CLAREMONT, Calif. - Ella Brissett (CMC '25) and Alisha Chulani (HMC '25), teammates and two-time national champions from the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps women's tennis team, both received NCAA Postgraduate Scholarships, the NCAA announced today. 

Each year, the NCAA awards 126 postgraduate scholarships to student-athletes in all three divisions who have completed their final year of athletics competition. These student-athletes have demonstrated outstanding academic achievements, athletic excellence and leadership within their communities, and are distributed three times annually - in the fall, winter and spring - providing 21 scholarships each to men and women per season. The award is a one-time, nonrenewable scholarship intended to support graduate study at an accredited institution.

Brissett and Chulani were two of the 21 female student-athletes chosen to represent the spring sports from all three divisions. They joined the CMS women's tennis program in 2021-22, and helped the Athenas to a national title with a 5-1 win over Chicago, the second in program history. Chulani picked up a key doubles win to give CMS a 2-1 lead, and Brissett provided the clinching win in singles. The duo repeated as national champions in 2023, defeating Chicago again 5-3. 

The two former Athenas were the only teammates to be honored among the NCAA scholarship recipients this spring. They will also be reunited again at their next stops at Stanford, where Brissett will attend medical school and Chulani will pursue a graduate degree in engineering. 

Brissett was the Division III Commissioners Association Female Student-Athlete of the Year last year, and was one of six winners of the NCAA Impact Award.She also earned the ITA Ann Lebedeff Award and the ITA Arthur Ashe Leadership Award, and was a two-time All-American in doubles. 

Chulani was a six-time All-America, four in doubles and two in singles, reaching the finals of the NCAA Division III doubles championship as a junior and the semifinals as a senior, while reaching the quarterfinals in singles twice, while earning ITA Scholar-Athlete distinction.  

Established in 1964, the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship program promotes and encourages graduate education by recognizing the Association's most accomplished student-athletes. The program evaluates candidates on their athletic and academic achievements, campus involvement, community service and leadership. An equitable selection process ensures that all nominees, regardless of sport, division, gender or race, are considered fairly.