Kansas City, MO – The University of the Cumberlands women's tennis team has secured a spot in the 2026 NAIA National Championships, the national office announced Tuesday. Cumberlands earned the No. 9 seed in the tournament field, marking the highest seed in program history for the Patriots at the NAIA National Championships. 

The Patriots enter the tournament with a 15-5 overall record and posted a 5-1 mark in conference play. UC closed out the regular season as Mid-South Conference runner-ups and continued to establish itself as one of the top teams in the nation heading into postseason play. 

Cumberlands has been led by strong performances throughout the lineup this season. Mahiro Hara holds the best singles record on the team at 15-2, while Marina Nagai and YuFang Liu have also been key contributors with records of 10-4 and 13-2, respectively. Victoria Zarate has also been impressive with a 8-4 record, primarily at the No. 3 singles position. 

In doubles play, Marina Nagai and Bryndis Rosa have led the way for the Patriots, posting a 9-1 record together at the No. 3 spot. No. 1 and No. 2 doubles consisting of Mahiro Hara/YuFang Liu and Haruna Kojima/Victoria Zarate have posted the same record of 8-3 on the year. Their consistency has helped anchor Cumberlands throughout the spring season. 

The No. 9 seed adds another milestone for the program, as it is the highest national tournament seed in school history for Cumberlands women's tennis. The selection highlights the continued growth and national success of the Patriots on the national stage. 

UC will open tournament play against No. 24 seed Bethel (Kan.) on Tuesday, May 12th at 1:00 p.m. CT. With a win, the Patriots would advance to face the No. 8 seed in the second round. 

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