OXFORD, Miss. (January 15, 2026) – The University of North Alabama men's tennis team begins its Atlantic Sun Conference Championship defense with the 2026 championship season, starting Friday, Jan. 16 vs. Ole Miss in Oxford.
The Lions begin the championship season in style, starting their campaign vs. SEC competition. UNA hopes to replicate its record-breaking 2025 season with a strong start against the Rebels.
The match will take place at the Palmer/Salloum Tennis Center with first serve scheduled for 4 p.m. The match will have live stats available courtesy of StatBroadcast. Live streaming will be available for viewing with the link provided closer to match time.
Full results and a recap will be posted on RoarLions.com following the action, but fans can also follow along on the UNA Tennis social media pages.
DUAL INFO
Matchup: North Alabama at Ole Miss
Date: Friday, January 16
Time: 4 p.m.
Location: Oxford, Miss.
Venue: Palmer/Salloum Tennis Center
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Social Media: @UNATennis
NOTES
SPRING 2025 RECAP: North Alabama had its best season in the Division I era with a 20-4 record and a perfect 10-0 record in the Atlantic Sun Conference. UNA claimed the regular season conference crown and its first ASUN Tournament Championship by knocking off Stetson, 4-1, in the final — the school's first Division I postseason title in any sport. The season culminated in five total ASUN honors with Men's Tennis Coach Aitor Reparaz being named the program's first conference coach of the year. The Lions appeared in their first Division I NCAA Tournament and faced Michigan State in the first round. The team finished with its highest ITA ranking in school history at No. 63 in the final season poll.
THE PRESEASON TRIFECTA: The ASUN announced its 2026 preseason awards for men's tennis Tuesday, Jan. 6 with North Alabama's Alberto Altur, Lachlan Brain and Alex Despoja selected to the Preseason All-ASUN team. The three Lions made up nearly half of the seven-person preseason team, as they spearhead UNA's title defense in 2026.
SCOUTING THE LIONS: North Alabama returns six contributors with starting experience from 2025. In total, North Alabama brings back 106 individual wins across singles and doubles play. Brain leads UNA in his senior season along with juniors Izan Orgiles, Whitman Davis and Altur. Sophomores Satoru Nakajima and Samu Dominguez also look to build off strong 2025 seasons. Transfer Alex Despoja brings veteran experience for his first UNA season with sophomore Austin Miramontes and freshman Benjamin Meyers set for their UNA debut.
SCOUTING OLE MISS: The Rebels are coming off a 12-14 overall record and a 2-12 SEC record in Spring 2025. Ole Miss ended the season with an SEC Tournament first-round appearance against No. 44 Arkansas. The team returns seven players from 2025. The Rebels' head coach is Jake Jacoby.
SERIES HISTORY: North Alabama goes for its first victory against Ole Miss in the ninth all-time meeting.
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
