FLORENCE – The University of North Alabama women’s tennis team’s historic season came to a close Thursday in Rome, Ga., with a 4-0 setback to No. 48 UNC Charlotte in the UTR NIT Tournament semifinals.
The Lions end their season with an 18-6 record – the most single-season wins in Division I program history. The 18 wins are the most in a season since winning 21 matches in the 1988 season.
In Thursday’s semifinal, UNA battled UNC-Charlotte for the first time in program history. The Lions looked to add a second win over a ranked opponent, but Charlotte took the early advantage with the doubles point before claiming three-straight singles wins.
The 49ers advanced to the WNIT Finals to face No. 57 Washington State today.
In the opening round, the Lions rallied from a dropped doubles point to overtake Middle Tennessee.
North Alabama and MTSU split the opening two singles matches, then UNA rolled to three-straight victories en route to the semifinals. The Lions earned the program’s first non-conference postseason win since moving to Division I.
UNA’s Stanislava Bobrovnikova and Eeva Ristola led the Lions with two wins apiece. The Atlantic Sun Conference’s Doubles Pair of the Year combined for a doubles win as well as winning their singles matches against MTSU. Junior Senem Ocal and sophomore Mathilde Delaney also won their singles matches, with Delaney’s win being the match clincher.
Men’s tennis falls in opening round of NCAAs
The UNA men’s tennis team ended a historic season in the first round of the NCAA Men’s Tennis Championship last Friday, falling to No. 22-ranked Michigan State, 4-0, in Starkville, Miss.
UNA, who entered No. 68 in the ITA rankings, ends the season with a 19-4 record. This marks the most wins for the program since 1988.
North Alabama captured both the regular season and tournament titles in the Atlantic Sun Conference – earning the first ASUN titles in Division I program history and first conference championship since 1981. The tournament win was also the first postseason championship for any UNA team since the move to Division I in 2018.
UNA coach Aitor Reparaz earned the program’s first ASUN Coach of the Year distinction. The season culminated in program’s first Division I NCAA Tournament appearance.
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