SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. - The No. 28 Slippery Rock University women's tennis team opens its 2026 NCAA Tournament run 2 p.m. Saturday when it hosts No. 48 Fairmont State University at the SRU Tennis Courts in second-round competition.
 
LIVE SCORING
Live results for Saturday's match will be available at the below link.
 
NCAA TOURNAMENT – ROUND 2
Opponent: Fairmont State University
Date: Saturday – 2 p.m.
Location: SRU Tennis Courts – Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania
Live Results: Link
All-Time Series: SRU leads 10-1
Last Played: March 29, 2026 (SRU won 6-1)
 
SERIES HISTORY
Slippery Rock holds a 10-1 record all-time against Fairmont State in a series that was largely dormant since the conclusion of 1990's before the last four years. 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 and a 6-1 home triumph this season.
 
SRU Individual Records vs. FSU
Dari Sakhanova (4-0)
2025-26: Laura Maciel (W – 6-2, 6-2)
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 (3-0)
2025-26: Maria Fonseca (W – 6-3, 6-1)
2024-25: Maria Fonseca (W – 6-3, 6-3)
2023-24: Maria Fonseca (W – 4-6, 6-2, 10-5)
 
Alissia Kivi (3-0)
2025-26: Hope Backx (W – 6-2, 6-0)
2025-26: Lara Smith (W – 6-4, 6-2)
2024-25: Hope Beckx (W – 6-1, 6-1)
 
Nicole Kempton (2-1)
2025-26: Stephanie Gopar (W – 7-6, 6-4)
2025-26: Hope Beckx (W – 6-2, 6-1)
2024-25: Laura Maciel (L – 7-6, 2-3, retired)
 
Nadia Rodewald (1-0)
2025-26: Alara Akgul (W – 6-4, 4-6, 1-0 (11-9))
 
Tina Slovak (1-1)
2025-26: Lara Smith (L – 6-3, 7-5)
2024-25: Lara Smith (W – 6-2, 7-5)
 
NCAA TOURNAMENT SCORING
The NCAA Tournament will run in a dual-match format with three doubles teams followed by six singles matches. The doubles matches will be played as three, six-game pro sets with a seven-point tiebreaker at six-all. Singles matches will be run as six best-of-three sets matches. Teams that win two of the three doubles matches earn a point. Each singles match earns a team one point. Teams must win four or more points to win a match.
 
NCAA TOURNAMENT STRUCTURE
Comprised of 48 teams - 20 automatic berths and 28 at-large selections - spanning eight regions, the NCAA Tournament is a single-elimination bracket at 16 preliminary round regional sites this week with the champions from each regional location advancing to the Surprise Tennis & Racquet Complex in Surprise, Arizona May 19-24 to determine the 2026 national champion.
 
Overall, seven teams from the Atlantic Region qualified for the NCAA Tournament. Slippery Rock, the University of Charleston (Mountain East Conference) and the University of Shaw (Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association) all earned automatic berths into the national field after winning their respective conference tournaments.
 
Receiving at-large bids to the NCAA Tournament out of the Atlantic Region were Indiana University (Pa.), Fairmont State University, Frostburg State University and West Virginia Wesleyan College.
 
In terms of seeding, behind Slippery Rock was No. 2 IUP, No. 3 Charleston, No. 4 Fairmont State, No. 5 West Virginia Wesleyan, No. 6 Frostburg State, No. 7 Shaw.
 
As the region's top seed, Slippery Rock will host two rounds in the NCAA Tournament at the SRU Tennis Courts. Fairmont State and West Virginia Wesleyan played Friday with the FSU moving on to Saturday's second round against Slippery Rock after registering a 4-1 victory in the first round.
 
The second side of the regional will be hosted by second-seeded IUP. The Crimson Hawks and Shaw played one opening-round match with Charleston and Frostburg having squared off in the other bout.
 
GREAT AGAINST THE BEST
SRU is 5-1 this season against the other Atlantic Region teams that made the NCAA Tournament with wins over West Virginia Wesleyan, Charleston, Fairmont State and Frostburg State as well as splitting two matches against IUP.
 
SRU NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY
Slippery Rock will be making its 22nd NCAA Tournament appearance all-time, the most of any team in the PSAC. SRU has now earned national tournament berths 17 times in the last 20 years under the direction of head coach Matt Meredith, who has been in charge of the program for 21 of The Rock's NCAA Tournament appearances overall.
 
