HOOVER, Ala. (April 7, 2026) – The University of North Alabama women's tennis team suffered a setback on the road Wednesday in a 4-2 defeat to UAB to close the regular season in Hoover, Ala.

North Alabama (14-5) dropped the final bout of its regular season, but the Lions fought back in a competitive bout from Hoover. UNA dropped the doubles point but rallied with two singles wins before UAB claimed three singles to close the dual.

Despite the result, the Lions enter the postseason for the second-straight year with five or less losses. North Alabama entered the 2025 postseason with just four defeats on the campaign.

Four Lions tallied wins in junior Emma Ansorge, junior Mathilde Delaney, freshman Sammie Schouten and freshman Farah Asaad. Ansorge and Delaney registered respective singles victories while Schouten and Asaad combined for their first doubles win as a pair. Ansorge added her 14th singles win, and Delaney totaled her 11th of the season.

The dual opened with UAB taking the first doubles court from flight one, but Schouten and Delaney answered with a 7-5 win over Julia Caffarena and Antonia Ende from court three. The Blazers claimed the winning court from flight two for the one-point advantage heading into singles.

UAB took the first singles court from the fifth flight, but another response from the Lions came in Ansorge's 6-2, 0-6, 6-4 triumph over Klara Kajabova from flight two. Delaney added a second UNA win from the third flight, defeating Nera Tesankic, 6-2, 2-6, 6-3.

The Blazers closed the dual with victories on courts four and six in three-set battles. Schouten nearly completed a comeback but dropped her match against Gresi Bajri, 6-2, 2-6, 6-2. Senior Senem Ocal fell in the closing match against Antonia Ende, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3.



UAB 4, North Alabama 2

Doubles

1. Kristyna Damaskova/Klara Kajabova (UAB) def. Emma Ansorge/Mathilde Delaney (UNA), 6-1
2. Gresi Bajri/Nera Tesankic (UAB) def. Eeva Ristola/Louise Booker (UNA), 6-3
3. Sammie Schouten/Farah Asaad (UNA) def. Julia Caffarena/Antonia Ende (UAB), 7-5

Singles

1. Kristyna Damaskova (UAB) vs. Eeva Ristola (UNA), 1-6, 7(8)-6(6), 5-5, unfinished
2. Emma Ansorge (UNA) def. Klara Kajabova (UAB), 6-2, 0-6, 6-4
3. Mathilde Delaney (UNA) def. Nera Tesankic (UAB), 6-2, 2-6, 6-3
4. Gresi Bajri (UAB) def. Sammie Schouten (UNA), 6-2, 2-6, 6-2
5. Julia Caffarena (UAB) def. Louise Booker (UNA), 6-1, 6-4
6. Antonia Ende (UAB) def. Senem Ocal (UNA), 3-6, 6-4, 6-3


Order of Finish – Doubles: (1,3,2), Singles (5,2,4,3,6)


Match Notes

North Alabama: 14-5
UAB: 9-10


COMING UP NEXT

The Lions ready for the ASUN Championship Tournament from April 14-18 in Fort Myers, Fla.. The seeding will be determined in the coming days.

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