Bowling Green, KY – Coming off capturing the Mid-South Conference regular season title, the Patriots women's tennis team garnered a pair of top honors, while five Patriots players garnered MSC All-Conference accolades.  Meiri Okuwaki earned MSC Player of the Year honors, while Head Coach Chin Tan garnered Coach of the Year honors.

Okuwaki was named the MSC Player of the Year after notching a perfect 10-0 singles record and an 8-1 doubles record in conference matches.  On the season, the sophomore has compiled an 18-1 record, including going 17-0 at #1 singles against NAIA opponents.  Okuwaki has compiled 14 wins in straight sets and has won 15 straight matches to close out the regular season.  The Saitama, Japan native is the reigning NAIA Player of the Week becoming the first UC player to earn that honor since 2014 and has been named the MSC Player of the Week three times.  Okuwaki has teamed with Mikaela Fros at #1 doubles, where they have been dominant.  The duo is ranked 22^nd in the ITA doubles ranking and has held the opposition to one game or fewer eight times.  Okuwaki become the fifth Patriot player to garner MSC Player of the Year accolade and it is the third straight year that a UC player has taken home the top honor.

Coach Tan has been instrumental in guiding the Patriots to a record-breaking season as they have tallied an 18-1 record, including a perfect 10-0 mark in conference play.  Under his guidance, the Patriots have been ranked in the top-ten of the NAIA Coaches' Poll for the entire season, which is a program first.  UC has notched eight wins over teams that are ranked or receiving votes in the NAIA Coaches' Poll.  This marks the third time that Coach Tan has taken home Coach of the Year honors as the Patriots are poised to make their sixth straight postseason appearance.

Joining Okuwaki on First Team All-Conference is Laura Prieto, who notched her first all-conference accolade.  The sophomore compiled a 13-2 singles record and a 9-0 doubles record so far this season.  Prieto, who is ranked 43^rd in the NAIA ITA singles ranking, went 8-1 at #2 singles in conference play and 6-0 in doubles as they player primarily #3.  The Vigo, Spain native had a breakout season with eight of her wins coming in straight sets.  She defeated Salome Sposetti in three sets to help the Pats defeat Lindsey Wilson.  Prieto teamed with Catherine Rae in all her doubles matches.

In addition to the pair of first team selections, Mikaela Fros, Marina Nagai, and Fan Shiau garnered Second Team All-Conference honors. 

Fros garnered All-Conference honors for the third time as a Patriot.  The Montevideo, Uruguay native has tallied a 17-1 singles record, including a 9-0 mark in conference matches.  Fros is currently on a career-best 16 match win streak and has won each of those matches in straight sets.  The graduate student has posted eight 6-0 sets during single play and even scored the clinching point in the Patriots wins over #9 Tennessee Wesleyan and #13 Lindsey Wilson.  Fros was also part of UC's top tandem along with Okuwaki, who went 8-1 in conference play en route to a 13-3 record on the season.  The duo is currently ranked 22^nd in the NAIA ITA doubles ranking.

Nagai had a strong debut season for the Patriots tallying a 12-4 singles record, including going 7-2 in conference play.  The Kanagawa, Japan native played primarily #3 singles for UC and had a key straight set win over Blaeke Mitchell of Campbellsville.  11 of her 12 singles wins came in straight sets.  In doubles Nagai paired with Shiau to compile a 12-4 doubles record, including a 5-3 mark against the MSC.  The tandem played #2 doubles throughout the season and tallied a five-match win streak in the middle of the season to help UC begin matches in front.

Rounding out UC's all-conference selection is Shiau, who notched her first all-conference accolade.  The sophomore went 16-2 in singles, playing primarily #4.  Shiau went 9-1 in conference matches and is currently riding an eight-match win streak into the conference tournament.  The Taichung, Taiwan native has won each of her last six matches in straight sets, while teaming with Nagai for a 12-4 doubles record, including a 5-3 mark in conference matches.

The Patriots earned the top-seed in the MSC Tournament bracket and will face the winner of Georgetown vs. Freed-Hardeman in the quarterfinals on Friday, April 21.  The match is slated to begin a 9 a.m.
 
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