PENSACOLA, Fla. – The University of West Alabama men's and women's tennis teams hit the road for a neutral site Gulf South Conference matchup against Valdosta State on Thursday, April 10. First serve is set for 2 p.m. at the Roger Scott Tennis Center in Pensacola, Florida.
No. 16 West Alabama Women's Tennis (10-5, 5-0 GSC)
Riding a strong conference campaign, the nationally ranked Tigers are unbeaten in GSC play and aim to stay perfect against a perennial league power in Valdosta State. Leading the charge is freshman
Alexa Milliam, who remains undefeated at 12-0 in singles play and 4-0 against conference opponents. She has also teamed with
Emiri Takanishi for a dominant 10-0 doubles mark, including a 4-0 GSC record.
Shaira Rivera (10-3) and
Greta Zawels (9-4) continue to be reliable pieces in the middle and back of the lineup. Zawels has also found success in doubles, posting a 5-3 mark with
Lolita Hukasian. As a team, UWA is 29-11 in doubles matches and 20-4 in GSC singles competition.
West Alabama Men's Tennis (6-10, 2-4 GSC)
On the men's side, the Tigers are looking to bounce back after recent setbacks in GSC play. Sophomore
Jacob Tapia is heating up at the right time, currently on a four-match singles win streak and holding a 7-6 overall record.
Afonso Portugal and
Vilislav Bonev have each contributed seven singles wins, while
Francisco Oliveira is 4-2 and undefeated in GSC play.
In doubles, the team of
Federico Iturbe and Tapia has been stellar, leading the group with a 10-3 record and a 3-1 mark in conference play. Overall, the Tigers boast a 27-20 doubles record this season, with success coming especially at the No. 2 and No. 3 positions.
No. 4 Valdosta State Men's Tennis (13-0, 7-0 GSC)
The top five ranked Blazers remain perfect on the season behind dominant singles and doubles play. Valdosta State boasts a combined 57-12 (.826) singles record and a 26-6 (.813) doubles record, with a 32-8 mark in GSC play.
Edgar Destouet leads the way at 12-0, including a 6-0 record in GSC play. Boruch Skierkier stands at 10-1 (5-1 GSC) with a current five-match winning streak. Takeshi Taco is 7-1 overall and 4-0 in conference action.
Skierkier/Skerbatis are 9-2 with a 4-2 GSC mark, winning their last three matches. Bord/Destouet are 8-2 overall, perfect at 6-0 in conference play.
The team holds a near-perfect .917 win percentage at the No. 1 doubles line and a .900 win rate at No. 5 singles, reflecting their depth and balance across the lineup.
Valdosta State Women's Tennis (3-9, 2-4 GSC)
The Blazers' women's squad has faced a tough schedule but is showing signs of improvement, particularly in singles where they hold a 21-19 (.525) conference record.
Alyssa Novoa leads the team with a 6-4 overall record and an impressive 6-1 mark in GSC matches. Natalie Rainke is 6-5 on the season and 4-3 in conference action. Viktoriia Fedorova is 5-6 overall and has gone 3-3 in league play.
The doubles pairings have combined for a 9-19 overall record and a 5-13 record in GSC matches. The most consistent duo has been Rainke/Fedorova at 3-3 overall, including 2-3 in conference.
While the team has struggled in doubles, their performance in the middle of the singles lineup—especially by Novoa and Rainke—has kept them competitive in GSC play.
Both UWA squads will need strong performances as they face off with a talented Valdosta State program in a key GSC showdown.
