JACKSONVILLE (April 19, 2025) – The University of North Alabama women's tennis team were defeated in a heartbreaker Saturday afternoon in the ASUN Tournament Final, falling to the top-seeded Stetson Hatters in Jacksonville.
The No. 3 Lions came short in its title run in Jacksonville, with the comeback falling short in the battle against the Hatters. Stetson opened with the doubles point, but North Alabama made it a contest by splitting the first two matches. In the deciding doubles match, the Hatters top flight defeated the Lions top flight to take the 1-0 lead.
North Alabama and Stetson continued to fight in singles play, with the two teams splitting the first four matches. The Lions forced three-sets in five of the six matches, but the Hatters won the championship off a win from the third flight.
Junior Lena Karlovcan and sophomore Mathilde Delaney led the Lions with two wins each in singles and doubles play. The duo combined for a doubles win from court three, with the two also taking respective singles matches.
The dual opened with Stetson's second flight taking the first doubles match, with Anastasija Adeikyte and Katsiaryna Tuliakova defeating Ada Karabacak and Anoek Pruijmboom, 6-0. Karlovcan and Delaney answered back with a strong 6-1 win from court three, beating the Hatters' Elicia Kim and Audelie Lesauvage.
The final doubles match went in favor of Stetson, with Cheri Darley and Alanna DiFrancesco taking a 6-4 result over Stanislava Bobrovnikova and Eeva Ristola.
In singles, Stetson's Clelia Darley secured the first win from court five with a 6-2, 7-5 result over the Lions' Senem Ocal. Delaney fired back with North Alabama's first team point in a 6-4, 6-4 victory from court four against Audelie LeSauvage. The Hatters' Darley took the top flight over Bobrovnikova with a 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 result, but UNA's Karlovcan stormed back from court six with a 6-3, 1-6, 7-5 win over Anastasija Adeikyte.
The clinching match came from court three with the Hatters' Alanna DiFrancesco defeating UNA's Ristola, 2-6, 7-5, 6-4.
With the season coming to an end, North Alabama Men's Tennis heads into the offseason after a sensational 2025 campaign. The Lions were picked to finish sixth in the conference preseason poll but finished tied for second in the final regular-season standings along with a runner-up finish in the tournament.
UNA set a Division I program-record with 18 wins, along with the away (8) wins in Division I program history. Head Coach Olaya Garrido-Rivas received the program's first Division I Coach of the Year honor while earning four ASUN postseason honors and the first two ASUN postseason tournament wins in program history.
North Florida 4, North Alabama 2
Doubles
1. Cheri Darley/Alanna DiFrancesco (STETSON) def. Stanislava Bobrovnikova/Eeva Ristola (UNA), 6-4
2. Anastasija Adeikyte/Katsiaryna Tuliakova (STETSON) def. Ada Karabacak/Anoek Pruijmboom (UNA), 6-0
3. Lena Karlovcan/Mathilde Delaney (UNA) def. Elicia Kim/Audelie Lesauvage (STETSON), 6-1
Order of Finish: (2,3,1)
Singles
1. Cheri Darley (STETSON) def. Stanislava Bobrovnikova (UNA), 6-2, 4-6, 6-2
2. Ada Karabacak (UNA) vs. Katsiaryna Tuliakova (STETSON), 5-7, 6-2, 5-5, unfinished
3. Alanna DiFrancesco (STETSON) def. Eeva Ristola (UNA), 2-6, 7-5, 6-4
4. Mathilde Delaney (UNA) def. Audelie LeSauvage (STETSON), 6-4, 6-4
5. Clelia Lombardi (STETSON) def. Senem Ocal (UNA), 6-2, 7-5
6. Lena Karlovcan (UNA) def. Anastasija Adeikyte (STETSON), 6-3, 1-6, 7-5
Order of Finish: (5,4,1,6,3)
Match Notes
North Alabama: 18-5
Stetson: 18-4
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