SRU has won three regional championships (2010, 2008, 2003, 2025). The Rock's best showing in the NCAA Tournament came in 2010 when they advanced to the national quarterfinals before falling to Lynn. Overall, Slippery Rock has won 17 matches in the NCAA Tournament all-time.
 
A year ago, Slippery Rock made it all the way to the Round of 16 before losing to eventual national runner-up Nova Southeastern.
 
HOW THEY GOT HERE
Slippery Rock enters the NCAA Tournament after what's been nothing short of a dominant season. On the way to winning the PSAC Tournament championship, SRU produced a 15-3 overall record, including a 15-2 mark against fellow Division II opponents.
 
Fairmont State earned its fourth consecutive at-large berth into the NCAA Tournament after posting a solid 14-6 regular season record and making a run to the MEC championship. Included in its postseason success is two wins over West Virginia Wesleyan – in the MEC Tournament semifinals and Friday's NCAA Tournament opening round.
 
PSAC TOURNAMENT RECAP
Slippery Rock captured its first conference championship since 2003 thanks to a dominant week at the PSAC Tournament. SRU earned a trio of 4-0 victories against West Chester, East Stroudsburg and IUP to not only claim a PSAC crown, but also vault into the top seed in the Atlantic Region for the NCAA Tournament.
 
Amaia Balaguer Brau was recognized as the PSAC Tournament MVP and Nicole Kempton garnered PSAC Champion Scholar honors - an award modeled after the NCAA's Elite 90 awards and honor the student-athlete with the top GPA who is competing at the site of each of the PSAC's 23 team championship finals.
 
PRESSURE PLAYERS
Slippery Rock has a wealth of postseason experience up and down its roster. Six members of SRU's 2026 roster have competed in singles matches in the postseason already in their careers during either conference tournament or NCAA Tournament competition.
 
SRU Records in the Postseason (PSAC / NCAA Tournament)
• Amaia Balaguer Brau*: 11-3
• Dari Sakhanova: 8-6
• Alissia Kivi: 5-1
• Nicole Kempton: 5-2
• Tina Slovak: 5-4
• Nadia Rodewald: 1-0
* Matches at Saint Thomas Aquinas included
 
ROCK ON A ROLL
Several members of The Rock's roster will bring impressive winning streaks into the NCAA Tournament.
 
Singles Winning Streaks
Nadia Rodewald: 13
Alissia Kivi: 7
Amaia Balaguer Brau: 6
Nicole Kempton: 5
Doubles Winning Streaks
Tina Slovak / Amaia Balaguer Brau: 8
Dari Sakhanova / Nadia Rodewald: 5
 
ITA NATIONAL RANKINGS CHECK
Teams
No. 28: Slippery Rock
No. 48: Fairmont State
Singles
No. 74: Alissia Kivi (SRU)
Doubles
No. 41: Nicole Kempton / Alissia Kivi (SRU)
 
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 singles WTN's for Slippery Rock and Fairmont State athletes.
 
1. Amaia Balaguer Brau (SRU): 20.43
2. Alissia Kivi (SRU): 20.66
3. Maria Fonseca (FSU): 21.96
4. Nicole Kempton (SRU): 22.24
5. Stephanie Gopar (FSU): 22.69
6. Nadia Rodewald (SRU): 22.97
7. Dari Sakhanova (SRU): 23.39
8. Hope Backx (FSU): 23.47
9. Lara Smith (FSU): 24.04
10. Tina Slovak (SRU): 24.06
11. Luiza Parreira (FSU): 24.26
12. Laura Maciel (FSU): 24.81
13. Alara Akgul (FSU): 25.63
14. Anna Poranski (SRU): 28.28
 
CAREER WINS LIST CLIMBERS
Slippery Rock's quartet of Dari Sakhanova, Tina Slovak, Amaia Balaguer Brau and Nicole Kempton all enter the PSAC Tournament semifinals among the best athletes in program history in terms of career victories. All four have over 100 wins (singles+doubles) at SRU and rank in the top 16 in program history for wins.
 
