CHARLOTTE, N.C. (April 6, 2025) – For the first time in school history, the nationally-ranked University of North Alabama men's tennis team clinched the Atlantic Sun Conference Regular Season Championship, doing so with a 6-1 road victory Sunday afternoon against the Queens Royals in Charlotte.

The Lions' record-breaking year continued from the Howard Levine Tennis Center, rolling to their 16th win of the season. The 6-1 win clinched a share of the conference regular season title, with North Alabama also setting a new Division I program record for wins in a season.

The No. 72 ranked Lions also clinched its first conference championship in the Division I era with the last conference championship coming in 1981 when UNA won the Gulf South Conference.

After UNA's win, the Stetson Hatters defeated North Florida by a 4-3 final. This result clinched the No. 1 seed for North Alabama in next weekend's ASUN Championship in Jacksonville. The Lions will host North Florida on Sunday, April 13 with a chance to win the conference outright.

North Alabama's record now stands at 16-3 overall while remaining perfect in conference play at 7-0. Queens concluded its season with the home dual, ending the campaign 5-16 overall and 0-7 in ASUN play.

All six Lions earned a victory in the outing, fueling the championship-winning performance across singles and doubles play. Sophomores Alberto Altur and Birtan Duran secured singles and doubles wins, along with freshman Satoru Nakajima. Sophomore Izan Orgiles teamed with Altur for the doubles win, with junior Lachlan Brain and freshman Samu Dominguez earning singles victories.

North Alabama started the dual strong by winning the top two doubles flights. Altur and Orgiles beat Jan Montero Diaz and Win Steveker from court one, 6-4, while Duran and Nakajima defeated Laurenz Blickwede and Gavin Ryan from court two, 6-3.

With doubles complete, Duran kept the UNA momentum going with a 6-0, 6-1 singles win from flight four versus Queens' Ryan. Nakajima earned the third team point from court six, beating the Royals' Luke Coppage with a 6-3, 6-0 result.

North Alabama clinched the dual with Dominguez's victory from court five, defeating Filippo Scala, 6-1, 6-1.

The lone point for the Royals was won on court two, but UNA's Altur halted Queens' momentum with a 4-6, 7-6, 1-0 (11-9) comeback win from court three versus Montero Diaz. Brain concluded the dual from court one with a 7-6, 7-5 victory versus Blickwede.



North Alabama 6, Queens 1


Doubles

1. Alberto Altur/Izan Orgiles (UNA) def. Jan Montero Diaz/Win Steveker (QOC), 6-4
2. Birtan Duran/Satoru Nakajima (UNA) def. Laurenz Blickwede/Gavin Ryan (QOC), 6-3
3. Samu Dominguez/Lachlan Brain (UNA) vs. Luke Coppage/Lukas Gosselin (QOC), 5-5, unfinished


Singles

1. Lachlan Brain (UNA) def. Laurenz Blickwede (QOC), 7-6, 7-5
2. Win Steveker (QOC) def. Izan Orgiles (UNA), 6-4, 4-6, 6-3
3. Alberto Altur (UNA) def. Jan Montero Diaz (QOC), 4-6, 7-6, 1(11)-0(9)
4. Birtan Duran (UNA) def. Gavin Ryan (QOC), 6-0, 6-1
5. Samu Dominguez (UNA) def. Filippo Scala (QOC), 6-1, 6-1
6. Satoru Nakajima (UNA) def. Luke Coppage (QOC), 6-3, 6-0



Match Notes

North Alabama: 16-3
Queens: 5-16


COMING UP NEXT

The No. 72 Lions will go for the outright ASUN regular season championship on Sunday, April 13, facing the North Florida Ospreys on Senior Day from the UNA Tennis Courts. First serve in Florence is set for 3 p.m.

For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.