CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (January 26, 2024) – The University of North Alabama women's tennis team opened the 2024 spring season in thrilling fashion, winning a 4-3 battle against Chattanooga on Friday at the Strang-Voges Tennis Center in Tennessee.
 
In a back-and-forth affair, UNA won a tight doubles competition to earn some early momentum. This proved to be the difference after a 3-3 split in singles, as UNA won it on a tiebreaker in the final set of the final flight.
 
With the win, UNA builds off a strong fall with a 1-0 record to start the spring. Chattanooga drops to 1-3.
 
Chattanooga won the first match in doubles play, but the Lions stormed back and earned the point with a pair of wins in the top two flights. Freshman Ada Karabacak and senior Kalais Going evened the score in the second flight with a 6-4 victory.
 
With the doubles point on the line, top flight duo Stanislava Bobrovnikova and Marta Torres earned a thrilling 7-5 victory over Chattanoogaa's Caroline Gibbens and Madlena Orlova.
 
The final doubles flight would not be the only dramatics to take place in Chattanooga, as three of the six singles matches went to a third set. The Mocs tied the match at 1-1 with a win in the top flight, then took the lead in the third flight.
 
North Alabama won the next point to tie it back again at 2-2, as Karabacak defeated Alice Hall in the fifth flight. The freshman dominated the first set 6-1 and won the second set on a 7-6 tiebreaker. After this, UNA took the lead again as Torres won a three-set showdown at the No. 6 spot over Emma Pedretti. Torres lost the first set 6-1, but handled the next two to win 1-6, 6-1, 6-2.
 
With a 3-2 lead and the match on the line, Chattanooga survived with a come-from-behind win at the No. 4 spot. In a battle of Emmas, UNA's Emma Ansorge won the first set with a 7-6 tiebreaker win, but Chattanooga's Emma Peeler won the final two sets for the 6-7, 6-3, 6-1 victory.
 
The match came down to the second flight, as Bobrovikova took on UTC's Madlena Orlova. Both players won a 6-3 set, forcing a third set with the final point on the line. Tied 6-6, Bobrovnikova won the tiebreaker and secured the Lion victory.
 
Since the move to Division I in 2018, UNA owns a 2-0 record against the Mocs. The first win came in similar fashion, as UNA rallied from a 3-1 deficit to win 4-3 in Florence on March 5, 2021.
 
The Lions return to action on Sunday at Samford. First serve is set for 1 p.m. in Birmingham.
 
North Alabama 4, Chattanooga 3

Singles competition
1. Rozalie Dohnalova (UTC) def. Valeria San Miguel (UNA) 6-1, 6-1
2. Stanislava Bobrovnikova (UNA) def. Madlena Orlova (UTC) 6-3, 3-6, 7-6
3. Caroline Gibbens (UTC) def. Kalais Going (UNA) 6-3, 6-4
4. Emma Peeler (UTC) def. Emma Ansorge (UNA) 6-7, 6-3, 6-1
5. Ada Karabacak (UNA) def. Alice Hall (UTC) 6-1, 7-6
6. Marta Torres (UNA) def. Emma Pedretti (UTC) 1-6, 6-1, 6-2
 
Doubles competition
1. Stanislava Bobrovnikova/Marta Torres (UNA) def. Alice Hall/Rozalie Dohnalova (UTC) 7-5
2. Ada Karabacak/Kalais Going (UNA) def. Caroline Gibbens/Madlena Orlova (UTC) 6-4
3. Emma Pedretti/Emma Peeler (UTC) def. Anoek Pruijmboom/Emma Ansorge (UNA) 6-0
 
Match Notes
North Alabama 1-0
Chattanooga 1-3
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2,1); Singles (1,3,5,6,4,2)
 
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