By: Cumberland Sports Information

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Cumberland (Tenn.) midfielder David Barbakadze has been named the PrestoSports NAIA Men's Soccer Offensive Player of the Week, the national office announced Tuesday.

Barbakadze made an immediate impact for the Phoenix, recording four goals and two assists across a pair of victories last week.

In Cumberland's 8-0 win over Bryan, Barbakadze assisted on back-to-back goals by Luis Cerejo before scoring three times to complete a hat trick in his Cumberland debut. He found the net in the 20th and 30th minutes before adding his third goal in the 57th.

Three days later, Barbakadze scored the eventual game-winning goal in Cumberland's 3-2 victory over Tennessee Wesleyan. With the Phoenix leading 2-1, he scored in the 85th minute to provide a crucial insurance goal before the Bulldogs converted a penalty kick two minutes later.

Barbakadze becomes the fourth Phoenix to receive an NAIA Men's Soccer Player of the Week award. Bakary Bagayoko earned Offensive Player of the Week honors in 2021, Bennet Strutz was twice named Defensive Player of the Week in 2017 and 2018, and Eric Zalaya received the defensive honor in 2025.

The 14th-ranked Phoenix improved to 3-0 with a win over Truett McConnell on Monday. Cumberland will travel to Iowa for a pair of top-10 matchups over Labor Day weekend, facing reigning NAIA National Champions and No. 1 Grand View on Saturday in Des Moines before taking on No. 7 William Penn on Monday in Oskaloosa.