LIVINGSTON, Ala. – The No. 5-ranked University of West Alabama women's tennis team begins its quest for a national title on Monday morning, taking on No. 16 Lee University in the opening round of the NCAA Division II Women's Tennis South Region Tournament.
First serve is scheduled for 10 a.m. CST/11:00 a.m. ET at the campus of Nova Southeastern University, the host of the South Region #2 pod.
West Alabama (16-6) enters the postseason as the No. 3 seed in the South Region and carries a head-to-head advantage after defeating sixth-seeded Lee (13-3) by a 5-2 score back in April. That match was part of a strong regular season for the Tigers, who earned their fifth consecutive NCAA tournament bid.
A strength for UWA all season has been its doubles play, with the team compiling an impressive 46-12 overall record (.793). The pairing of Shaira Rivera and Valentina Mutilba is the Tigers' top tandem with a 16-3 record and six straight wins, while the duo of Alexa Milliam and Emiri Takanishi stands at 13-1 in dual matches. As a team, UWA is 19-2 in conference doubles action and 16-3 at the No. 1 line.
In singles, freshman Alexa Milliam remains unbeaten at 18-0 overall and 7-0 in GSC play, dominating primarily at the No. 2 position. Greta Zawels (14-5) and Shaira Rivera (12-6) have also been key contributors, providing depth at the back end of the lineup.
Lee, meanwhile, is led by Ashleigh Simes, who is 14-2 in dual singles and 22-3 overall. She also pairs with Aliyah Dwyer in doubles, where the duo has an 11-4 record and two straight wins. Maria Penalver Aguilo leads the Flames in singles victories (15-4) and has spent much of the season anchoring the top of their lineup.
The Flames are looking to bounce back from their regular season loss to the Tigers and are making their first NCAA tournament appearance. As a team, Lee holds a 33-14 doubles record in duals and went 6-4 in conference play.
The winner of Monday's match will face either No. 2 seed and host Nova Southeastern or No. 7 seed Tuskegee in the second round on Tuesday.
UWA will aim to carry its strong doubles foundation and the momentum of an undefeated Milliam into the regional semifinal. A win would bring the Tigers one step closer to the championship.
