MIDDLEBURY, VT. – Playing for the 2025 ITA New England Regional Doubles final, the freshman doubles pair of Lara Afolayanka and Kendall Smith for the Wesleyan women's tennis team earned runners-up status following a match loss to Babson College on Sunday morning in the first major outing of the 2025-26 season.

Saturday afternoon's success advanced Afolayanka and Smith to the regional semifinal round along with teammates Sarah Youngberg '26 and Mariia Kornilova '29. Facing MIT's Chloe Zeng and Carly Chen for the opportunity to play for the regional title, the pair closed out an 8-4 victory to represent the Cardinals in the finals.

Defeating Youngberg and Kornilova, 8-2, Babson's Matia Cristiani and Sandra Sikharulidze awaited Afolayanka and Smith in the finals. Playing two sets, Cristiani and Sikharulidze prevailed over Wesleyan, claiming the regional title in a 6-2, 6-3 final.

Afolayanka and Smith earn an automatic bid to the ITA Cup in Rome, Georgia on Oct. 16, where they will compete for a national ITA title.