STARKVILLE, Miss. (May 1, 2025) – The University of North Alabama men's tennis team will begin its first NCAA Tournament journey on Friday, May 2, with the Lions set to face the Michigan State Spartans in the first round of the NCAA Men's Tennis Championship in Starkville, Miss.
North Alabama will play in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in Division I program history, battling the Big Ten foe at a neutral site. A matchup against ranked opponents, the No. 68 Lions face their toughest test of the season in the No. 22 Spartans.
The regional round will take place at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre with the Lions facing the Spartans at 10 a.m. on May 2. The winner will advance to face the winner of 12th-seeded Mississippi State and New Orleans in the second round on Saturday, May 3, at 1 p.m. before moving to the third round.
The matches will have live stats and live streaming options available, provided courtesy of Mississippi State on HailState.com. Tickets for the regional rounds will also be available for purchase on HailState.com.
Full results and a recap will be posted on RoarLions.com following each day, but fans can also follow along on the UNA Tennis social media pages.
DUAL INFO
NCAA Men's Tennis Championships – First Round
Matchup: North Alabama vs. Michigan State
Date: Friday, May 2
Time: 10 a.m. CT
Location: Starkville, Miss.
Venue: A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre
Live Stats: HailState.com
Live Video: HailState.com
Tickets: HailState.com
Social Media: @UNATennis
NOTES
LAST TIME OUT: UNA made history in its last outing, defeating Stetson on April 19 to win the Atlantic Sun Conference Championship. UNA defeated the Hatters, 4-1, going on to complete a perfect 10-0 record against conference foes. North Alabama took two of three doubles courts before sophomore Alberto Altur, senior Nazar Fedoryshyn and freshman Satoru Nakajima secured singles wins to clinch the title. This marked the first ASUN tournament title for any UNA sport since making the move to Division I in 2018.
MORE POSTSEASON TENNIS: While this will be the first NCAA Division I tournament for the Lions, North Alabama's history in the NCAA Tournament dates back to its Division II days. UNA appeared in 13 tournaments from 1995-2017. The Lions are 1-13 all-time, with the lone win coming in a 5-0 victory over Harding in 2002 DII South Central Regional.
AWARDS GALORE: The Atlantic Sun Conference announced the 2025 postseason awards for men's tennis on April 16, highlighted by individual honors for four Lions.Head Coach Aitor Reparaz earned the program's first ASUN Coach of the Year distinction. Junior Lachlan Brain was named to his second-straight ASUN First Team, while sophomores Alberto Altur and Izan Orgiles were named to the ASUN Second Team. Freshman Satoru Nakajima rounded out the Lions' postseason honors with an All-Freshman Team selection.
SCOUTING THE LIONS: North Alabama is 20-3 overall and finished a perfect 10-0 in ASUN play, including the two postseason wins over North Florida and Stetson. UNA is 32-19 in doubles matches this season and 81-28 in singles action. UNA sophomore Birtan Duran and Izan Orgiles have 11 doubles wins to lead the team. Duran and Orgiles are also tied for the team high in pair wins with 10, with Duran and senior Nazar Fedoryshyn tied with Orgiles and Alberto Altur. Leading the team in singles victories is Alberto Altur and Satoru Nakajima with 15, followed by Duran (14), Orgiles (11) and Brain (10). Freshman Samu Dominguez also has been solid in his first collegiate season with nine singles wins, rounded out by seven from Fedoryshyn.
SCOUTING MICHIGAN STATE: The Spartans went 16-9 overall in the regular season with a 10-3 record in the Big Ten. Michigan State's postseason continues on after the Spartans appeared in the Big Ten Tournament, falling to second-seeded UCLA Bruins in the quarterfinals. On the season, the team wins doubles at a 54.7 percent rate with a 60.2 percent win rate in singles play. Across the 2024-25 campaign, the leader in doubles wins is Ozan Baris with 12 wins while Max Sheldon leads singles with 17 victories. Boris secured an All-Big Ten First Team honor after the season while Sheldon nabbed a All-Big Ten Second Team selection. Michigan State is led by Head Coach Harry Jadun.
SERIES HISTORY: The matchup marks the first all-time meeting between the two programs.
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
