KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Cumberland Women's Tennis opens the NAIA Coach's Preseason Poll, where they ended the season ranked No. 18 in the country heading into the 2026-27 season. The Phoenix are tied for the No. 18 spot with Holy Cross (Ind.).

In the 2025-26 season, CU finished with a record of 11-10 and a 4-2 record in Mid-South Conference play. Cumberland went into NAIA tournament play as the No. 18 seed and dueled Morningside in the first round, with the Phoenix defeating the Mustangs with a score of 4-3. In the second round, the Phoenix faced off against MSC foe Lindsey Wilson and lost to the current No. 2 team in the country by a score of 4-0.

There are four Phoenix players that are returning to the program for the 2026-27 season: Ana Melo Bulcao Souza, Juanita Mendez, Valentina Mendez, and Asya Tilsim Timur. With first-year head coach Tim Dunford, the Phoenix will look to get back to the NAIA Tournament and continue the momentum from last season. 

Looking at the conference as a whole, Lindsey Wilson leads the way at No. 2 while the Cumberlands is at No. 9, with Bethel and Campbellsville receiving votes in the preseason poll.

CU will be facing three teams out of conference play that are ranked in the top 25, with Georgia Gwinnett at No. 8, Marian at No. 10, and Texas A&M - Texarkana sitting at No. 16. 

The Phoenix opens their spring on the road as they face off with Sewanee on Saturday, February 20th at 3:00 PM at Sewanee, Tennessee.