The Cumberlands Men’s Tennis team is coming off a year where they went 17-7 overall and 6-0 in conference play. UC earned their second consecutive MSC regular season title and captured a spot in the NAIA National tournament for the seventh time in program history.
The Patriots enter the 2024-25 season ranked 13th in the NAIA Preseason Top-25 Coaches’ Poll, marking the fifth consecutive season they have been mentioned in the poll. UC returns three players that recorded double-digit win totals in singles play.
"The goal has always been consistent, to be a top ten team in the country, so we get a chance to play in the national tournament. We are confident in the players on our roster and the work we put in the fall." - Head Coach Chin Tan
We build leaders and we hold them both accountable and responsible," said Coach Tan. "Players like Liam, Pierluigi, and Lucas are individuals that have taken on leadership roles and we are very fortunate to have them."
Liam Savio
Graduate Student | Levanto, Italy
Liam Savio enters his fourth season at UC. In his time at UC, Savio is a 2x Daktronics Scholar Athlete and a 3x MSC Academic All-Conference selection. Last season, he tallied an 18-2 singles record and 13-7 doubles record. He played primarily at #4 singles where he complied a 7-1 record. Savio notched an impressive 17-game winning streak during the 2023-24 season.
Pierluigi Cruypenninck
Graduate Student | Compiegne, France
Pierluigi Cruypenninck is also entering his fourth season with the Pats. In the 2023-24 season, Cruypenninck played in 20 matches and tallied a 16-4 record in singles play. He played primarily at #5 singles where he posted a 10-2 mark. The graduate student notched a 15-game winning streak, including wins over #12 Cumberland and #15 Lindsey Wilson, and tallied a perfect 6-0 mark in conference play.
Lucas Augotr
Senior | Buenos Aires, Argentina
Lucas Augotr returns for his senior season at UC. Augotr had a stellar sophomore campaign, posting an 11-0 record in singles play. The Buenos Aires, Argentina native played primarily at #6 singles where he tallied a 10-0 record. He also notched a perfect 6-0 record in conference play including wins against #12 Cumberland and #15 Lindsey Wilson. His best moment was when he defeated Cesar Garcia of #19 Grace (6-1, 6-0) in the first round of the NAIA National Tournament.
The Patriots have four new faces that will have a chance to lift this team to new heights. Freshman Kart Etzel, Ruben Minguez, Sampras Rakotondrainibe, and Kazuma Tani have all seen action already this fall and early spring, providing some valuable experience going forward.
“We have a lot of freshmen, but they are more than capable of getting the job done,” said Head Coach Chin Tan. “After a long and tough fall season, they don’t feel like they are freshman anymore.”
Liam Savio and Gabriele Solda have begun the spring as the #1 doubles pair for UC. Primarily playing at #3 doubles, the duo collected a 13-7 doubles record last season. The tandem earned victories over #11 Reinhardt and #12 Cumberland University.
Darius Kuster and Sampras Rakotondrainibe have seen action at both #2 and #3 doubles so far this season. They picked a big win in #2 doubles over NCAA DI foe Bellarmine, 6-4, and pushed another NCAA foe, Lincoln Memorial, to a tightly contested match, 7-5.
The 2025 spring schedule features 13 home matches with five road matches, including two neutral site contests. Cumberlands will face off against 12 teams ranked or receiving votes in the NAIA Preseason Coaches' Poll. UC will compete in the Georgia Gwinnett College Invitational on Friday, February 21st-Sunday, February 23rd in Lawrenceville, Georgia. Cumberlands will then have seven straight home matches in the month of March. The Pats face Union (Feb. 26), Indiana Wesleyan (Feb. 28), Huntington (Mar. 5), Pikeville (Mar. 10), Oakland City (Mar. 11), St. Thomas University (Mar. 12), and Marian (Mar. 14).
The Patriots will travel to Centre College on March 15th, before hosting three straight opponents. UC will take on Purdue University Northwest and McPherson before their first conference match of the season against Freed-Hardeman. Cumberlands will end the month of March against Midway on the 28th and SCAD- Atlanta on the 30th. In April, the Pats will have five conference matches starting with a home match against Georgetown on April 2nd. UC will travel to Tennessee for a couple of road tests against Cumberland University and Bethel on April 4th-5th.
The men will conclude the regular season with a matchup at Campbellsville on April 8th and a home match against Lindsey Wilson on Saturday, April 12th at the UC Tennis Complex. The Mid-South Conference Tournament takes place on April 23rd-25th in Bowling Green, KY. The NAIA National Championships follow on May 13th-17th in Mobile, AL.