Muttiah Caps Conference Season With Tournament MVP Award

This week Salem State Athletics is highlighting men's tennis player Andrew Muttiah (Sri Lanka).  

Muttiah picked up his second Little East Player of the Week award after a strong week, which included helping the team win the LEC championship after beating Rhode Island College to secure the conference's automatic berth into the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament. This is the second championship and tournament MVP award for Muttiah, who also was a part of Salem State's 2018 Little East title team as a freshman.

Facing Bridgewater State in the Little East Tournament Semifinals, he was dominant, as he won No. 1 singles in two straight sets in shutout fashion, winning both sets 6-0. In doubles he teamed up with partner Quentin Wilkins (Hamilton, Mass) for an 8-5 victory at No.1 doubles. 

In the Little East Championship match against Rhode Island, he won in two straight sets 6-3 and 6-0 and with his doubles partner Wilkins, earned an 8-1 victory as well, which secured the LEC Tournament MVP award.  

"I was surprised that I got most valuable player of the tournament. It meant a lot to me to win that award because of all the hard work I put into each match. " he said. 

The Sri Lanka native who took a double major during his undergraduate years in Hospitality Management as well as Aquatic Management and Recreation currently is studying for his Business Administration (MBA). 

Muttiah started playing tennis when he was just five years old and has never stopped ever since.  

His family members have a tradition of playing tennis. His dad and cousin are the ones who inspired Muttiah to play tennis. "I got into tennis because my dad played, and my cousin was playing for the Sri Lanka Federation Cup Team, so that really sparked my interest in tennis."  

Muttiah made a significant impact on this year's team, which has been the case since he arrived his freshman year. "I am only able to control my singles and doubles games and winning," he said. "I also rely on my entire team to help win their matches as well, so we win as a team."  

He has had a lot of support during his career. "My parents have been my main support system all throughout my tennis career. They have helped me and guided me by helping my tennis career in Sri Lanka and here as well," he said. "My teammates and coaches have also supported me by helping me become a better player. I have been lucky to have a great team my past six years and a great set of coaches to guide me."  

This award means something to the two-time LEC champion Muttiah. "It means a lot to me because I see my hard work paying off and it means that I have been doing well," he said when I asked what it means to be player of the week in this league.   

On the challanges of being a student-athlete. Being a student-athlete can be challenging, especially for one, who is in a masters program. "Being a student-athlete is tough because you have to manage your time well with full-time classes and practices. I also work full-time as a hotel manager so balancing everything is very tough and takes a lot of time and effort," he said. "The key is time management. The pros of being a student-athlete is being recognized for balancing schoolwork and athletics well. The hard part is that it gets very tiring and tough sometimes because you have long days." 

This time it was a little different for him winning the player of the week award for the second time this season compared with the first time "This second player of the week is more important than the first one because it is the last player of the week for the entire season, and it is the last one for my entire tennis career. It also means your team won the LEC Tournament championship." 

Muttiah is consistent in how he prepares for the season and game day matches. "I have the same routine for practice and matches. I warm up an hour before practice and matches. I eat an hour before the warmups and I rest and hydrate the entire day before getting onto court. I follow this routine every time," he said.  

During the off-season it is a little different routine for the Siri Lanka native. "I go hiking a lot during the off season and ride my bicycle more often," he said.  

He doesn't have a specific pre-meal routine, but he eats more healthy food. "I do not have any specific meals before practices or matches. I eat whatever I cooked for myself the night before. I usually have rice with chicken or beef along with a vegetable. It's different vegetables every time. I try to eat well balanced meals," he said.  

When I asked him if he wants to play professional tennis, he responded, "I would like to continue playing tennis after I graduate. I hope to play in the USTA league matches and see how I do. If I continue to play well, I hope to play more."  

He has many favorite memories as a Viking and being a part of a tennis team that has a winning culture "My favorite memory is winning the Little East Conference Championship my freshman year and earning the Rookie of the Year, Player of the Year and MVP honors that year," he said. 

He accomplished those achievements in 2018 as he made a significant impact during that season, the freshman phenom showcasing his talents to his teammates and to the rest of the LEC conference. 

His second favorite memory was winning his second Little East Championship. "Winning the conference championship last week with such an amazing team is something I will remember for a long time." 
 

 "Winning two conference championships during my career at SSU is something I will always remember and cherish forever," he said. "Winning it my first year and my last year have been great achievements. Winning it twice with my two good friends, current head coach and former player Chen (Chen) and Roni (Bazile) means a lot to me because we have been close since 2017 and it was great to win it in 2023 with them."

What he will miss the most about the university is playing the game that he loves. "I will miss playing college tennis with the amazing teams that I have been a part of," he said. 

"Salem State has had a great impact on my life. It has helped me grow as an individual and helped me learn more about myself. I have met some great people here that I will be close with for a long time."