LAKELAND, Fla. - Louay Makke captured the men's singles championship to highlight the Lynn University men's and women's tennis teams' performances at the 2026 ITA Division II South Regional Championships.

Makke won six consecutive matches en route to the regional title, securing a berth in the ITA Division II Singles & Doubles Championships, scheduled for Nov. 4–8 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Several other Fighting Knights also delivered strong performances, advancing deep into their respective singles and doubles draws.

Men's Tennis:
- Makke opened the tournament with a 6-2, 6-7, 10-2 victory over Saint Leo's Bence Juhasz before defeating Lee University's Roberto Leal, 6-3, 3-6, 10-6, in the Round of 32
- He continued his run with a 7-6, 6-4 victory over Barry's Ilhan Basar Senel in the Round of 16, setting up an all-Lynn quarterfinal matchup against teammate Victor Alves
- After dropping the opening set against Alves, Makke rallied for a 2-6, 6-4, 11-9 victory to advance to the semifinals
- Makke then defeated Embry-Riddle's Manuel Lanteri in straight sets, 7-5, 7-5, to secure his place in the championship match
- Facing Embry-Riddle's Marc Mail in the final, Makke secured the regional title with a 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 victory
- Alves also put together an impressive tournament, advancing to the quarterfinals with victories over Barry's Agustin Mastri (7-6, 6-3), Auburn Montgomery's Antoine De Vedrines (6-1, 6-1) and Barry's Hugo Papet (6-2, 2-6, 10-6)
- Alves fell to teammate Louay Makke in the quarterfinals, 6-2, 4-6, 9-11
- Robert Watzka reached the quarterfinals with victories over Mississippi College's Sergio Ramirez Ocana (6-1, 6-4), Saint Leo's Mahit Mekala (3-6, 6-0, 10-3) and Rollins' Pete Tran (6-1, 7-5)
- Watzka fell to Embry-Riddle's Enrico Rosellini in the quarterfinals, 6-0, 4-6, 5-10
- Yassin Elaroussy opened singles competition with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Florida Southern's Matthew Hewitt before falling to Mississippi College's Alejandro Vizoso Ansedes in the Round of 32
- In doubles action, Elaroussy and Alves suffered an 8-5 setback against Barry's Agustin Mastri and Ilhan Basar Senel

Women's Tennis:
- Lynn's women's tennis team also recorded several victories across singles and doubles competition, highlighted by Emma Bousquet and Amelia Ciesielczyk, who each advanced to the Round of 16
- Bousquet opened singles play with a victory over Saint Leo's Gabriela Almanza before defeating Florida Southern's Emily Jennewein, 6-2, 6-1, in the Round of 32
- Her singles run came to an end in the Round of 16 against Nova Southeastern's Luca Bohlen
- Ciesielczyk began her tournament with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Florida Southern's Elin Axler before advancing past Nova Southeastern's Chloe Henderson following a retirement in the Round of 32
- In the Round of 16, Ciesielczyk battled Nova Southeastern's Jana Boegner in a three-set contest before falling 2-6, 6-3, 7-10.
- Sandra Borgulova, Sophia Gache and Mathilde Frumholz also competed in singles action, with Borgulova falling to Barry's Sofiia Nagornaia (2-6, 1-6), Gache dropping her match to Lee University's Rima Yoshida (6-7, 2-6) and Frumholz suffering a setback against West Alabama's Jenaila Prulla (4-6, 1-6)
- In doubles action, Ciesielczyk and Borgulova opened with an 8-4 victory over Diana Volkov and Elena Samuelsson before falling 8-4 to Kristyna Hranacova and Katja Markus
- Frumholz and Bousquet also earned an opening-round doubles victory, defeating Valentina Sanchez Bronzetti and Maialen Idiakez in a tiebreak before falling 8-2 to Viktoriia Dema and Sofiia Nagornaia

UP NEXT:
Makke will represent Lynn at the ITA Division II Singles & Doubles Championships, beginning Wednesday, Nov. 4, at the Tuscaloosa Tennis Center in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.