GAME PROGRAM INFO
Slippery Rock has moved away from printed game programs. This page will serve as the "Digital Game Program" for this week's game. To navigate to all gameday info for any SRU home events this year, simply visit
rockathletics.com/gameday or scan the QR code on the "Gameday Info" posters hanging in each facility.
SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. - The 39th-ranked Slippery Rock University women's tennis team hosts Fairmont State University 1 p.m. Sunday at the SRU Tennis Courts for its 2025-26 home opener.
LIVE COVERAGE
Live in-match results for Sunday's match will be provided by the SRU Women's Tennis program at the link below or by clicking
HERE.
MATCH 6 DETAILS
Opponent: Fairmont State University
Date: Sunday – 1 p.m.
Location: SRU Tennis Courts – Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania
Live Results: Link
All-Time Series: SRU leads 9-1
Last Played: March 23, 2025 (SRU won 5-2)
SERIES HISTORY
Slippery Rock holds a 9-1 record all-time against Fairmont State in a series that was largely dormant since the conclusion of 1990's before The Rock downed the Fighting Falcons 4-1 in the 2023 NCAA Tournament followed by a 5-2 regular season road victory for SRU a year ago.
SRU Individual Records vs. FSU
Dari Sakhanova (3-0)
2024-25: Jada Okoye (W – 6-2, 6-2)
2023-24: Jada Okoye (W – 6-3, 6-3)
2022-23: Luiza Parreira (W – 6-1, 6-0)
Amaia Balaguer Brau (2-0)
2024-25: Maria Fonseca (W – 6-3, 6-3)
2023-24: Maria Fonseca (W – 4-6, 6-2, 10-5)
Alissia Kivi (2-0)
2025-26: Lara Smith (W – 6-4, 6-2)
2024-25: Hope Beckx (W – 6-1, 6-1)
Tina Slovak (1-0)
2024-25: Lara Smith (W – 6-2, 7-5)
Nicole Kempton (1-1)
2025-26: Hope Beckx (W – 6-2, 6-1)
2024-25: Laura Maciel (L – 7-6, 2-3, retired)
WARRIER FAMILY PARAMESWAR KRISHNAKUMAR SCHOLARSHIP
Slippery Rock is proud to announce the fifth annual Warrier Family Parameswar Krishnakumar Tennis Scholarship recipient. Presented in honor of Parameswar "KK" Krishnakumar, a former Slippery Rock professor and supporter of women's tennis. This year's honoree is
Nadia Rodewald.
IT'S GOOD TO BE HOME
Sunday's match will be the first of the year for The Rock at the SRU Tennis Courts. To say Slippery Rock is tough to beat at home is an understatement. Dating back to the 2021-22 season, Slippery Rock 18-1 in matches played at the SRU Tennis Courts.
ROCK ENTERS THE RANKINGS AT NO. 39
For the first time this year, Slippery Rock found itself among the nation's best when it was positioned 39th in the latest ITA team rankings that were released earlier in the week. A season ago, SRU closed the 2025-26 year ranked 49th in the nation.
KIVI AND KEMPTON UP TO NO. 26
The Rock's top pairing of
Nicole Kempton and
Alissia Kivi remained in the national doubles rankings for a fifth consecutive poll as well, climbing to No. 26 in the latest rankings which is up 11 spots from last week's No. 37 position.
In The Rock's last match against Angelo State, Kempton and Kivi upended the 32nd-ranked team of Benedetta Raggiotti and Margaux Rene.
ITA RANKINGS CHECK
National Doubles
No. 26:
Nicole Kempton /
Alissia Kivi (SRU)
Regional Doubles
No. 2:
Nicole Kempton /
Alissia Kivi (SRU)
No. 5: Hope Backx / Lara Smith (FSU)
Regional Singles
No. 5:
Alissia Kivi (SRU)
No. 8:
Nicole Kempton (SRU)
No. 9:
Amaia Balaguer Brau (SRU)
No. 11:
Dari Sakhanova (SRU)
No. 12: Hope Backx (FSU)
No. 18: Maria Fonseca (FSU)
BY THE (ITF World Tennis) NUMBERS
The ITF World Tennis Number provides a global rating standard for tennis players using a 40-1 scale, with 40 being a beginner player and 1 being an elite professional. The scale is for all players, regardless of age, gender, or ability. Below are the top singles WTN's for athletes in Sunday's match.
1. Amaia Balaguer Brau (SRU): 20.38
2. Alissia Kivi (SRU): 20.95
3. Nicole Kempton (SRU): 21.82
4. Maria Fonseca (FSU): 21.92
5. Dari Sakhanova (SRU): 22.24
6. Hope Backx (FSU): 23.18
7. Tina Slovak (SRU): 23.27
8. Nadia Rodewald (SRU): 23.78
9. Laura Maciel (FSU): 24.06
10. Luiza Parreira (FSU): 24.24
11. Alara Akgul (FSU): 24.72
12. Lara Smith (FSU): 24.73
KEMPTON AND BALAGUER BRAU ON THE CUSP OF HISTORY
Sunday's match could feature a pair of history-making results for The Rock's
Nicole Kempton and
Amaia Balaguer Brau.
Both athletes enter the weekend with 99 career victories at SRU. Kempton has earned 54 doubles wins and 45 singles victories, while Balaguer Brau – who is well over the 100-win mark in the totality of her collegiate career thanks to her time at St. Thomas Aquinas – is sitting on 56 singles wins and 43 doubles victories when representing SRU.
