CONWAY, Ark. (April 7, 2024) – The University of North Alabama women's tennis team trailed two different times Sunday afternoon, but came from behind to defeat Central Arkansas 4-3 in Conway, Ark.
 
The Lions secured their second win of the three-dual road trip that included stops at Atlantic Sun Conference foe Lipscomb and non-conference Western Kentucky. UNA marched back from an early deficit in doubles to win four of the six singles flights.
 
Junior Anoek Pruijmboom and freshman Ada Karabacak won the lone doubles match for the Lions, but Central Arkansas secured the doubles point with wins from the top two flights. Karabacak got the winning started for UNA in singles, with seniors Kalais Going and Marta Torres and sophomore Stanislava Bobrovnikova contributing wins to pick up the final road conference win.
 
With UNA down 3-2, Bobrovnikova tied the match in the top flight before Going pulled out a thrilling three-set win for the ultimate tie-breaker.
 
North Alabama's record improves to 13-7 overall and 3-5 in the ASUN. The Lions complete the away portion of the schedule with six wins – the most single-season road wins in the Division I era and the most since 2012.
 
Karabacak's two wins on the day led the Lions, with the freshman winning her 15th doubles and seventh singles match. Pruijmboom secured her 14th doubles win of the season with Karabacak – their ninth as a pair. Going and Torres won their 10th singles matches, while Bobrovnikova moves to nine wins on the year.
 
Pruijmboom and Karabacak's 6-4 win over Seohyun Park and Konomi Miyakawa forced the third doubles match to be the decider after UNA dropped flight two. The Bears took the early lead after Bobrovnikova and Going dropped a hard-fought, 7-6 battle from flight one over Vichitraporn Vimuktananda and Sumono Hamanaga. It was decided by a 7-5 tiebreaker.
 
Karabacak continued her winning ways with the first win in singles – a 6-4, 6-0 win over UCA's Miyakawa from flight four. Torres would avenge her earlier doubles loss with a 6-3, 6-3 singles win over Shisgemasu to give the Lions a 2-1 advantage.
 
The Bears regained a 3-2 lead with two-straight wins from flights two and six, but UNA's top two flights came up clutch with two big wins to take the road win. Bobrovnikova's 6-2, 6-2 victory over the Bears' Vimuktananda from flight one set up the deciding match from flight three with the score tied at three.
 
Going faced UCA's Hamanaga, opening the match with a strong 6-2 first set. The Bear's second flight responded with a strong effort of her own, taking the second set 6-2 with the dual on the line heading to the third. Going would secure the team win for North Alabama with a 6-3 triumph in the third set to complete the road victory.
 
The Lions complete the regular season next weekend in home duals April 12 against Austin Peay and April 14 against Bellarmine. Both matches are set to begin at 11 a.m. The dual against Bellarmine will serve as Senior Day, with the Lions honoring seniors Kalais Going and Marta Torres.
 
 
North Alabama 4, Central Arkansas 3
 
Doubles
1. Vichitraporn Vimuktananda/Sumomo Hamanaga (UCA) def. Stanislava Bobrovnikova/Going (UNA), 7(7)-6(5)
2. Nonoka Kazama/Harune Shigemasu (UCA) def. Emma Ansorge/Marta Torres (UNA), 6-4
3. Anoek Pruijmboom/Ada Karabacak (UNA) def. Seohyun Park/Konomi Miyakawa (UCA), 6-4
 
Singles
1. Stanislava Bobrovnikova (UNA) def. Vichitraporn Vimuktananda (UCA), 6-2, 6-2
2. Nonoka Kazama (UCA) def. Emma Ansorge (UNA), 6-4, 6-2
3. Kalais Going (UNA) def. Sumomo Hamanaga (UCA), 6-2, 2-6, 6-3
4. Ada Karabacak (UNA) def. Konomi Miyakawa (UCA), 6-4, 6-0
5.Marta Torres (UNA) def. Harune Shigemasu (UCA) 6-3, 6-3
6. Ting-An Chen (UCA) def. Marta Serra Carles (UNA), 6-2, 6-3
 
 
Match Notes
North Alabama 14-7
Central Arkansas 11-11
 
Order of Completion: Doubles (2,3,1) Singles (4,5,6,2,1,3)
 
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