ROME, Ga. (April 30, 2026) – The University of North Alabama women's tennis team will continue its 2026 season after earning an invitation to compete at the 2026 UTR Sports NIT Championships from May 5-7 in Rome, Ga. This will be the second straight season UNA has been selected for this event.

The NIT championship will be hosted at the Rome Tennis Center at Berry College, compiled of an eight-team field. The rest of the field includes Kansas State, North Texas, Arkansas State, Army, McNeese State, Charleston and Northern Illinois.

North Alabama earned the fourth seed and opens the championships against fifth-seeded Army on May 5 at 11:30 a.m. ET.

This years' championships mark the fourth overall rendition. UNA Women's Tennis preps for its second appearance after earning its first bid in 2025. The Lions won one dual in the tournament, tallying a 4-2 quarterfinals' victory over Middle Tennessee on May 7. The victory was the first over MTSU in program history.

The 2025 tournament resulted in Chattanooga and Washington State win the men's and women's titles, respectively. Tulsa won the men's and women's titles in 2024, and Liberty Men's Tennis and TCU Women's Tennis won the inaugural competition in 2023.

The Lions look to add to their 15 wins this season — tied for the second-most in Division I program history. UNA tied a program record with 11-straight wins over the span of a month, marking the second-straight season achieving the feat.

The season was highlighted by several first-time victories, including Arkansas State, Louisiana, Belmont and Milwaukee. The Lions additionally took home four postseason honors and one Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament victory.

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