TROY, Ala. (February 1, 2025) – The University of North Alabama men's tennis team picked up its second win of the season Saturday afternoon, claiming a 4-1 road victory over the Troy Trojans in Troy, Ala.
North Alabama (2-1) embarked on a third-straight road dual with the matchup against the in-state foe. The Trojans (5-4) struck first with two wins in doubles play, but similar to the Belmont dual, UNA had another dominant effort in singles en route to the second win of the season.
UNA has now won 12 matches over Troy in the all-time series, including back-to-back seasons. UNA won 4-3 over the Trojans during the 2024 season, with the victory marking the first since the 1990 season.
The win also snapped a run of four-straight wins for Troy, who's last defeat came against No. 11 Mississippi State on Jan. 19.
Troy opened the dual taking the doubles point, claiming victories on court one and three to gain the early advantage. The Trojans' Vincente Arbelaez and Noah Martens defeated UNA's Satoru Nakajima and Nazar Fedoryshyn, 6-3, from the top flight to begin doubles play. Troy's Hiiro Sakamoto and Luciano Alcocer nabbed a 6-4 win over the Lions' Lachlan Brain and Samu Dominguez from court three, cementing the Trojans one-point lead.
North Alabama struck back in singles play with four-straight singles wins, clinching the dual with straight-set victories in dominant play from the Lions.
Duran secured his first singles win of the new campaign, taking a 6-1, 6-3 triumph over the Trojans' Thiago Drozdowski from court four. Nakajima earned a second-straight singles win in his court six bout with Troy's Henrique de Brito, nabbing a 6-2, 6-3 victory to put the Lions up 2-1.
Brain kept the momentum rolling from the top flight, also securing a second-straight singles win with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over the Trojans' Nicolas Simkin. The final win came from court three and Fedoryshyn, with the senior claiming the dual in a 6-4, 6-3 victory over the Trojans' Noah Martens.
Both Orgiles and sophomore Alberto Altur's matches went unfinished, but the two were leading in bouts from court two and five. Orgiles rebounded from a defeat in the first set to lead Troy's Yeray Andres Pastor, 2-6, 6-3, 2-1, while Altur was near match point against the Trojans' Sakamoto, 6-3, 5-4.
North Alabama 4, Troy 1
Doubles
1. Vincente Arbelaez/Noah Martens (TROY) def. Satoru Nakajima/Nazar Fedoryshyn (UNA), 6-3
2. Yeray Andres Pastor/Henrique de Brito (TROY) vs. Izan Orgiles/Birtan Duran (UNA), 5-4, unfinished
3. Hiiro Sakamoto/Luciano Alcocer (TROY) def. Lachlan Brain/Samu Dominguez (UNA), 6-4
Singles
1. Lachlan Brain (UNA) def. Niklas Simkin (TROY), 6-3, 6-3
2. Izan Orgiles (UNA) vs. Yeray Andres Pastor (TROY), 2-6, 6-3, 2-1, unfinished
3. Nazar Fedoryshyn (UNA) def. Noah Martens (TROY), 6-4, 6-3
4. Birtan Duran (UNA) def. Thiago Drozdowski (TROY), 6-1, 6-3
5. Alberto Altur (UNA) vs. Hiiro Sakamoto (TROY), 6-3, 5-4, unfinished
6. Satoru Nakajima (UNA) def. Henrique de Brito (TROY), 6-2, 6-3
Match Notes
North Alabama: 2-1
Troy: 5-4
Order of Finish – Doubles: (1,3) Singles (4,6,1,3)
COMING UP NEXT
The Lions continue the season opening road stretch with a fourth-straight away bout, staying in-state Feb. 9 against the UAB Blazers. First serve from Birmingham, Ala. is scheduled for 2 p.m.
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
