ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. (May 19, 2025) - Matthijs Mallee took home the top honor at the NCAA Division II Tennis Championship banquet, as the third-year Lubbock Christian University men's tennis student-athlete was the recipient of the prestigious Elite 90 award for the 2025 NCAA Division II Tennis Championships, recognizing his outstanding academic achievements.

The Elite 90 award, founded by the NCAA in 2009, recognizes the true essence of the student-athlete by honoring the individual who has reached the pinnacle of competition at the national championship level in his or her sport, while also achieving the highest academic standard among his or her peers. The Elite 90 is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average participating at the finals site for each of the NCAA's 90 championships.

Mallee, a senior, currently maintains a 4.0 GPA in Biochemistry with a Pre-Pharmacy emphasis. The Alblasserdam, The Netherlands native is one of four Chaps (one of two active) to have played in all three seasons of LCU's third-year program. He is 16-9 in his LCU career in doubles and 1-5 all-time in singles play.

The honor marks Mallee as the third-ever LCU student-athlete to claim the honor, the second this season, and the first for the men's tennis program. Allison Szabo, who was recognized at the 2016 Division II women's basketball national championship game at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, and Audrey Robertson, recognized in Pittsburgh, Pa. at the 2025 Division II Women's Basketball Elite Eight, were LCU's only prior recipients (both from women's basketball). Mallee's honor is the program's second as members of the LSC (joining Robertson), as she is the 23^rd LSC student-athlete to receive the honor (second in men's tennis, joining UT Tyler's Carel Wessel from last season).

Eligible student-athletes for the Elite 90 award are sophomores or above who have participated in their sport for at least two years with their school.