LUBBOCK, Texas (May 12, 2026) – No. 12 Lubbock Christian University continued its postseason surge Tuesday afternoon, defeating No. 25 Midwestern State 4-1 in the NCAA Division II South Central Regional at Penny Gullo Tennis Center to advance to the NCAA Division II Men's Tennis Championships final site for the second consecutive season. The victory improved the Chaparrals to 22-5 overall, extended their winning streak to 12 matches and marked LCU's fifth straight victory over Midwestern State.
In a matchup between familiar postseason foes, LCU opened by claiming a tightly contested doubles point in order of finish. Midwestern State struck first at No. 2 doubles, where the No. 32-ranked tandem of Matthew Earle and No. 18 Germano Setti defeated the No. 26 duo of
Andres De Los Rios and
Pablo Segura 6-2. The Chaparrals quickly answered at No. 3, as
Marco Seccia and
Andrea Rossi Principe posted a 6-4 victory over Jack Franklin and Jose Mario Marquez to even doubles play. The opening point came down to No. 1 doubles, where the No. 8-ranked pair of
Mattia Ghedin and
Kelly Giese rallied past the No. 10 tandem of Juan David Duque and Bruno Sanchez, 7-5, clinching the doubles point for LCU and improving to a team-best 18-8 on the season, including a 5-3 mark against nationally ranked opponents.
LCU carried the momentum into singles play and quickly gained control through the middle of the lineup.
Marco Seccia was first off the court at No. 5 singles, dominating Cesar Loeches 6-1, 6-1 to extend the Chaparrals' lead to 2-0. Moments later, No. 57
Mattia Ghedin followed with a commanding 6-2, 6-4 victory over Juan David Duque at No. 3 singles, moving LCU within one point of the regional title while extending his rebound from the Lone Star Conference semifinals loss earlier this month.
Midwestern State kept the dual alive at No. 6 singles, where Matthew Earle defeated
Andrea Rossi Principe 6-3, 6-2 to trim the deficit to 3-1, leaving several courts still in tightly contested battles. The clinching point ultimately came at No. 4 singles, where No. 31
Andres De Los Rios outlasted No. 58 Jose Mario Marquez 7-5, 6-4. De Los Rios secured the victory on his third match point attempt, sending the Chaparrals back to the NCAA final site and igniting a celebration among a packed home crowd at Penny Gullo Tennis Center, where spectators from both programs created an electric postseason atmosphere for the Cracked Racquets-broadcasted regional showdown.
The Chaparrals again showcased their depth and postseason composure throughout the lineup. De Los Rios' clincher marked his seventh consecutive singles victory and improved him to 30-11 overall (3-3 against nationally ranked competition), making him just the third player in program history to record 30 singles wins in a season, joining
Kelly Giese earlier this season and
Pablo Segura from last year's season total. Seccia continued his remarkable stretch with his 10th consecutive singles victory, improving to 17-4 overall and 14-2 in dual play, while Ghedin moved to 28-11 overall and 20-5 in duals with his second consecutive win since the Lone Star Conference semifinals. Giese, who entered the day riding a 21-match winning streak, saw his match against No. 18 Germano Setti go unfinished while tied in the third set, preventing him from pursuing his 35th singles victory of the season.
With the victory, LCU improved to 2-2 all-time in NCAA Division II South Central Regional matches and advanced to the NCAA Division II Men's Tennis Championships final site for the second straight year after reaching the national semifinals in Florida last season. The Chaparrals, who swept through the Lone Star Conference with an 8-0 regular-season mark before capturing back-to-back LSC Championships titles, also improved to 12-3 this season against nationally ranked opponents.
The 16-team NCAA Championships are scheduled to begin May 20 at the Surprise Tennis & Racquet Complex in Surprise, Ariz., with national seedings and opening-round matchups still to be announced.