When they do achieve their 100th wins they will become the 17th and 18th athletes in program history to reach the milestone. Current SRU athletes
Dari Sakhanova (124) and
Tina Slovak (109) are among Slippery Rock's previous 100-match winners.
SAKHANOVA TABBED PSAC WEST ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Dari Sakhanova was named the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division Athlete of the Week after going 2-1 in singles matchups and a perfect 3-0 with partner
Nadia Rodewald in doubles competition last week. The announcement marks Sakhanova's second career PSAC West Athlete of the Week accolade. She is also the second SRU athlete this year to earn the PSAC West's top weekly honor:
Alissia Kivi has already picked up the award twice in 2025-26.
WIN #400 ON THE HORIZON FOR MEREDITH
The Rock's strong start to the 2025-26 season has vaulted head coach
Matt Meredith's career record to a Rock solid 397-225 (.638), moving him just three wins away from his 400th career victory. Across NCAA Division II history, there have been only 12 other coaches reach 400 career wins.
In addition to ranking 13th on D2's career wins list, Meredith is also the eighth active winningest coach in Division II.
Wins by Active Head Coaches
1. Mike Perez – Lynn: 729
2. Mark Rosewell - Northwest Missouri - 692
3. Derrick Racine – West Florida: 642
4. Alan Nagel – Queens College: 622
5. Mark Bohren – Azusa Pacific: 473
6. Evan Isaacs – Columbus State: 470
7. Avi Kigel – Barry: 420
8. Matt Meredith – Slippery Rock: 397
All-Time Wins by D2 Head Coaches
1. Mike Perez (1990-Active) – Lynn: 729
2. Dave Porter (1984-17) – BYU-Hawai'i: 701
3. Mark Rosewell (1982-Active) - Northwest Missouri - 692
4. Derrick Racine (1995-Active) – West Florida: 642
5. Alan Nagel (1980-Active) – Queens College: 622
6. Walter Shinn (1979-14) – Flagler: 536
7. Bev Buckley (1987-24) – Rollins: 535
8. Mark Bohren (1998-Active) – Azusa Pacific: 473
9. Evan Isaacs (2002-Active) – Columbus State: 470
10. Sheila Snyder (1989-24) – Wayne State: 446
11. Avi Kigel (2009-Active) – Barry: 420
12. David Elliott (1991-13) – Harding: 403
13. Matt Meredith – Slippery Rock: 397
14. Steve Barsby (1996-Active) – Georgia College: 392
15. Calhoun Parr (2000-Active) - Erskine: 391
SPRING BREAK RECAP
Slippery Rock recently wrapped up its annual spring break trip. The Rock completed five matches in Florida, defeating West Chester (7-0), Texas A&M Kingsville (4-3) and Saint Leo (5-2) while losing just once to No. 31 Angelo State (5-2). A sixth match against Division I Rider was canceled due to inclement weather after SRU took the doubles point from the Broncs.
SLIPPERY ROCK PRIMER
•
Roster: Link
•
Stats: Link
•
Overall Record: 4-1
•
Home Record: 0-0
•
Away Record: 1-0
•
Neutral Site Record: 3-1
•
Last 5 Matches: 4-1
•
Streak: L1
•
Head Coach: Matt Meredith | 28th season (397-225, .638)
SCOUTING THE ROCK
• Slippery Rock has earned the doubles point in all five of its matches this season. Highlighting The Rock's doubles success so far is its No. 3 team of
Nadia Rodewald of
Dari Sakhanova, who are 13-1 overall and a perfect 5-0 in dual match play.
• SRU's nationally ranked team of
Nicole Kempton and
Alissia Kivi anchor The Rock's doubles lineup, playing their way to a 12-8 overall record. In documented program history, the only Slippery Rock teammates to combine for more wins than Kempton and Kivi (38) was the duo of Kayla Blackburn and Laura Handy (53).
• Simply put,
Amaia Balaguer Brau and
Tina Slovak rarely lose. Not only are they 8-3 this year, they hold a 26-7 career record when teaming up.
• All six of SRU's normal singles entries bring winning records into the Fairmont State match, three of which have already tallied double-digit win totals.
• Balaguer Brau occupies the top flight in Slippery Rock's standard lineup, posting a 10-5 overall record. Kivi has been nearly perfect this season with a 12-3 overall record. Behind her in the singles rotation is Kempton, who holds a 10-4 overall record.
• The back half of The Rock's singles flights features Slovak (4-3), Sakhanova (9-4) and Rodewald (7-6). Rodewald is on a two-match winning streak.
FAIRMONT STATE PRIMER
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Roster: Link
•
Stats: Link
•
Overall Record: 7-3
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Home Record: 3-0
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Away Record: 2-2
•
Neutral Site Record: 2-1
•
Last 5 Matches: 4-1
•
Streak: W3
•
Head Coach: Terry Deremer | Fifth season at FSU (51-35, .593)
PROBABLE LINEUP (Last Match Order)
(Dual Match Record)
Singles
1-Maria Fonseca (6-3)
2-Hope Backx (5-4)
3-Stephanie Gopar (6-4)
4-Lara Smith (5-4)
5-Laura Maciel (7-2)
6-Alara Akgul (4-1)
Doubles
1-Smith / Backx (7-3)
2-Gopar / Fonseca (5-0)
3-Maciel / Akgul (4-0)
UP NEXT
Slippery Rock begins the PSAC West portion of its schedule 4 p.m. April 1 at Clarion.
To stay up to date with all that happens at The Rock, follow our official Athletic Communication accounts on 'X' (formerly Twitter, @Rock_Athletics), Facebook (RockAthletics) and Instagram (RockAthletics).
