LUBBOCK, Texas (January 15, 2026) – Lubbock Christian University men's and women's tennis open the spring portion of the 2025-26 season with unprecedented national momentum, as both programs enter dual-match play nationally ranked and positioned among NCAA Division II's elite.
 
The LCU men begin the spring ranked No. 5 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Division II Preseason Top 25 Coaches Poll, the highest ranking in program history and the first preseason national ranking for the Chaps. The women also cracked the preseason rankings for the first time, debuting at No. 25 after closing last season ranked No. 24 nationally.
 
The rankings follow a historic 2024-25 campaign in which both programs reached NCAA postseason play, highlighted by the men's run to the NCAA Division II National Semifinals in Altamonte Springs, Florida. That finish secured LCU an automatic invitation to the 2026 ITA Division II National Men's Team Indoor Championship, marking the program's first appearance in the six-year history of the event.
 
Set for Feb. 13-15 at the University of Indianapolis, the ITA National Indoor Championship features eight of the nation's top Division II programs. LCU will enter as the No. 4 seed and open tournament play against Washburn University on Friday evening. The field includes perennial national powers Barry, Flagler, West Florida and UT Tyler.
 
The men's spring schedule opens with a pair of exhibition contests, including a Jan. 17 neutral-site match against Division I Southern Miss at the McLeod Tennis Center in Lubbock (at Texas Tech). LCU will also face Rice and Lamar in exhibition play before officially opening dual competition Feb. 6 in Abilene, Texas (at Abilene Christian) facing Trinity (Texas). The Chaps will host multiple home dates at the Penny Gullo Tennis Center while navigating a nationally competitive Lone Star Conference slate and postseason play that culminates with the NCAA Division II National Championships, May 19-24, in Surprise, Arizona. LCU will only have three home matches, with a Feb. 26 match against Seward County Community College serving as their home opener. Their LSC opener is Mar. 27 against the LSC's newest member (UT Dallas) and it is one of eight LSC matches on the season. Of the eight, LCU's only conference home match is scheduled for Apr. 9 against St. Mary's.
 
The Lady Chaps also enter spring play riding program-defining momentum after earning the first NCAA postseason berth in school history last season. LCU opens the dual portion of its schedule with a Jan. 16 exhibition at Texas A&M, followed by additional exhibition road matches at McNeese State and Lamar before opening regular season play Feb. 7 at UT Arlington (UTA). Like the men, the women's program will host Seward County Feb. 26 for their home opener. The Lady Chaps open a 10-match LSC slate Mar. 4 in Midland, Texas facing UT Permian Basin. The 10-match LSC schedule has seven road matches and three home matches, with Apr. 9 serving as their first conference home match (against St. Mary's).
 
Both programs carry over strong individual momentum from the fall, when multiple LCU players earned ITA national and regional singles and doubles rankings. On the men's side, junior Kelly Giese (No.4), senior Andres De Los Rios (No.17), junior Pablo Segura (No.18) and senior Mattia Ghedin (No.26) each earned national singles rankings, while Giese, De Los Rios, Segura and sophomore Marco Seccia all appeared in the ITA South Central Region rankings, giving LCU five players among the region's top 13 singles competitors—more than any program in the South Central.
 
The women also gained national recognition behind sophomore AnaMaria Zoric (No.34), senior Oshini Herath (No.14 – regionally) and junior Andrea De Bernardo (No.18 – regionally), all of whom earned regional singles rankings, while first-year doubles partners Ana Sofía Valero Treviño and Kristel Jativa (No.7 – regional) represented the Lady Chaps in the South Central doubles rankings.
 
Conference play for both teams will intensify in March and April, leading into the Lone Star Conference Tournament in Arlington, Texas, and the NCAA Division II South Central Regional Championships. Team dual competition at the national championships is scheduled for May 19-24 at the Surprise Tennis & Racquet Complex in Surprise, Arizona.
With historic milestones already secured and national expectations firmly established, the spring season represents the next step forward for two Lubbock Christian tennis programs continuing to elevate their presence on the Division II stage.

