Charlotte Women’s Tennis Advances to NIT Final After Dominant Win Over North Alabama

Charlotte Women’s Tennis cruised past North Alabama in the NIT semifinals with standout performances from Shona Nakano and Prisca Abbas. The 49ers will compete for the title against No. 57 Washington State on Friday in Rome, Georgia.

Charlotte Races Past North Alabama Into NIT Championship Match
The 49ers will face No. 57 Washington State in Friday’s final at the Rome Tennis Center

ROME, Ga. — No. 48 Charlotte Women’s Tennis is headed to the UTR NIT Championship match after powering past North Alabama with a commanding sweep in Thursday’s semifinals at the Rome Tennis Center.

Redshirt sophomore Shona Nakano clinched the victory from the No. 6 singles position with a 7-5, 6-3 win over Anoek Pruijmboom. Earlier in the day, Nakano also partnered with Ni Xi to secure a 6-3 victory at No. 2 doubles.

The tone was set by Prisca Abbas and Lucia Aranda, who bounced back from their previous doubles loss with a dominant 6-1 win at No. 3. Abbas then wasted no time in singles, cruising to a 6-0, 6-1 victory at No. 5 — her 14th consecutive win in her debut collegiate dual-match season.

Aranda followed with a steady 6-4, 6-3 win at No. 4, improving her team-best record to 19-3, ahead of Amira Badawi's 15-1 mark.

"The ladies were fired up today and did a great job against a tough team," said Head Coach Anthony Davison. "I'm really excited to see our team in the final tomorrow. They deserve this opportunity after the fantastic season they've put together, and I hope they can bring their best."

Up Next: Championship Showdown

Charlotte will take on No. 57 Washington State in Friday’s final at 10 a.m. ET. Both teams swept their semifinal opponents on Thursday, setting the stage for a highly anticipated top-seed clash.

Scouting the Cougars

Washington State enters the final with a 19-8 overall record and was the only other ranked team in the NIT field besides Charlotte. The Cougars defeated North Texas in their semifinal, with Eva Alvarez Sande clinching the match from the No. 1 singles spot. Maxine Murphy, the team’s win leader, also earned a victory after a retirement at No. 2.

Friday’s matchup marks the first-ever meeting between Charlotte and Washington State in program history. A win for Charlotte would mark the second time in three years that an AAC team claimed the NIT title, following Tulsa’s dual championships in 2024.