LOUISVILLE, Ky. (March 16, 2025) – The University of North Alabama men's tennis team won in dramatic fashion Sunday evening in Louisville, completing a 4-3 comeback victory against the Bellarmine Knights.

The second dual in Atlantic Sun Conference play saw North Alabama battling Bellarmine from start to finish. The Knights struck first early with the doubles point, then taking two of the opening three singles matches to gain a 3-1 team lead. The Lions received a key singles win from flight two, leading to UNA's fourth, fifth and sixth flights taking wins in straight sets to complete the road-dual rally.

North Alabama completes the weekend away from Florence at 2-0 in ASUN bouts, with UNA now 11-3 on the campaign. Bellarmine's record stands at 4-7 with a 0-2 conference record.

Five Lions secured victories en route to the win, led by sophomore Birtan Duran with a singles and doubles triumph. Duran and senior Nazar Fedoryshyn combined for a court two doubles victory, with the sophomore also providing the second singles win.

Sophomore Izan Orgiles battled back a set down for a crucial three-set singles win, with freshmen Satoru Nakajima and Samu Dominguez capturing straight-set triumphs to complete the come-from-behind victory.

Bellarmine gained the 1-0 team advantage with doubles wins on courts one and three. The Knights secured a flight three victory to start, but Duran and Fedoryshyn won 6-4 from court two to force the deciding point on court one. Bellarmine was able to see out the top-flight doubles, as Louis Fletcher and Eli Wood defeated Orgiles and sophomore Alberto Altur, 6-3.

Playing three singles matches at a time, the top three flights opened play with Knights able to gain the first win. Bellarmine's Jack Batchelor beat junior Lachlan Brain, 6-3, 6-4, but Orgiles answered back with a hard-fought, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 triumph from flight two over Matthew Nice.

Altur and the Knights' Vineet Rameesh also battled to three sets, but Rameesh gave Bellarmine the 3-1 team lead with a 6-7 (1-7), 6-4, 7-5 victory.

The bottom three flights opened with a Duran win, as the sophomore took a 6-1, 6-3 victory over Wood from court four. Nakajima tied the dual with a straight-sets bout against Bellarmine's Brent Reynolds, but the fifth-flight matchup needed tiebreaks in both sets. Nakajima secured both to take the battle, 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-3).

Dominguez and the Knights' Diego Martinez decided the dual from court six, but a strong performance from the UNA freshman saw the Lions take the dual with a 6-3, 6-2 victory.


North Alabama 4, Bellarmine 3


Doubles

1. Louie Fletcher/Eli Wood (BU) def. Alberto Altur/Izan Orgiles (UNA), 6-3
2. Nazar Fedoryshyn/Birtan Duran (UNA) def. Matthew Nice/Vineet Ramesh (BU), 6-4
3. Brent Reynolds/Jack Batchelor (BU) def. Samu Dominguez/Satoru Nakajima (UNA), 6-4

Order of Finish: (3,2,1)


Singles

1. Jack Batchelor (BU) def. Lachlan Brain (UNA), 6-3, 6-4
2. Izan Orgiles (UNA) def. Matthew Nice (BU), 3-6, 6-2, 6-2
3. Vineet Ramesh (BU) def. Alberto Altur (UNA), 6(1)-7(7), 6-4, 7-5
4. Birtan Duran (UNA) def. Eli Wood (BU), 6-1, 6-3
5. Satoru Nakajima (UNA) def. Brent Reynolds (BU), 7(7)-6(3), 7(7)-6(3)
6. Samu Dominguez (UNA) def. Diego Martinez (BU), 6-3, 6-2

Order of Finish: (1,2,3,4,5,6)


Match Notes

North Alabama: 11-3 (2-0)
Bellarmine: 4-7 (0-2)


COMING UP NEXT

The Lions are back at the UNA Tennis Courts on Wednesday, March 19, facing the Lipscomb Bisons at 3 p.m.

For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.