2024 ITA Cup Championships brackets
ITA Cup information

        ROME, Ga. — Xavier University of Louisiana's Mbali Langa and McKenna Wheatley defeated SCAD Atlanta's Shalimar Talbi and Adrianna Kluska 7-6 (7-5), 6-2 Sunday in the NAIA women's doubles final of the ITA Cup Championships.
        The title is the Gold Nuggets' fifth at this event, which previously was known as the Small College Championships, and their fourth in doubles.
        "McKenna and Mbali played well this whole week," said Alan Green, XULA's 22nd-year head coach. "They have great chemistry together, and they stepped up to every challenge they've faced this fall. They wanted to be national doubles champions but took the matches one at a time. Each match presented its own different challenge because up here is the best in the nation. I'm really proud of them winning this, and they will remember this week for the rest of their lives."
        Langa, a fifth-year player from Johannesburg, South Africa, and Wheatley, a junior from Madison, Miss., and a graduate of St. Andrew's Episcopal School, rallied from deficits of 2-0 in the first set and 4-3 in the tiebreaker.
        "This match was Mbali's and mine," Wheatley said. "We really, really wanted it and wanted to prove what we are capable of. This being Mbali's last year made the victory so much sweeter. I'm proud of us and the victories we have shared together as a team these past two years."
        Langa and Wheatley were No. 5 in the final ITA NAIA computer rankings of 2023-24 and earned ITA All-America as a result. But Langa began the fall 2024 semester rehabbing an injury, and she was medically cleared to play in the regional after the bracket was drawn but before doubles competition started Sept. 27. Langa replaced Amira Bergaoui as Wheatley's partner, then Langa and Wheatley repeated as regional champion.
        "I'm very proud of how we played. We played like a union and fought for each other, which made this win so special," Langa said. "Coming back from an injury I had a lot of doubts in myself and my capabilities of even winning regionals and now the ITA Cup. I'm definitely enjoying my last year of college tennis, and it shows. I'm looking forward to being 100 percent and ending my college tennis career with a bang."
        The Sunday victory was the fourth in as many days for Langa and Wheatley, the No. 2 seed. They won 6-3, 3-6, [10-6] Thursday against Lindsey Wilson's Aina Bernabeu and Mariangeles Mateu in the first round, 6-3, 7-5 Friday against Tennessee Wesleyan's Olivia Alcala and Laia Berne in the quarterfinals and 5-7, 6-4, [10-6] Saturday against Keiser's third-seeded Vanja Vidanovic and Eloise de Mooij in the semifinals.
        Talbi and Kluska were seeded fourth. A year ago at the ITA Cup, Langa and Wheatley were seeded first but lost 6-3, 4-6, [10-4] in the semifinals to Talbi and Begona Benjumeda.
        "Going into the tournament you know you will be playing the winners of the regions, the best of the best," Wheatley said. "These four days have been full of competition, but Mbali and I were ready to rise to the occasion and show that we belong on the court."