LIVINGSTON, Ala. - The University of West Alabama Women's Tennis team is set for a regular season matchup against the Samford Bulldogs on Thursday at 1:30 p.m in Birmingham.

West Alabama (1-0) enters the matchup after a 7-0 sweep over Tuskegee. Samford (3-1) comes in winners of their last two matches with victories coming over North Alabama and Belmont.

The Tigers expect to be competitive against the Bulldogs with their ITA All-Americans, Shaira Rivera, Alexa Milliam, Valentina Mutilba leading the way.

Rivera, a staple in UWA Tennis, made her 2026 debut in dominating fashion against the Golden Tigers, winning her singles match (7-5, 6-4) and her doubles contest (6-0) with her partner Nanoka Kazama. 

Rivera is slated to be in No. 1 singles and doubles on Thursday. Rivera's probable opponent in singles is Samford's Lea Erenda. Erenda is 2-2 in Line One this season with wins coming over Alabama State and Belmont. 

Milliam didn't play against Tuskegee last week and is probable to make her sophomore debut on Thursday against the Bulldogs. Milliam is one of the best singles players in Division II and is fully equipped to handle Division I competition. The sophomore went 19-0 in her introductory season last year and will look build on that momentum in 2026. Milliam is likely to compete against Sara Erenda in Line Two. Erenda won her first singles match of the year against Mississippi State but has dropped her last three, coming into Thursday.

In 2025, Mutilba's strength was lied within doubles play but to start off 2026, the junior dominated Tuskegee's Leioni Payton, (6-0, 6-0), showcasing improvements in singles play. Mutilba will more than likely be in Line Three, facing off against Eleni Liakonis. Liakonis is 3-1 on the year in singles play.

Thursday's contest against Samford will be a great litmus test for West Alabama. The Tigers are a top-five Division II team in the country and will see if their game translates to the Division I level. First serve is set for 1:30 p.m. in Birmingham.