SRU Career Wins List (5-12)
5. Gabriela del Val del Toro (2020-24): 141
6. Dari Sakhanova (2022-Active): 139
7. Jessica Hilborn (2006-10): 137
8. Lacey Cohen (2016-21): 129
9. Lois Page (2018-22): 126
10. Tina Slovak (2022-Active): 123
11. Amaia Balaguer Brau (2023-Active): 122
12. Nicole Kempton (2023-Active): 117
 
SLIPPERY ROCK PRIMER
• Roster: Link
• Stats: Link
• Overall Record: 15-3
• NCAA Atlantic Region Seed: No. 1
• Home Record: 4-0
• Away Record: 4-2
• Neutral Site Record: 7-1
• Last 5 Matches: 5-0
• Streak: W6
• Head Coach: Matt Meredith | 28th season (408-227, .640)
 
Last 5 Matches
May 2: vs. No. 24 IUP (W, 4-0)
May 1: vs. East Stroudsburg (W, 4-0)
April 27: vs. West Chester (W, 4-0)
April 22: vs. California (Pa.) (W, 6-1)
April 19: at No. 47 West Virginia Wesleyan (W, 5-2)
 
SCOUTING THE ROCK
As to be expected from a team that boasts a .833 winning percentage, Slippery Rock's roster is loaded with talent that has produced at the highest levels in both singles and doubles competition.
 
• Slippery Rock's three doubles pairings of Nicole Kempton / Alissia Kivi, Amaia Balaguer Brau / Tina Slovak and Nadia Rodewald / Dari Sakhanova have dominated the competition for the majority of the season, combining to earn the opening team point in 17 of 18 matches this year.
 
• The nationally ranked duo of Kivi and Kempton – which checked in at No. 41 in the most recent national doubles rankings released by the ITA – enter the NCAA Tournament at 20-11 overall and 11-5 in first flight dual bouts.
 
• Slovak and Balaguer Brau have strung together eight consecutive wins, upping their record to a stellar 20-4 overall including a 15-3 showing out of the second flight.
 
• Rodewald and Sakhanova have been virtually unbeatable this year with just two losses in 24 completed contests. As part of their 22-2 overall record is a 14-1 effort in third-flight outings.
 
• Things haven't got much easier for The Rock's opposition when singles matches begin as five members of SRU's standard singles lineup all have at least 15 wins this season.
 
• Kivi is in the midst of a great sophomore season in which the 2024-25 PSAC West Freshman of the Year has gone 23-4 overall and 14-3 out of the second flight. She enters the NCAA Tournament contest on a seven-match winning streak and as the No. 74 ranked singles athlete in Division II.
 
• Facing the toughest competition opponents have to offer, Balaguer Brau's MVP performance at the PSAC Tournament improved her record to 21-7 overall and 14-4 from the top spot in the singles rotation.
 
• Competing out of the third flight is Kempton, who is closing in on a second consecutive 20-win season at 19-6 overall (12-4 dual).
 
• Rodewald has won each of her last 13 finished matches, which is tied for the ninth longest recorded winning streak in program history. A victory in the NCAA Tournament would vault her into a four-way tie for sixth place alongside Melissa Labosco, Kayla Blackburn and teammate Amaia Balaguer Brau, who won 14 consecutive matches during last season. Rodewald's lengthy winning streak has improved her record to 18-6 overall (15-1 dual).
 
• Sakhanova is 16-6 on the year overall and 11-3 in dual matches primarily from the fifth flight (8-3). Rounding out the roster are Tina Slovak (6-7 overall, 5-6 from the fourth flight) and Anna Poranski (5-6 overall, 2-1 from the sixth flight).
 
FAIRMONT STATE PRIMER
• Roster: Link
• Stats: Link
• Overall Record: 16-7
• Home Record: 7-1
• Away Record: 5-4
• Neutral Site Record: 4-2
• Last 5 Matches: 4-1
• Streak: W1
• Head Coach: Terry Deremer | Fifth season at FSU (60-38, .612)
 
Last 5 Matches
May 8: vs. West Virginia Wesleyan (W, 4-1)
May 3: at Charleston (L, 4-0)
May 2: vs. West Virginia Wesleyan (W, 4-3)
April 26: vs. Frostburg State (W, 5-2)
April 24: vs. Davis & Elkins (6-1)
 
PROBABLE LINEUP (Last Match Order)
Singles
1-Maria Fonseca (13-9)
2-Hope Backx (14-9)
3-Stephanie Gopar (15-7)
4-Lara Smith (14-8
5-Laura Maciel (14-7)
6-Alara Akgul (12-5)
Doubles
1-Smith / Backx (15-9)
2-Gopar / Fonseca (15-2)
3-Maciel / Akgul (10-4)
 
UP NEXT
A victory in the second round sends The Rock to the NCAA Tournament's Round of 16 for a second consecutive season.
 
 





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