17 SPRING 2026 WOMEN’S TENNIS MAKES PROGRAM HISTORY WITH ITA NATIONALS APPEARANCE Paola Lameda Szilvi Ferenczy After winning both the Crossroads League Regular Season and Tournament Titles in the 2024-25 year, graduate student Szilvi Ferenczy teamed up with freshman Paola Lameda to make the program’s first doubles appearance at the 2025 Intercollegiate Tennis Association Nationals Cup in October. “It was an honor to have Bethel represented at the ITA Nationals,” says Lameda. “It was a defining moment for our program and gives us a lot of confidence knowing we can compete with the best of the best.” In the regional quarterfinal on September 26, Ferenczy and Lameda defeated Missouri Baptist’s Yvonne Shannon and Melissa Jangarasheva 8-3 before defeating Mariana Azevedo and Lucia Rubio, also from Missouri Baptist, 8-1 in the semifinal. On September 27, the Pilots punched their ticket to ITA Nationals with a 6-4, 7-6(2) victory over Goshen’s Blanka Bodo and Maria Clara Fonte. In the first round of nationals, Ferenczy and Lameda faced Martina Cortal and Mayra Gisone of Lindsey Wilson University for a tough 6-1, 6-2 loss. The Pilots then faced Olivia Alcala and Laia Berne of Tennessee Wesleyan University for a competitive matchup, but fell 6-4, 6-3. The ITA Cup features athletes from NCAA, NAIA and JUCO institutions, and it was a monumental accomplishment for the Pilots to represent Bethel on the national stage. Head Coach Jamal Henry shares, “We’ve had a lot of firsts over the last year, and having our first group of players in Szilvi and Paola qualify for the ITA Nationals was another great accomplishment. These ladies represented Bethel, our program and themselves tremendously.” He continued, “I couldn’t be any more happy for them. The entire experience was such a great accomplishment and a great springboard for our upcoming conference season ... and quest to get back to the NAIA Nationals in May.” Prior to the ITA Tournament, Ferenczy and Lameda achieved a a doubles win over Charlie Stirling and Erin Jacobs, of Judson University. The Pilots won 6-3 on September 30 at Ward Baker Park. Ferenczy has been a staple for the team, earning recognition on the 2024 Crossroads League All-League Team, and earning a win over Judson’s No. 1 Seed, Charlie Stirling. The sky is the limit for this duo and the Bethel Pilots, who faced their first Crossroads League opponent, Taylor University, on March 21. BY: Alexis Wildrick
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