MAGNOLIA, Ark. – ITA Central Region Singles Champion Marko Nikoliuk and senior teammate Sander Jans, the ninth-ranked singles player in Division II, are set to compete in the prestigious ITA Cup hosted by Berry College from the beautiful Rome Tennis Center in Rome, Georgia, this weekend. The four-day tournament begins on Thursday, October 14 and runs through Sunday, October 17 and will feature the top talent in the country across the Division II, Division III, NAIA and JUCO levels.
 
Nikoliuk, a junior student-athlete from Ukraine, is making his second appearance in the event after receiving an invite in 2019, while Jans, a senior student-athlete from Netherlands, is headed to the prominent event for the first time as a Mulerider.
 
Both players' championship run begins in the Round of 16 on Thursday at 9 a.m. EST. Nikoliuk is the No. 3 overall seed and will matchup with Brennan Cimpeanu of Hillsdale. Jans' first match comes against Charleston's Daniel Llorente. Wins by both players in the opening round could potentially lead to quarterfinal tilts with familiar foes in Northwest Missouri's Andrea Zamurri (vs. Jans), the No. 4 overall seed and No. 3 ranked player in Division II and Franco Oliva (vs. Nikoliuk).
 
Nikoliuk's path to his second ITA Cup appearance began in Edmond, Oklahoma at the ITA Central Region Championships where he posted a perfect 6-0 record. He knocked off the regional tournament's top seed Zamurri in the semifinals before outlasting Oliva 6-3, 7-5 in the regional finals to claim the title and automatic bid to the ITA Cup.
 
Jans won a pair of matches, 6-3, 6-2 over Luca Penteado of Newman and 6-2, 6-3 against Washburn's Daniel Bird before being eliminated by Oliva who Nikoliuk beat to avenge his teammate's loss.
 
From the ITA
For the fifth consecutive year, the sprawling and gorgeous Rome Tennis Center at Berry College serves as the host location for this annual ITA event. The history of the ITA Cup, previously National Small College Championships, dates back to 1986. It is the only recognized national singles championship event for Division II and NAIA.
 
Live streaming will be provided on courts 11 through 16.
 
There are 283 student-athletes representing 103 different institutions participating in the ITA Cup. Fifteen percent of the competitors are playing in singles and doubles. Each player is guaranteed three matches.
 
Georgia Gwinnett has 12 student-athletes participating, the most among the teams in Rome. Tyler Junior College and Emory have the next highest total with nine apiece.
 
There is no cross-divisional play in 2021; only divisional winners will be crowned. Junior College will feature an 8-player singles draw and 8-team doubles draw. Division II, Division III and NAIA will be 16-player singles and 16-team doubles draws.