LIVINGSTON, Ala. - The University of West Alabama men's and women's tennis teams are set for a neutral-site showdown against nationally ranked North Georgia on Saturday in Rome, Ga. The No. 25 Nighthawk men and No. 9 Nighthawk women present a formidable challenge as both teams come in with depth, talent, and momentum.
West Alabama Men's Tennis (6-9)
The Tigers are coming off a competitive stretch and will aim to turn their solid doubles play into a complete performance against a strong North Georgia lineup. Sophomore duo Federico Iturbe and Jacob Tapia have been a bright spot in doubles, posting an impressive 10-3 record, including a 3-1 mark in conference play. Overall, the men's team holds a 26-18 record in doubles this season.
In singles, Tapia leads the team with a 7-6 record and has won four straight. Tomas Almeida and Vilislav Bonev have also contributed six and seven wins respectively, while graduate student Francisco Oliveira is 4-2 overall.
The Tigers will look to improve on their singles record (41-46 overall), with special attention on turning around their 10-20 mark in conference competition. UWA is still searching for its first win against a ranked opponent this season.
No. 16 West Alabama Women's Tennis (10-4)
Ranked No. 16 in the latest ITA national rankings, the West Alabama women's team is having a standout season and enters the match with plenty of momentum. UWA has won seven of its last nine matches and carries a dominant 20-4 record in conference singles play.
Freshman Alexa Milliam is undefeated at 11-0 in singles, including a perfect 7-0 mark at the No. 2 spot. Shaira Rivera (10-3) and Greta Zawels (9-3) have also been consistent contributors in the middle and back end of the lineup. Zawels is riding a six-match win streak, while Rivera is 6-3 in her last nine.
In doubles, Milliam and Emiri Takanishi remain a perfect 10-0 as a team, while Rivera and Valentina Mutilba are 10-2 overall. As a team, the Tigers are 29-9 in doubles and boast a .763 winning percentage, including a 10-2 mark in GSC play.
No. 25 North Georgia Men's Tennis (8-4)
North Georgia's men's squad features a strong singles lineup led by Robin Eldin and Pedro Liborio, who both hold 7-3 singles records. Liborio is particularly dangerous at the No. 1 spot and is on a one-match win streak, while Marcos Castellanos adds depth with a 7-4 overall mark and a perfect 3-0 record at No. 4 singles.
In doubles play, the team of Janos Varga and Liborio has posted a 7-1 overall record and remains unbeaten (3-0) in conference action. Their consistency has helped guide North Georgia to a four-match win streak when this duo takes the court.
No. 9 North Georgia Women's Tennis (11-6)
On the women's side, North Georgia boasts one of the top players in the country in Angelina Linnikova, who is undefeated in singles at 15-0 overall and 3-0 in conference play. She has been rock-solid at the No. 1 spot. Supporting her are Linn Goerdes (10-6) and Emily Bush (8-2), rounding out a dangerous top three.
In doubles, Linnikova and Carolina Reis have clicked with a 4-0 record together, while the team has gone 6-0 in conference doubles overall, demonstrating strong chemistry across multiple pairings.
Tuesday's neutral-site match in Rome offers the Tigers a high-level opportunity to test themselves against elite competition and build momentum heading into the final stretch of the season.
