NATCHITOCHES – Junior Honoka Umeda of the Northwestern State women's tennis team earned a spot in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's national singles rankings this week, coming in at No. 111. She becomes the first Lady Demon to appear in the ITA Top 125 since Maria Skyba in 2018.

The ITA ranks the top 125 Division I singles players nationally, releasing updated rankings every two weeks during the spring season.

Umeda, a junior from Kumamoto, Japan, delivered one of the strongest fall seasons by any Lady Demon in recent memory.

She produced a flawless fall campaign, going 6-0 in completed singles matches and adding a title at the Diving Eagle Singles Championship.

"We are extremely proud of Honoka for achieving this tremendous accomplishment," head coach Marcos Morelli said. "Her work ethic is outstanding, and this ranking is a reflection of the commitment she brings every day to our program."

With Umeda's national ranking headlining a strong preseason, the Lady Demons shift their focus to the spring campaign as they prepare to defend their conference title.