Rocky Mount, N.C. - North Carolina Wesleyan men's tennis players Rinat Khussainov, Robert Kjellberg and Alexey Rumyantsev have become the first three Battling Bishops in program history to earn Intercollegiate Tennis Association All-American honors.  Additionally, the final ITA team poll lists Wesleyan with a #13 national ranking for the season.

A player must meet any of the following criteria to earn ITA All-American accolades:

Singles
1.) Top 8 seed in NCAA singles tournament...or
2.) Win one round at NCAA singles tournament...or
3.) Finish in the Top 20 in the final ITA Rankings...or
4.) Win USTA/ITA Fall Regional Tournament...or
5.) Wins first-round match at the USTA/ITA National Small College Championships 

Doubles
1.) Top 4 seed in NCAA doubles tournament...or
2.) Win one round at NCAA doubles tournament...or
3.) Finish in the Top 10 in the final ITA Rankings...or
4.) Win USTA/ITA Fall Regional Tournament...or
5.) Wins first-round match at the USTA/ITA National Small College Championships

Sophomore Rinat Khussainov posted a program-best 20 wins in singles play this season en route to a #25 national ranking. The Almaty, Kazakhstan native picked up his All-American nod by virtue of a first-round victory at the NCAA Division III Men's Singles Championships. Khussainov turned in a straight-set win over Warren Wood of Claremont Mudd-Scripps (6-2, 6-4).

In doubles play, sophomore Robert Kjellberg of Vetlanda, Sweden and senior Alexey Rumyantsev of Moscow, Russia received All-American honors thanks to an ITA Fall Regional Championship and first-round win at the ensuing National Small College Championships. The talented duo earned a program-record 22 victories this past season and finished with a #14 national ranking.

Finally, the Battling Bishops' #13 team ranking marks the program's third straight year in the top-15 and fourth straight year in the top-20. NCWC was ranked a program-best #5 earlier in the season.