ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. (May 23, 2025) — The deepest postseason run in Lubbock Christian University men's tennis history came to a close Friday morning, as the fourth-seeded Chaparrals fell 4-0 to top-seeded and No. 1-ranked Valdosta State in the NCAA Division II National Semifinals at Sanlando Park. It marked only the second-ever time LCU had been shutout in program history, as both occassions closed out a season in NCAA postseason play.
 
Meeting for the first time in program history, LCU (25-3) was unable to derail the Blazers' (25-0) 41-match win streak, as the defending national champions quickly seized the momentum with commanding doubles play. At No. 1 doubles, the nation's fifth-ranked duo of Takeshi Taco and Xaveam Van Wijk broke early and never looked back in a 6-1 win over Kelly Giese and Jordan Georgiev. Moments later, VSU's No. 8-ranked tandem of Arthur Bord and Edgar Destouet closed out a 6-3 victory on court two over Mattia Ghedin and Marco Seccia, clinching the doubles point before the No. 3 match—where Pablo Segura and Andres De Los Rios trailed 5-4—was halted unfinished.
 
In singles, Valdosta State's depth and national firepower proved decisive. The nation's No. 20-ranked singles player, Edgar Destouet, struck first with a 6-3, 6-1 victory at line three over Ghedin. At the top line, ITA No. 2 Taco outclassed LSC Player of the Year Giese (No. 9 nationally), 6-1, 6-2, to extend the Blazers' lead to 3-0. VSU then clinched the match—and a spot in Saturday's national title match—on court six, as Julien Doitteau defeated Blas Ruiz Romero 6-4, 6-1. The remaining matches at lines two, four and five were left unfinished, though LCU had battled through tight opening sets across all three courts.
 
Despite the loss, LCU exits the tournament as national semifinalists in just its third year of existence—marking the deepest run ever by a Lone Star Conference men's program and matching Texas State's 1984 run as the furthest a Texas-based team has advanced in DII men's tennis. The Chaparrals, associated with the only private institution to reach the semifinals this season, conclude the year with a 25-3 overall record, a Lone Star Conference Tournament title, a 19-match win streak, and a 12-2 mark against nationally ranked opponents—including a 2-2 clip against top-10 foes.
 
The team also celebrated off-court accolades, as freshman Matthijs Mallee earned the NCAA Elite 90 Award for academic excellence—the first such honor in program history.
 
Valdosta State will play for its fourth national title on Saturday, taking on Washburn in the championship final, as Washburn swept UT Tyler 4-0.