TROY, Ala. (January 31, 2025) – The University of North Alabama women's tennis team preps for two duals on Saturday and Sunday, taking on in-state foes Troy and Alabama State in road matchups this weekend.
The Lions return to the courts after a week away from action, staying in state for two more road contests. North Alabama faced the challenge of No. 12 Auburn in its first season outing and now turn its attention to the Trojans and Hornets in search of its first win.
North Alabama's dual at Troy is set for first serve at 1:30 p.m. at the Lunsford Tennis Complex. The Lions will face Alabama State at the Olean Black Underwood Tennis Center with first serve scheduled for 1 p.m. Live stats will only be provided for the Troy dual, courtesy of StatBroadcast.
Full results and a recap will be posted on RoarLions.com following the action, but fans can also follow along on the UNA Tennis social media pages.
DUAL 1 INFO
Matchup: North Alabama at Troy
Date: Saturday, February 1
Time: 1:30 p.m.
Location: Troy, Ala.
Venue: Lunsford Tennis Complex
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Social Media: @UNATennis
DUAL 2 INFO
Matchup: North Alabama at Alabama State
Date: Sunday, February 2
Time: 1 p.m.
Location: Montgomery, Ala.
Venue: Olean Black Underwood Tennis Center
Social Media: @UNATennis
NOTES
SCOUTING THE LIONS: North Alabama opened the season on Jan. 17, facing the one of best teams in the Southeastern Conference in No. 12 Auburn. The Lions fell to the Tigers but not without leaving their mark in the doubles portion of the dual. UNA rallied from a court down to gain the first points of the dual, with the Lions taking victories from court two and three. North Alabama's Mathilde Delaney and Emma Ansorge defeated Auburn's Ava Espisito and Maria Garcia, 7-5, from the third flight. The highlight of the dual came from court two, with Eeva Ristola and Ada Karabacak defeating #97 Angella Okutoyi and Merna Refaat.
SCOUTING TROY: The Trojans enter the weekend at 1-1, coming off the heels of their first season win against Florida A&M on Jan. 28. Troy looks to get back on track after a successful 2024 spring season, going 16-7 on the season while 9-2 in the Sun Belt. The Trojans capped the season with a semifinal appearance in the Sun Belt Tournament, falling to tournament runners-up Appalachian State. Troy is led by Rawia Elsisi in her 12th season.
SERIES HISTORY: The Lions and Trojans play in the seventh all-time series meeting, with Troy leading the series, 4-2. UNA won their first dual against Troy since the 1990 season last time out, taking a 5-2 victory on Feb. 15, 2024.
SCOUTING ALABAMA STATE: The Hornets cap the weekend's action against North Alabama, looking to keep momentum going after a 5-2 victory against Auburn University at Montgomery last time out. Alabama State enters the dual at 1-3, ending the week with its fourth dual after matchups with AUM, Samford and West Alabama. The Hornets looks to replicate the success of the 2024 Spring season, which saw Alabama State end the year with a 14-9 overall record and SWAC Regular Season and Tournament Championship. The head coach for Alabama State is Anuk Christiansz.
SERIES HISTORY: The 10th meeting in the all-time series, UNA currently has the series lead at 5-4. All five North Alabama wins have come in the program's Division I era (2019-21, 2023-24), with the four defeats coming in Division II (2013-16).
FALL 2024 RECAP: North Alabama Women's Tennis capped the 2024 fall season with 70 wins, using the experience to prep for the championship season. For the opening Belmont/Lipscomb Invitational in September, UNA took home 18 wins in Nashville, Tenn. The ITA Regionals and MTSU Hidden Duals followed in October, securing 13 wins at the ITA tournament and team-high 22 wins in Tennessee. The Chattanooga Invitational concluded the fall season in November, taking 17 wins in the fall finale.
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
