BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. – The Mountain East Conference has announced the winners of this week’s Male and Female Tennis Player of the Week awards. The MEC Player of the Week awards are presented by The Health Plan.
 
Fairmont State’s Kusunoki Haruto has been named the MEC Men’s Tennis Player of the Week while West Virginia Wesleyan’s Dominique Jansen van Vuuren has been named the MEC Women’s Tennis Player of the Week.
 
Haruto, a sophomore from Takamatsu, Japan, helped the 13th-ranked Falcons to a 3-0 week. In the 5-2 win over Newberry College, Haruto defeated Martin Posada Garcia, 6-2/6-2 at No. 3 singles. At No. 1 doubles, Haruto and Noah Liedtke defeated Daniel Watson/ Lucas Mruck, 6-2.

In the team's 4-2 win over the University of Mount Olive, Haruto bested Bram Poel in straight-sets, 6-1/6-1 at No. 2 singles. The team of Haruto and Liedtke pulled off the tiebreaker win at No. 1 doubles over Kristoffer Dalbak/ Bram Poel, 7-6 (7-5). The Falcons then defeated Bloomsburg, 4-0 as Haruto and Liedtke took down Denis Dementev/ Sergio Dilan at No. 1 singles, 6-2. In his No. 1 singles match against Denis Dementev, Haruto lost the first set 7-5 but was winning the second set, 5-2, as the match ended. 
 
Jansen van Vuuren, a senior from Johannesburg, South Africa, helped the Bobcats defeat Bloomsburg 6-1. In the No. 1 singles she defeated Nicole Ilkovic 6-3, 6-1. Then in doubles No. 1 the team of Jansen van Vuuren / Pozzobon defeated Nakonechna / Seele, 6-1.
 
2026 TENNIS PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Male
2/9: Noah Liedtke, Fairmont State
2/16: Kusunoki Haruto, Fairmont State
2/23: Alberto Nordio, Charleston
3/2: Keagan Karungagran, Fairmont State
3/9: Felipe Mioch, West Virginia Wesleyan
3/16: Kusunoki Haruto, Fairmont State
 
Female
2/9: Sara Martinez, Charleston
2/16: Sara Martinez, Charleston
2/23: Sara Martinez, Charleston
3/2: Julia Ramos Bentham, Frostburg State
3/9: Alyssa Kush, Frostburg State
3/16: Dominique Jansen van Vuuren, WV Wesleyan