FLORENCE – The University of North Alabama men’s tennis team realized its postseason dreams Saturday, winning the program’s first Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament Championship with a 4-1 win over the Stetson Hatters in Jacksonville, Fla.
The ASUN title comes with an automatic bid to the 2025 NCAA Tournament. UNA will find out its first-round opponent April 28 during the NCAA Selection Show.
This marks UNA’s first ASUN postseason championship in any sport. The Lions moved to NCAA Division I in 2018-19 and are in their seventh season of membership, including just the third year of NCAA postseason eligibility.
In a battle between the top teams in the conference, the top-seeded Lions faced the No. 2 Hatters for the league’s crown. This marked UNA’s first ASUN tournament final appearance.
UNA finished the regular and postseason with an undefeated conference record at 10-0.
Against Stetson, the Lions opened with a 2-0 sweep in doubles before taking three of the four completed singles matches.
The teams split the first two singles matches before bringing home the hardware with the final two, including the winning match from court four from freshman Satoru Nakajima. Fighting back from a set down, Nakajima settled in with two-straight set wins to clinch the championship for North Alabama.
Four Lions secured victories in the championship effort, led by Nakajima, senior Nazar Fedoryshyn and sophomore Alberto Altur. Nakajima and Altur combined for the second doubles win while Fedoryshyn and sophomore Birtan Duran opened the dual with the first doubles victory. Both Altur and Fedoryshyn tallied key singles wins before Nakajima’s championship-clinching point from court four.
