LUBBOCK, Texas (November 18, 2025) – Lubbock Christian University men's and women's tennis received a major early-season boost, as the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) released its first in-season national and regional rankings, placing the Lady Chaps and Chaps prominently across both singles and doubles lists. The announcement comes on the heels of a historic 2024–25 campaign in which both programs reached NCAA Regionals, including the men advancing to Florida and finishing as national semifinalists for the first time in school history.
 
MEN'S NATIONAL & REGIONAL IMPACT
LCU's men produced one of the strongest combined ranking performances in the nation, headlined by junior Kelly Giese, who earned the program's highest national placement with a No. 4 ITA singles ranking. The Manhattan Beach, Calif., native is 11–4 in singles play this season, 7–3 in his last 10, and reached the ITA Cup as a fall qualifier. Giese also opens the spring as the No. 1 singles player in the South Central Region.
 
Senior Andres De Los Rios joins Giese inside the top-20 nationally at No. 17, backed by a team-leading 13–5 singles record and an ITA Cup appearance. Regionally, he enters at No. 3.
Junior Pablo Segura is ranked No. 18 nationally after an 8–6 singles fall and lands No. 6 in the region, while senior Mattia Ghedin slots in at No. 26 nationally and No. 7 regionally with his own 8–6 mark.

Sophomore Marco Seccia, at 4–2 in singles, rounds out LCU's regional presence at No. 13.
 
Doubles rankings produced similar balance and depth, with three Chap pairs inside the South Central top 10:
• De Los Rios / Jordan Georgiev debut at No. 5 with a 5–1 record together.
• Giese / Segura rank No. 6, their 6–3 record pacing all LCU doubles teams in wins.
• Ghedin / Seccia enter at No. 8 after posting a 3–3 fall season.
 
The strong showing reinforces LCU's depth across the lineup, with five players among the region's top 13 singles competitors—more than any other program in the South Central.
 
WOMEN'S NATIONAL & REGIONAL MARKS
On the women's side, sophomore AnaMaria Zoric leads the way with a No. 34 national singles ranking, the highest in her young career. The Dubrovnik, Croatia, product is 6–5 this season and co-leads the Lady Chaps in singles victories.
 
Regionally, Zoric climbs to No. 4. She is joined by senior Oshini Herath, who comes in at No. 14 with a 4–5 record, and junior Andrea De Bernardo, ranked No. 18 after a 5–4 singles start to the year.
 
In doubles, first-year teammates Sofia Valero and Kristel Jativa enter the South Central rankings at No. 7, carrying a 4–5 fall season together. Their appearance gives LCU ranked representation in both singles and doubles.
 
PROGRAM MOMENTUM BUILDING TOWARD SPRING
The rankings highlight the continued rise of LCU tennis, which saw its women reach the NCAA postseason for the first time in school history last year and its men produce a national semifinal run that placed them among the NCAA's elite.
 
The spring dual-match schedule, which will chart the path toward another postseason push for both programs, is expected to be finalized soon.