TUSCALOOSA, ALA. – UT Tyler tennis wrapped up competition at the 2026 ITA Division II National Championship with a runner-up finish from senior Yona Bancarel in women's open singles and a quarterfinal appearance from junior Malo Poulesquen in men's open singles.
Bancarel led the way for the Patriots, putting together an impressive run through the women's singles draw to reach Sunday's championship match. The sixth-seeded senior opened the tournament with a win over Mississippi College, taking the first set 7-6 before dropping the second 3-6. Bancarel responded in the deciding tiebreak, winning 10-8 to advance.
She carried that momentum into the round of 16, where she delivered a 6-3, 6-1 victory over the University of Findlay to earn a spot in the quarterfinals. Bancarel continued her run Friday with a hard-fought 6-3, 7-6 win over fourth-seeded Midwestern State, taking the second-set tiebreak 8-6 to advance to the semifinals.
Bancarel delivered another strong performance Saturday, defeating seventh-seeded Nova Southeastern 6-4, 6-4 to secure her place in Sunday's championship match. Her run through the draw came to an end in the final against third-seeded Nova Southeastern. After claiming the opening set 6-4, Bancarel dropped the next two sets by identical 4-6 scores to finish as the tournament runner-up.
In men's open singles, Poulesquen advanced to the quarterfinals after winning three matches during the tournament. The junior opened with a three-set victory over Walsh University, recovering from a 7-5 first-set loss to take the second set 6-4 before winning the deciding tiebreak 10-8.
Poulesquen followed with a dominant 6-4, 6-0 win over Biola University to advance to the quarterfinals. His tournament run ended against Embry-Riddle Aeronautical, falling 6-4, 6-3.
Senior Samuel Antwi also represented UT Tyler in the men's open singles draw, competing in a tight opening-round matchup against Rollins College. Antwi dropped the first set in a tiebreak, 7-6 (2), before falling 6-4 in the second to see his tournament come to an end in the round of 32.
Bancarel and sophomore Maria Antonio Ortega competed together in women's open doubles, but their tournament ended in the round of 32 with a 6-3, 6-4 loss to Nebraska-Kearney.
UT Tyler closed its trip to Tuscaloosa with a national championship runner-up finish from Bancarel and a quarterfinal showing from Poulesquen, highlighting the Patriots' performances on the national stage.
