RICHMOND, Ky. (April 3, 2025) – The University of North Alabama women's tennis team faces the EKU Colonels and Queens Royals this weekend in the final road contests for Atlantic Sun Conference play.
With postseason play right around the corner, the Lions look to inch closer towards securing a berth in the Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament. UNA also looks to rebound from its 11-dual win streak ending versus FGCU and get back into the win column.
The Lions open against EKU on Friday, April 4, capping the weekend versus Queens on Sunday, April 6. The duals serve as doubleheaders with UNA Men's Tennis, who also travel to face the Colonels and Royals at 1 p.m. and 10 a.m., respectively.
Both EKU and Queens duals are scheduled for first serve at 9 a.m. Live stats will be available courtesy of StatBroadcast, and the dual against the Colonels will be streamed on ESPN+.
Full results and a recap will be posted on RoarLions.com following each dual, but fans can also follow along on the UNA Tennis social media pages.
DUAL 1 INFO
Matchup: North Alabama at EKU
Date: Friday, April 4
Time: 9 a.m.
Location: Richmond, Ky.
Venue: Greg Adams Tennis Center/Tom Higgins Outdoor Courts
Watch: ESPN+
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Social Media: @UNATennis
DUAL 2 INFO
Matchup: North Alabama at Queens
Date: Sunday, April 6
Time: 9 a.m.
Location: Charlotte, N.C.
Venue: Howard Levine Tennis Center
Live Stats: Statbroadcast
Social Media: @UNATennis
NOTES
LAST TIME OUT: North Alabama went 1-1 last time out with the Lions securing a 4-3 win over the Stetson Hatters. UNA concluded the weekend with a bout against FGCU, narrowly falling to the Eagles, 4-3. The win over the Stetson marked the first all-time win over the Hatters.
SCOUTING THE LIONS: UNA looks to get back on track with the postseason nearing, entering the weekend at 13-3 overall and 5-1 in the ASUN. UNA enters in third place in the conference standings, trailing only first-place North Florida and second-place Stetson. The Lions are winning 67.5 percent of doubles matches (27-13), increasing to 69.9 percent in singles play (58-25). Junior Eeva Ristola and sophomore Ada Karabacak have double-digit wins in doubles play, with Ristola leading the team with 12 and Karabacak in second with 10. Senior Stanislava Bobrovnikova and Ristola have a 9-2 record in doubles play to lead the team. Three Lions have 10 or more wins in singles, led by Karabacak (13), Bobrovnikova (12) and junior Senem Ocal (10).
SCOUTING EKU: The Colonels open the weekend against the Lions, entering the contest at 9-16 overall and 2-4 in the ASUN. EKU were victorious in its last outing against Bellarmine, taking the road bout with a 5-2 win on March 30. The Colonels have split its last four duals, claiming a 6-1 triumph against Queens on March 22. EKU were picked to finish eighth in the 2025 ASUN Preseason Poll, also claiming one first-place vote. The Colonels win doubles matches at a 36.2 percent rate (21-37) and singles matches at 33.6 percent (43-85). Anastasiia Cherniakova and Ceylin Ipek have eight doubles win to lead the team, with Marilou Cote leading the team with 11 singles victories. EKU is led by Head Coach Adam Cohen.
SERIES HISTORY: North Alabama and EKU meet for the third all-time matchup, with the series tied at 1-1. The Lions won the last meeting on March 28, 2024, taking a 6-1 victory over the Colonels.
SCOUTING QUEENS: The Royals are 1-15 on the year, still in search of their first ASUN win at 0-6. They also look to break an nine-dual skid, with their last win coming in a 6-0 victory against Montreat College on Feb. 14. Queens were chosen to finish 12th in the 2025 ASUN Preseason Coaches Poll. The Royals win doubles at a 20.7 percent rate (6-23) and singles at a 19.2 percent rate (14-59). Lucy Hogan and Andreea Onitoiu lead with a team-high four wins in doubles while Hogan also sports a team-high six singles victories. The Queens' head coach is Alex Leatu.
SERIES HISTORY: The third meeting in the all-time series, North Alabama holds a 2-0 advantage over Queens. The Lions won the last meeting on March 30, 2024, 6-1, also taking the first-ever matchup in a 4-2 victory on March 26, 2023.
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
