Phoenix Ready to Make Noise at NAIA National Tournament

LEBANON, Tenn.--12th-ranked Cumberland men's tennis is set for their fourth-straight trip to the NAIA National Championship and the ninth appearance in program history.

The Phoenix earned the No. 12 seed in the 2025 NAIA National Championship bracket and will open play against 21-seed Huntington University on Tuesday, May 13, in Mobile, Ala. Cumberland posted a 14-9 overall record this season and reached new program heights with a No. 5 national ranking in the final regular-season ITA poll, the highest in school history.

Cumberland battled through a grueling schedule this spring, facing 14 opponents ranked or receiving votes in the NAIA Top 25, as well as two NCAA Division I opponents and one NCAA Division III Top 10 program. The Phoenix finished third in the Mid-South Conference regular season standings before earning an at-large berth to the tournament.

Several Phoenix standouts were recognized for their performances this year. Daniel Wessels earned First Team All-Conference honors and enters the national tournament ranked No. 25 in singles play. Vitor Ferreira is ranked No. 37, and Paul-Daniel Meyer checks in at No. 51. In doubles, Meyer and Wessels form a ranked duo at No. 40, while Ferreira and Julian Parada are also nationally ranked at No. 50.

Cumberland looks to break through for their first NAIA tournament win since 2019, having suffered first-round exits in each of the last three national appearances. The program has reached as far as the quarterfinals on three separate occasions.

Huntington (Ind.) enters the tournament for the first time since 2014 after earning an At-Large bid to the tournament. The Foresters received one of 11 at-large bids and enter the tournament as the 21st seed with a 12-4 record, including three wins over Top-25 opponents.

Huntington was ranked at No. 19 in the final ITA poll of the year. The Foresters are led by Andres Jimenez ranked at No. 27 in singles with a 14-2 record and Santiago Sarudiansky at No. 39 at 12-4. Jimenez teams up with Julian Tantera in doubles play to be ranked inside the Top 20 at No. 17. The three of them as well as Martin Capdevilla each earned Crossroads League All-Conference honors.

The winner of Tuesday's matchup will advance to face No. 5-ranked Southeastern University on Wednesday, May 14, at 1:00 p.m.

Georgia Gwinnett once again enters the tournament as the top overall seed and is in pursuit of its 11th-consecutive national title in 2025. The Grizzlies have a perfect 40-0 all-time record in the national tournament and lead all active NAIA programs in national championship titles with ten. The team from Lawrenceville, Ga., is the only one with a national championship in its history.

This year's tournament field includes traditional NAIA powers such as Lindsey Wilson (Ky.), Keiser (Fla.), Mobile (Ala.), and Xavier (La.), all with double-digit tournament appearances. The Mid-South Conference is well-represented once again, with Cumberland joining Lindsey Wilson and Cumberlands (Ky.) among the top 15 seeds.

Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

Vitor Ferreira: 5' 11"; Sophomore

Paul-Daniel Meyer: 6' 2"; Sophomore

Julian Parada: 5' 10"; Senior

Daniel Wessels: 6' 2"; Senior

Players Mentioned

Vitor Ferreira
: 5' 11"; Sophomore

Paul-Daniel Meyer
: 6' 2"; Sophomore

Julian Parada
: 5' 10"; Senior

Daniel Wessels
: 6' 2"; Senior