MOBILE, Ala. – The Bethel College women's tennis team saw their standout 2026 campaign reach its conclusion on Tuesday afternoon, falling 4-0 to the #9-seeded University of the Cumberlands Patriots in the opening round of the NAIA Women's Tennis National Championship.
Entering the tournament as the #24 seed, Bethel faced a formidable opponent in the Patriots at the Mobile Tennis Center. Despite the loss, the match serves as the final chapter of a season defined by dominance and program milestones.
Doubles Play
Cumberlands took an early advantage by clinching the doubles point. The Patriots secured victories at the #2 and #3 positions to pull ahead:
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#2 Doubles: Ximena Raya and Kate Rowland fell 6-0 to Victoria Zarate and Haruna Kojima.
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#3 Doubles: Charis Yager and Grace Dawes were defeated 6-1 by Marina Nagai and Bryndis Rosa.
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The #1 doubles duo of Sara Ladino and Daniela Casique were in a tight battle, trailing 4-3 when the point was clinched.
Singles Competition
The Patriots carried their momentum into singles play, quickly securing the three additional points needed to sweep the match.
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#4 Singles: Haruna Kojima defeated Grace Dawes 6-0, 6-1.
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#5 Singles: Mahiro Hara topped Patty Huerta 6-3, 6-2.
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#6 Singles: YuFang Liu clinched the victory for Cumberlands with a 6-0, 6-0 win over Jireh Gonzalez.
Matches at the #1, #2, and #3 singles positions remained unfinished once the overall team result was decided.
A Season for the Record Books
While the national tournament run ended in the first round, the Threshers end the 2025-2026 season with one of the most impressive resumes in recent school history. Bethel finishes the year with an 18-4 overall record, bolstered by a nearly perfect 11-1 mark in conference play.
