LIVINGSTON, Ala. – The University of West Alabama men's and women's tennis teams are set for their Senior Day matches on Saturday against Wallace State CC.
UWA's No. 4 ranked women's team (17-4, 5-2 GSC) enters Saturday on a three-match winning streak, while the No. 12 ranked men's team (13-6, 5-3 GSC) comes in following a 4-3 loss to Delta State.
WOMEN'S TENNIS
On Saturday, the Tigers will honor seniors Nanoka Kazama, Shaira Rivera, and Shreya Naik. Kazama has made an immediate impact in her first year with West Alabama, posting a 16-3 record on Lines Four through Six.
Rivera is one of the top players in program history. The senior has earned First Team All-GSC honors multiple times, along with All-Region and All-American recognition. She has also represented her home country, the Philippines, as part of the 33rd Annual SEA Games. Last season, Rivera and her doubles partner, Valentina Mutilba, finished the 2025 campaign as the No. 1-ranked doubles tandem in the nation.
Alongside Kazama and Rivera, Jenaila Prulla has been a standout on Line Five. Prulla opened the season with a 16-0 singles record before suffering her first loss against Delta State.
Rivera and Alexa Milliam are currently ranked No. 2 in the nation in doubles, holding a 14-3 record. Individually, Rivera is ranked No. 8 in singles with a 12-6 record on Line One, while Milliam is ranked No. 17 and plays on Line Two. Mutilba holds an 11-4 singles record on Line Three, and Jian Ibrahim is 13-7 on Line Four.
Wallace State enters the matchup as a national championship contender on the JUCO circuit, carrying a perfect 16-0 record into Saturday's contest.
MEN'S TENNIS
UWA will also honor seniors Itaru Kikuchi, Afonso Portugal, Sebastiao Vilas, and Alejandro Flores prior to the match.
The Tigers are led by Federico Iturbe, Portugal, Jacob Tapia, and Maksim Goncharov. Portugal leads the team with 14 singles wins and has been named GSC Player of the Week twice. The graduate student is a strong candidate for All-GSC honors.
Tapia has primarily occupied Line One this season and brings a 13-5 record into the regular-season finale. Iturbe has also been impressive, holding a 12-4 record heading into Saturday. Goncharov, a standout freshman, has recorded nine singles wins and 13 doubles victories this season.
In doubles, Tapia and Iturbe lead the way. The duo is ranked No. 18 nationally, compiling a 13-4 record, including nine wins on Line Two and four on Line One.
Like the women's team, Wallace State's men's squad is among the top JUCO programs in the country and enters Saturday's match undefeated at 16-0.