Lubbock Christian Men's Tennis

2026 Spring Schedule

Exhibition matches noted

January
Jan. 17 – vs. Southern Miss (Exh.), 1 p.m. – Lubbock, Texas
Jan. 31 – vs. Rice (Exh.), 4 p.m. – Beaumont, Texas

February
Feb. 1 – at Lamar (Exh.), 9 a.m. – Beaumont, Texas
Feb. 1 – at Lamar (Exh.), 2 p.m. – Beaumont, Texas
Feb. 6 – vs. Trinity (Texas), 1 p.m. – Abilene, Texas
Feb. 7 – vs. Tyler Junior College, 9 a.m. – Abilene, Texas
Feb. 7 – at Abilene Christian, 5 p.m. – Abilene, Texas

ITA Division II National Men's Team Indoor Championship
Feb. 13 – vs. Washburn, 4:30 p.m. (CT) – Indianapolis, Ind.
Feb. 14 – Semifinals/Consolation – Indianapolis, Ind.
Feb. 15 – Finals/Placement – Indianapolis, Ind.

Feb. 20 – vs. Southern Arkansas, 10 a.m. – Tyler, Texas
Feb. 21 – vs. Mississippi College, 10 a.m. – Tyler, Texas
Feb. 22 – vs. Harding, 10 a.m. – Tyler, Texas
Feb. 26 – Seward County CC (DH), 10 a.m. – Lubbock, Texas

March
Mar. 5 – Colorado Mesa, 12 p.m. – Lubbock, Texas
Mar. 6 – at New Mexico, 4 p.m. – Albuquerque, N.M.
Mar. 13 – Neutral site opponent, TBA – Oklahoma City, Okla.
Mar. 14 – at Southeastern Oklahoma, 10 a.m. – Oklahoma City, Okla.
Mar. 15 – at Washburn, 10 a.m. – Edmond, Okla.
Mar. 27 – at UT Dallas, 2 p.m. – Dallas, Texas
Mar. 28 – at UT Tyler, 2 p.m. – Tyler, Texas

April
Apr. 2 – at Cameron, 10 a.m. – Lawton, Okla.
Apr. 3 – at Midwestern State, 2 p.m. – Wichita Falls, Texas
Apr. 9 – St. Mary's, 10 a.m. – Lubbock, Texas
Apr. 10 – at UT Permian Basin, 12 p.m. – Midland, Texas
Apr. 11 – at New Mexico State, 11 a.m. – Las Cruces, N.M.
Apr. 17 – at Sul Ross State, 11 a.m. – Alpine, Texas
Apr. 18 – at Western New Mexico, 2 p.m. – Silver City, N.M.
Apr. 20 – Lone Star Conference Championship – Arlington, Texas

Postseason
May 11 – NCAA Division II South Central Regional – TBA
May 19–24 – NCAA Division II National Championships – Surprise, Ariz.

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Lubbock Christian Women's Tennis

2026 Spring Schedule

Exhibition matches noted

January
Jan. 16 – at Texas A&M (Exh.), 3:30 p.m. – College Station, Texas
Jan. 31 – at McNeese State (Exh.), 10 a.m. – Lake Charles, La.

February
Feb. 1 – at Lamar (Exh.), 9 a.m. – Beaumont, Texas
Feb. 1 – at Lamar (Exh.), 2 p.m. – Beaumont, Texas
Feb. 7 – at UT Arlington, 2 p.m. – Arlington, Texas
Feb. 20 – vs. Southern Arkansas, 10 a.m. – Tyler, Texas
Feb. 21 – vs. Mississippi College, 10 a.m. – Tyler, Texas
Feb. 22 – vs. Harding, 10 a.m. – Tyler, Texas
Feb. 26 – Seward County CC (DH), 10 a.m. – Lubbock, Texas
Feb. 28 – at New Mexico, 3 p.m. – Albuquerque, N.M.

March
Mar. 4 – at UT Permian Basin, 2 p.m. – Midland, Texas
Mar. 5 – Colorado Mesa, 12 p.m. – Lubbock, Texas
Mar. 27 – at UT Dallas, 2 p.m. – Dallas, Texas
Mar. 28 – at UT Tyler, 10 a.m. – Tyler, Texas

April
Apr. 2 – at Cameron, 10 a.m. – Lawton, Okla.
Apr. 3 – at Midwestern State, 10 a.m. – Wichita Falls, Texas
Apr. 9 – St. Mary's, 10 a.m. – Lubbock, Texas
Apr. 17 – at Sul Ross State, 11 a.m. – Alpine, Texas
Apr. 18 – at Western New Mexico, 10 a.m. – Silver City, N.M.
Apr. 23 – Texas A&M–Kingsville, 11 a.m. – Lubbock, Texas
Apr. 24 – Angelo State, 11 a.m. – Lubbock, Texas
Apr. 30 – Lone Star Conference Championship – Arlington, Texas

Postseason
May 8 – NCAA Division II South Central Regional – TBA
May 19–24 – NCAA Division II National Championships – Surprise, Ariz.