Women's Rankings | Men's Rankings

Tempe, AZ - A strong fall season has a pair of Patriots mentioned in the NAIA singles rankings that was released by the ITA on Thursday. Meiri Okuwaki, the reigning MSC Freshman of the Year, is ranked in the top 10 in singles, while Martin Muller has a top 30 individual ranking. 

The MSC First Team All-Conference honoree, Okuwaki, has found her name on this list for the first time in her career. The sophomore is coming off of a strong season with a 19-3 record in singles matches including beating six ranked individuals. Okuwaki paired with Tessa Gray to go 22-3 in doubles play while holding opponents to one point or less in 12 matchups. The Saitama, Japan native, also qualified for the ITA Cup in singles play this year for the first time as a Patriot. The sophomore has steadily improved and she looks to continue that trend in the upcoming campaign.

As a two-time MSC All-Conference selection Muller enters his third season with many accolades under his belt. The junior returns after a strong season where he notched a record of 20-3 in singles matches, including 9-0 in conference play. Muller paired with Robert Wu and went 22-6 in doubles play while holding opponents to one point or less in six matches. The Klagenfurt, Austria native went 4-1 at the ITA Regionals in Bowling Green, KY, earlier this fall, including a win over Union's All-American Mihail Radesavljevic.

"This is a well deserved ranking," said head coach Chin Tan when discussing the rankings, "both have stepped up their game and focus." Now, the team is looking forward to the spring, as there are many tough competitions ahead.

Cumberlands opens their 2023 spring schedule on February 17, when they travel to Lawrenceville, GA to face Georgia Gwinnett College. The Patriots are seeking their fourth straight trip to the NAIA National Championship.

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