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LIVINGSTON, Ala. – The University of West Alabama women's tennis team will have a tough test to start the 2024 NCAA Division II Women's Tennis Championships this weekend. At the Lynn Regional in Boca Raton, Florida, the 6-seeded Tigers will take on the 3-seed Sharks of Nova Southeastern on Friday afternoon at 1 p.m. EST.
West Alabama is coming off a semifinal finish at the Gulf South Conference Championships on April 28 with a 4-3 loss to Mississippi College. However, the Tigers still ranked 10th in the nation and are 15-9 on the season.
This will be the fourth straight appearance at the national tournament for UWA (2021-22-23-24), and are 1-3 in previous matchups.
The south region is one of the toughest to play in, and that rings true in 2024. Of the eight teams who made the tournament, seven are in the top 12 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) national rankings, and six of the seven are listed in the top 10. Below is the breakdown:
- Barry (No. 1)
- Nova Southeastern (No. 2)
- Lynn (No. 4)
- Embry-Riddle (No. 5)
- Tampa (No. 9)
- West Alabama (No. 10)
- Auburn Montgomery (No. 12)
Nova Southeastern enters the tournament with a 21-4 record and took third at the Sunshine State Conference Tournament back on April 28. One high point of the Sharks' season came when the knocked off SSC member Saint Leo in the semifinals of the ITA Indoor National Championship. Unfortunately, their archrival in Barry won the indoor championship with a 4-2 victory on Feb. 25.
UWA and NSU met once already this season in Sanlando Springs, Florida. The Sharks took the 4-1 victory back on March 26.
Khim Iglupas clinched the lone win for the Tigers in the contest. Since 2012, Nova Southeastern holds a 4-1 all-time record over West Alabama.
Before UWA and NSU square off, Lynn and Auburn Montgomery will play at 9 a.m. EST on Friday. The winners of these matches will play in the Round of 32 on Saturday at 9 a.m. EST.
