LIVINGSTON, Ala. – The University of West Alabama tennis program is set to conclude the 2026 regular season on the road against Delta State on Monday at 2:00 p.m.
West Alabama's fourth-ranked women's team (16-4, 4-2 GSC) enters the regular-season finale after a 7-0 win over Valdosta State on Saturday. The 16th-ranked men's team (13-5, 5-2 GSC) also heads into Monday's matchup with momentum following a 6-1 victory over the Blazers.
Delta State's women's team (11-7, 2-5 GSC) comes into the match after defeating Montevallo, 5-2, on Friday, while the men's team (10-9, 2-5 GSC) earned a 4-3 win over the Falcons.
WOMEN'S TENNIS
West Alabama has national championship aspirations, and with the regular season winding down, the Tigers are looking to peak at the right time.
UWA's talented lineup of Shaira Rivera, Alexa Milliam, Valentina Mutilba, Jian Ibrahim, Jenaila Prulla, and Nanoka Kazama is among the best in the nation.
Rivera and Milliam remain ranked within the top five in doubles, while both are also inside the top 15 in singles. Rivera brings an 11-6 record into the regular-season finale, while Milliam carries an 8-7 mark.
Mutilba is enjoying a career year in singles, currently holding a 10-3 record. Ibrahim has emerged as a strong contender for GSC Freshman of the Year, entering Monday on a four-match winning streak and improving to 11-7 overall.
Kazama and Prulla have been nearly perfect on Lines Five and Six. Kazama is 15-2, while Prulla remains undefeated at 16-0.
Greta Zawels has also been stellar in doubles alongside Kazama, giving UWA additional depth in its lineup.
Despite a five-match losing streak in the middle of the season, Delta State has remained competitive in 2026. The Statesmen have collected 11 wins and feature a solid lineup.
Amelia Ciesielczyk is 6-5 on Line One singles and 8-6 overall. Anastasiia Iakovlieva has been strong on Line Four, posting the team's best singles record at 10-3. On Line Three, Yasmina Mayer is 9-4 overall and 4-2 in conference play, the most GSC wins on the team.
MEN'S TENNIS
As they prepare for the GSC Tournament, West Alabama has turned its program around in 2026. The Tigers will look to continue building momentum in their regular-season finale against Delta State.
Jacob Tapia and Federico Iturbe are ranked 14th nationally in doubles and hold an 11-4 record this season. Maksim Goncharov and Afonso Portugal have also excelled in doubles, bringing a 9-2 record into Monday's match.
Tapia leads the team in singles with a 12-4 overall record, including a 7-1 mark on Line One. Iturbe is 11-2 and undefeated on Line Four. Portugal, who has played across Lines Two and Three, enters the match at 12-3 and is one of the hottest players in the conference, riding a seven-match winning streak.
Delta State enters Monday's contest on a two-match winning streak, with victories over Division I Jackson State and Montevallo. Juan Alzate, Alejandro Bravo, and Marti Castillo lead the Statesmen, each recording 10 or more wins this season.
Alzate has competed on Lines Two, Three, and Four and leads the team with 11 victories. Bravo is 10-5, with all of his wins coming on Lines Four and Five. Castillo is expected to compete on Line One against Tapia. The freshman is also in contention for GSC Freshman of the Year alongside West Alabama's Goncharov, holding an 11-7 record with six wins on Line One.
First serve is set for 2:00 p.m. on Monday.
