FLORENCE, Ala. (February 16, 2024) – The University of North Alabama men's tennis team will have two duals over the course of the weekend, with the Troy Trojans and North Dakota Fighting Hawks coming to Florence, Ala. on Saturday and Sunday for tennis action.
A late addition to the schedule, North Alabama will face North Dakota in their first-ever meeting on Saturday, Feb. 17. A more familiar opponent, the matchup against Troy will follow one day later.
The Lions were on the road last time out, earning a 5-2 win at Chattanooga. This was UNA's first win over the Mocs since 2016 during the Division II era.
First serve from against North Dakota will be at 1 p.m. while the dual against Troy will start at noon. Live stats and video will be provided, while full results can be found on RoarLions.com at the conclusion of the event.
MATCH 1
North Alabama vs. North Dakota
Saturday, February 17, 2024
1 p.m.
Live Stats | Watch
MATCH 2
North Alabama vs. Troy
Sunday, February 18, 2024
NOON
Live Stats | Watch
SCOUTING THE LIONS: North Alabama is in the midst of a three-dual win streak, winning their last outings against UT Arlington, Texas Rio Grande Valley and Chattanooga in succession. Freshman Birtan Duran leads the Lions in singles victories, sporting a 4-2 record on the season. The pair of Nazar Fedoryshyn/Federico Scotuzzi owns a 4-1 record in doubles, while Lachlan Brain/Izan Orgiles match in wins with a 4-2 record.
SCOUTING THE FIGHTING HAWKS: North Dakota comes into the weekend dual at 2-7 on the year. They are in the midst of a two-match skid after falling to Idaho State and Air Force by 6-1 finals. The Fighting Hawks have three players with a singles win in Jayho Hong, Ange-Kevin Koua and Leandro Zgraggen. North Dakota is coached by Tom Boysen in his third season.
SCOUTING THE TROJANS: Troy will travel to Florence with a strong 7-1 record on the season. Their last outing resulted in two sweeps over Alcorn State in a Feb. 9 double-header, winning 4-0 and 7-0. The Trojans are led in singles victories by Mario Martinez, who carries a 15-3 record from the fall and spring into the dual. The pairing of Benjamin Ambrosio/Noah Martens has the most wins in doubles action with an 8-3 record over the fall and spring seasons. Troy is coached by Rolando Vargas in his sixth season.
LAST TIME OUT: Tomorrow will be UNA's first meeting with North Dakota. However, the Lions have yet to defeat the Trojans in the Division I era, going 0-3 in meetings against Troy. UNA's last win over Troy came in 1990 when North Alabama won 6-3 while both were members of Division II. The women's tennis program had a similar series history with Troy and earned its first win over the Trojans as a Division I member on Thursday, 5-2.
FALL RECAP: North Alabama had a fall to remember, as the Lions won 23 matches to outplay Jacksonville State, Samford and Kennesaw State in the fall opener. UNA then totaled 15 wins at the Samford Hidden Dual and a milestone victory by Brain at the ITA All-American Championships in Tulsa, Okla. Brain became the first individual at UNA to win an ITA All-American match at the Division I level. More wins were added at the ITA Southern Regionals in Auburn, the UTC Steve Baras Invite in Chattanooga, the CCB Collegiate Invite in Birmingham and the UNA Invitational at home in Florence.
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
