FORT MYERS, Fla. (November 19, 2025) – The University of North Alabama volleyball team begins the postseason Thursday, Nov. 20 in the Atlantic Sun Conference Championship tournament vs. No. 2 seed Jacksonville in Fort Myers, Fla.
The No. 7 seed Lions prep for their third straight postseason appearance with UNA set to face the Dolphins for the second time this season. North Alabama looks to secure its first all-time win in the ASUN Championship while leveling the season series against Jacksonville.
The championships will be played in Alico Arena with tickets available for purchase through the FGCU ticket office. The match will be available for streaming on ESPN+, and live stats will be provided through StatBroadcast courtesy of FGCU.
Full results and a recap will be posted on RoarLions.com following the action, but fans can also follow along in real time on the UNA Volleyball social media pages.
MATCH INFO
No. 7 North Alabama vs. No. 2 Jacksonville
ASUN Championship Quarterfinals
Date: Thursday, Nov. 20
Time: 3 p.m. CT
Location: Fort Myers, Fla.
Venue: Alico Arena
Watch: ESPN+
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Tickets: Click Here
Social Media: @UNA_Volleyball
NOTES
HOW WE GOT HERE: The No. 7 Lions enters the tournament with a 14-15 overall record and 8-8 ASUN record in year four under head coach Tristan Johnson. North Alabama opened with six non-conference victories to start, including first-time wins over SEMO, Western Carolina and McNeese. UNA earned its second all-time wins vs. Grambling State and Tennessee Tech with the Lions additionally beating Samford for the first time since 1997. ASUN play was highlighted by the first all-ever win over FGCU and second all-time wins against Stetson and Lipscomb. In conference, North Alabama gained wins over Austin Peay (twice), Bellarmine (twice), Lipscomb, Stetson, FGCU and West Georgia.
UNA IN THE POSTSEASON: The Lions are set to participate in their third-straight ASUN Volleyball Championship. UNA is one of eight schools to participate in the 2025 edition of the tournament, along with FGCU, Jacksonville, EKU, Central Arkansas, Lipscomb, Queens and North Florida. Last year, UNA competed in the 2024 tournament with a quarterfinal bout against Lipscomb. North Alabama clinched its first tournament appearance during the 2023 season, playing former conference member Kennesaw State in the quarterfinals.
ASUN HONOREES: The 2025 volleyball postseason awards were announced by the Atlantic Sun Conference on Wednesday, Nov. 19, with junior Kendall Barnes and sophomores Reese Ricketts and Kinslee McGowan earning postseason awards. For Barnes, her first UNA season culminated in a Second Team All-ASUN nod. Stellar seasons from both McGowan and Ricketts resulted in Third Team All-ASUN honors.
"SETTING" THE TONE: McGowan leads the ASUN with 1,122 assists and is second in assists per set (9.93). The sophomore is additionally second on the team in digs (261) and service aces (33). McGowan registered her 500th career assist at Alabama A&M on Sept. 2. She tallied her 1,000th assist against Stetson on Oct. 10, and she registered her 1,500th assists Nov. 15 at Bellarmine. McGowan set a Division I program record with 60 assists against FGCU on Oct. 12.
KENDALL ON THE ATTACK: Barnes leads the team with 400 kills. She ranks second in the ASUN in total kills and third in kills per set (3.57). Her 438.5 total points ranks second in the conference while ranking fourth in points per set (3.92). Barnes set a new career high with 31 kills against FGCU on Oct. 12. She also tallied her 500th career kill on Oct. 29 against Central Arkansas.
ACING THE COMPETITION: Junior Olivia Fenoff has 38 service aces on the season, ranking her fourth in the ASUN. Her 0.36 ace per set average is tied for fifth in the conference. Fenoff tallied her 50th career service ace against Grambling State on Aug. 30.
RELIABLE RICKETTS: Ricketts ranks third in the ASUN with 406 points and 362 kills. She additionally ranks fifth with 3.29 kills per set and sixth with 3.69 points per set. Ricketts surpassed 500 career kills against McNeese on Sept. 19 and 500 career digs against Bellarmine on Nov. 15.
SURGING SARGENT: Junior Nicole Sargent has been UNA's most consistent hitter with a team-leading .315 hitting percentage. She ranks ninth in the conference in hitting percentage with the Dayton, Ohio native totaling 165 kills on the season. She also leads the team with 65 blocks.
GARNER'S GAINS: Sophomore Dylann Garner has been stellar in year two, ranking third on the team with 229 kills and 46 blocks. She set a career high in the season's second match, totaling 21 kills against SEMO on August 30.
CALLING ON KOLOSTA: Freshman Jenna Kolosta heads into the postseason with season totals of 93 kills, 58 blocks and 22 digs. Kolosta was named ASUN Freshman of the Week on Sept. 8 – her first career honor.
DIGGIN' DEEP: Junior Ava Martindale has a team-high 374 total digs and a 3.31 digs per set average. She's ninth in total digs and 10th in digs per set in the ASUN.
AMONG THE RANKS: UNA is ranked in the top 100 nationally in four individual statistics as of Nov. 17. McGowan is eighth in the NCAA in total assists while 42nd in assists per set. Barnes is 50th in total kills while 69th in points.
MILESTONE LIONS: North Alabama has also had two additional milestones achieved the season. Head Coach Tristan Johnson won his 50th career match on Sept. 12 in a three-set home sweep over Western Carolina. Sophomore Lankford Gurner set a Division I program record with six aces against Lipscomb on Sept. 28.
SCOUTING JACKSONVILLE: The second-seeded Dolphins finished the regular season 21-7 overall with a 12-4 ASUN record. Jacksonville led the league in wins, last time out claiming a three-set victory Nov. 15 versus Stetson. The Dolphins were the ASUN's best serving team with 1.90 aces per set. They were also top three in conference statistics for points (second/17.16 per set), hitting percentage (second/.256 percent) and opponent digs (second/12.87). Jacksonville had four All-ASUN team members in Haley Yount (first), Breanna McDonough (second), Kristina Nika (second) and Rebekah Williams (third). Head Coach Alicia Manguiat was voted ASUN Coach of the Year.
SERIES HISTORY: North Alabama and Jacksonville meet for the first time in the postseason and the 16th time ever. The Lions lead 10-5 with the Dolphins taking the lone regular season meeting in three sets on Oct. 4.
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
