CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (June 17, 2026) – The Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) the brackets for the 2027 ITA Kickoff Weekend on Wednesday, as the No. 84 ranked North Alabama women's tennis team was selected to compete among the top programs in the nation.
The ITA Kickoff Weekend is set for January 22-24, 2027 and will be held at 14 different host sites. A total of 56 teams will compete with four at each indoor site.
In a draft, the Lions were selected as the fourth seed at the University of North Carolina. UNA will play No. 5 North Carolina and will be joined by No. 26 Miami (FL) and No. 29 South Carolina.
This marks the first ITA Kickoff selection for the women in program history. The men were selected to play at Ohio State last year — their first selection.
"I am super excited we've qualified to the ITA Kick-Off Weekend," said UNA Director of Tennis Olaya Garrido-Rivas. "Only the top teams in the nation make it, and it's great to be on that list. We are going to be playing against two great programs and measure ourselves with the best teams in the nation. It's going to be a great opportunity for the girls. They've earned it, and I can wait to keep watching this team to achieve many program firsts!"
The women's program finished sixth in the ITA Southern Regional Rankings and was the highest-ranked mid-major program in the region. The five ahead of UNA were all from the SEC — Auburn, LSU, Ole Miss, Alabama and Mississippi State.
The Lions were ranked ahead of Louisiana Tech, South Alabama, Troy and McNeese State. UNA completed the season with a 17-7 overall record, including a perfect 7-0 record at home. The Lions eliminated Austin Peay from the Atlantic Sun Conference Championship in the quarterfinal round before falling to eventual-champion North Florida, who finished 25-1.
The women's program went on to play in the UTR Sports NIT Championship in Rome, Ga. The Lions made an impressive run to the championship match, defeating Army with a 4-0 sweep in the quarterfinal round before stunning Kansas State in the semifinal with a 4-3 win. The Lions fell 4-2 against Arkansas State in the championship final.
UNA's win over Kansas State was the first win over a Power Four opponent in program history.
The women's program was led by first team all-conference selection Eeva Ristola, who also earned a spot on the ASUN All-Tournament team. Junior Emma Ansorge was voted a second team all-conference selection, while Sammie Schouten was listed on the all-freshman team.
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
