RELATED LINKS: ITA Release
TEMPE, Ariz. – The University of West Alabama women's tennis team fell one spot to No. 7 in the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Division II rankings, the coaches organization announced on Wednesday, Feb. 14.
The Tigers have played three matches so far in the young season, falling to Alabama State and then No. 7 Columbus State on the road. This past Tuesday, UWA etched its first victory of the 2024 campaign with a 5-2 result versus Auburn Montgomery in a top 25 battle.
Shaira Rivera has paced the Tigers so far in singles with a 2-1 record, securing a three-set victory over Lizaveta Demchenko of Alabama State, followed by a straight-set win over Melissa Yakup Pour of AUM.
In doubles, Rivera and her partner
Hardija Vidnere have won the first three duals of the season, all coming from the top flight.
Lolita Hukasian and
Emiri Takanishi are also off to a 3-0 start at the No. 3 position.
West Alabama will have a challenging schedule ahead of them. After taking on Shorter on Friday in Rome, Georgia, the Tigers will take on No. 11 North Georgia in a neutral-site contest.
Following the weekend in Georgia, the Tigers will prepare for the
ITA Indoor National Championships in Kearney, Nebraska from Feb. 23-25. With six of the eight participating teams in the top 10 of the rankings, UWA will start the weekend with No. 4 Flagler on Friday, Feb. 23.
The next rankings will be administered on Feb. 28, after the conclusion of the ITA National Indoor Championships.
