ROME, Ga. – App State Tennis is set to face North Texas in the first round of the UTR Sports NIT Championship. This marks the third consecutive year the Mountaineers have earned a spot in the postseason tournament. The tournament will be streamed live on PlaySight.
Last Time Out
The Mountaineers are coming off a heartbreaking 4-3 loss to Troy in the quarterfinals of the Sun Belt Women's Tennis Championship. Troy captured the doubles point with wins on courts two and three to start the day.
Facing an early deficit, the Trojans extended their lead to 3-0 with singles wins on courts three and four. However,
Savannah Dada-Mascoll,
Naledi Manyube, and
Ruby Broadbent fought back with victories to tie the match at 3-3. The deciding point came down to
Alexi Cleveland, who won the first set, but ultimately fell in a tightly contested finish that allowed Troy to advance.
On the Mountaineers
App State recently wrapped up a historic season, recording a program-best 17 wins. The Mountaineers also notched 10 consecutive victories, eight straight conference wins, and tied a program record with nine Sun Belt wins.
Dada-Mascoll led the way with a 17-2 singles record (9-2 in conference) from the No. 1 spot. She also posted a 13-4 doubles record, including a 7-2 mark in Sun Belt play. Her standout performances against Gardner-Webb, Coastal Carolina, and Georgia Southern earned her Sun Belt Player of the Week honors on April 9.
Manyube dominated at the No. 2 singles position, going 13-2 in singles and 14-3 in doubles. She was named Sun Belt Player of the Week on March 19 after an undefeated weekend against #48 South Alabama and Southern Miss.
Cleveland has made a strong impact in her debut season, compiling a 9-3 singles record, including 5-1 in Sun Belt play. She's been a key contributor in the No. 5 and 6 spots.
Olwyn Ryan-Bovey capped her App State career with a stellar final season, finishing 10-6 in singles with an eight-match win streak. She also recorded a 13-6 doubles mark, including a 7-3 record from the No. 2 spot.
Scouting the Mean Green
North Texas enters the tournament with an 11-11 overall record. The Mean Green fell 4-2 to Tulane in the first round of the AAC Tournament on April 17. Last season, North Texas went 12-13 and was eliminated by USF, 4-1, in the second round. The team returns six players from last year's squad and has added two newcomers to the lineup.
Next Up
With a win, the Mountaineers will advance to the second round of the NIT, where they'll face the winner of Washington State vs. Northern Illinois on Thursday. First serve is scheduled for 9 a.m., with the match streamed live on PlaySight.
The 2024-25 tennis season is proudly presented by Hound Ears Club.
