TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (January 18, 2026) – The University of North Alabama women's tennis team continues its season-opening week Monday with a matchup against Arkansas State in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
The Lions will be in search of its first win of the season in the contest vs. the Red Wolves. The match will take place at the Alabama Tennis Stadium with first serve scheduled at 10 a.m.
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 vs. Arkansas State
Date: Monday, January 19
Time: 10 a.m.
Location: Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Venue: Alabama Tennis Stadium
Social Media: @UNATennis
NOTES
SCOUTING THE LIONS: North Alabama returns to the court after falling in the season opener at Alabama, 4-0, on Jan. 16. Seniors Eeva Ristola and Senem Ocal look to lead UNA to that first season win with juniors Emma Ansorge, Ada Karabacak and No. 104 Mathilde Delaney. Junior transfer Louise Booker and freshmen Farah Asaad and Sammie Schouten saw plenty of action in both singles and doubles against the Crimson Tide, and they will look to provide spark for the Lions' bout vs. Arkansas State.
SCOUTING ARKANSAS STATE: The Red Wolves also look to claim their first win of the season against North Alabama. Arkansas State opened against Alabama on Jan. 17, falling to the Crimson Tide in a 6-1 result. The lone Red Wolves point was won by Anna Grigoreva in a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Alabama's Maria Andrienko. In Spring 2025, the team went 13-11 with a 5-6 record in the Sun Belt. They made a quarterfinal appearance in the Sun Belt Tournament after claiming a 4-1 win over Georgia State in the first round. Arkansas State is coached by Sujay Lama.
SERIES HISTORY: North Alabama looks for its first all-time victory in the second all-time meeting. This marks the first meeting since the 1987 season.
SPRING 2025 RECAP: North Alabama had a program-record year, posting a 19-6 overall record with a 7-2 record in Atlantic Sun Conference play. UNA won two ASUN Championship Tournament matches against Austin Peay and North Florida, advancing to play top-seeded Stetson in the tournament final. Former standout Stanislava Bobrovnikova and Ristola were named the ASUN's Doubles Pair of the Year, and head coach Olaya Garrido-Rivas was named the ASUN's Coach of the Year – the first in the Division I era. The season culminated with a UTR Sports NIT Championship Tournament appearance. The Lions secured their first-ever tournament victory with a triumph over Middle Tennessee in the quarterfinal round before falling to No. 48 Charlotte in the semifinals.
RECOGNITION FOR RISTOLA: Ristola was named to the Preseason All-ASUN team by the conference on Jan. 6. The senior was instrumental in UNA's successful 2025 campaign and looks to replicate the success this season. The Kotka, Finland native won 33 matches in Spring 2025 with 19 doubles and 14 singles victories. The doubles extraordinaire won an additional 17 matches in ASUN contests with nine singles and eight doubles triumphs.
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
