Aryana Bartlett (UNF) def. Yoanna Radulova/Maria Turchetto (Liberty) 6-2, 6-1
ITA Sectionals
Aranai Martinez/Daniella O'Neill (Liberty) def. Alice Ferlito/Madeleine Jessup (PRINCETO) 6-4, 6-7 (10-12), 1-0 (10-7)
Aranai Martinez/Daniella O'Neill (Liberty) def. Zuzanna Frankowska/Mischka S Geonadi (RUTGERS) 6-1, 5-7, 1-0 (10-7)
Aranai Martinez/Daniella O'Neill (Liberty) def. Orly Ogilvy/Leena Friedman (PENN) 3-6, 6-3, 1-0 (10-5)
Lady Flames News & Notes
In addition, Liberty's pair of Maria Turchetto and Yoanna Radulova became the first Lady Flames duo to win in the first round of the ITA Conference Masters Championships.
To qualify for the NCAA Doubles Championship at the ITA Sectionals, Liberty needed to finish in the top three of the event's 16-team draw. No Sectional final match was played since both finalists already qualified for the NCAA Doubles Championship.
In Philadelphia, Pa., Marinez and O'Neill opened the event with a nail-biting 6-4, 6-7 (10), 1-0 (7) triumph over Princeton. They followed that by ousting a pair from Rutgers, who had just upset the No. 2 seed from Virginia, with a 6-1, 5-7, 1-0 (7) victory.
In the semifinal match, needing a win to qualify and to avoid a third-place match, the duo was pitted against Yale's Orly Ogilvy and Leena Friedman. The duo overcame falling in the first set, roaring back to take the second and third for a 3-6, 6-3, 1-0 (5).
From the ITA Conference Masters in Rome, Ga., Radulova and Turchetto topped Tarleton State's pair with a 6-4, 5-7, 1-0 (7) triumph. As just the second group from Liberty to be selected to represent Conference USA in the event, the pair became the first to win the opening night of the tournament. The two were ousted by North Florida's pair, who were coming off an upset triumph over No. 2 seed UCLA, 6-2, 6-1.
Martinez and O'Neill were already the first Lady Flames in program history; they add on to the milestone with the qualification for the NCAA Doubles Championships. Last season, Liberty reached its first-ever NCAA Championship as a team with its first-ever conference championship.
The NCAA Doubles Championship begins on Tuesday, Nov. 17, in Athens, Ga. The selections and draws will be announced on Monday at 4 p.m. on NCAA.com.
ITA Conference Masters
Yoanna Radulova/Maria Turchetto (Liberty) def. Aya Ishii/Maria Castano (TSU) 6-4, 5-7, 1-0 (10-7)
Gabriella Goyins/Aryana Bartlett (UNF) def. Yoanna Radulova/Maria Turchetto (Liberty) 6-2, 6-1
ITA Sectionals
Aranai Martinez/Daniella O'Neill (Liberty) def. Alice Ferlito/Madeleine Jessup (PRINCETO) 6-4, 6-7 (10-12), 1-0 (10-7)
Aranai Martinez/Daniella O'Neill (Liberty) def. Zuzanna Frankowska/Mischka S Geonadi (RUTGERS) 6-1, 5-7, 1-0 (10-7)
Aranai Martinez/Daniella O'Neill (Liberty) def. Orly Ogilvy/Leena Friedman (PENN) 3-6, 6-3, 1-0 (10-5)
Lady Flames News & Notes
- Martinez continues to pace the Lady Flames with an overall 17-6 record with an 11-3 doubles mark.
- Playing together this Fall, the pair of Martinez and O'Neill have gone 10-1, including 7-1 between the ITA Regionals (Atlantic) and ITA Sectionals (East).
Players Mentioned
Team Stats
# Doubles Match
Wednesday, April 15
Thursday, April 09
Saturday, April 04
Saturday, January 24