Our CHAPtivated Series is our special stories focusing on the lives of LCU student-athletes. This edition focuses on LCU men's tennis star Kelly Giese, who recently graduated LCU and will be attending graduate school at Nebraska. He leaves LCU after arriving in year-one of the program.

Kelly Giese arrived at Lubbock Christian University with few expectations and even fewer guarantees. When he joined the program, men's tennis was still in its infancy—no history, no legacy, just a handful of players with big dreams. Four years later, Giese left as a two-time ITA All-American, a Lone Star Conference Player of the Year, and a captain who helped transform LCU into one of the nation's premier Division II programs.
 
"So, looking back on it, what were my dreams? My dreams were to pretty much accomplish everything I could," Giese said. "I didn't have any set goals really, but the main plan was just to develop myself as a person and develop myself as a tennis player."
 
And develop he did. Through early mornings, grueling practices, and moments of doubt, Giese helped turn a fledgling team into a national contender. Along the way, he discovered that his greatest achievements weren't just measured in wins and rankings, but in the bonds he built and the leader he became.
 
Building Something from Nothing
Giese's first weeks at LCU were as intimidating as they were exhilarating. The team was new, the expectations were unclear, and the workouts were relentless. But those challenges quickly laid the foundation for something special.
 
"It was very scary, but also fun because you're getting to meet all these new people," he said. "Our coach did a very good job of making us be a team and helping us all get to know each other. We did everything together. Practices were brutal, every morning, 6 a.m. and just pushing us together so we can encourage each other to keep on going."
 
Despite the awkward moments and growing pains, Giese could sense from the beginning that the program had potential. "I knew from the very beginning that this program could really be something special," he said. "Everybody wanted to work hard, everybody wanted to accomplish stuff, and I think that was just what made me so keen on staying."
 
The team's camaraderie extended beyond the court. They studied together, ate meals together, and spent countless hours in the gym. That closeness became their competitive edge.
 
"Everybody had such great chemistry," Giese said. "Everybody enjoyed being on court. There was nobody that didn't want to be there."
 
From Underdogs to Contenders
The growth of LCU men's tennis was gradual at first, then exponential. In his early years, Giese remembers the sting of early exits and the daunting task of facing established programs. But those experiences only fueled the team's transformation.
 
"I got to watch a lot of failure," he said. "In the beginning of the program, we were a good team in the conference, but not an amazing team. We still were barely making regionals and stuff like that. We weren't the best team, obviously."
 
By his third and fourth years, everything changed. LCU went from barely qualifying for regionals to winning conference championships and making deep runs at nationals.
 
"We turned into that team that everybody's afraid of," Giese said. "We were able to transform in a matter of two, three years and make it something super special."
 
For Giese, the most rewarding part was knowing he played a role in that rise. "I think the most rewarding part about watching the program grow is just knowing that I played a role in it," he said. "I got to be a part of it and I got to be a leader of it and see how all these guys have transformed."
 
Lessons in Leadership and Resilience
Giese's journey wasn't without setbacks. A hand injury from a car accident sidelined him for much of his sophomore season, forcing him to confront frustration and uncertainty.
 
"For a while after it, I looked at it as, why did this have to happen to me?" he said. "But what it really taught me is just to be thankful for every single day because while it was a hand injury, it was a hand injury from a car accident, which could have been life-threatening."
 
He kept the hospital band from that night wrapped around his racket as a constant reminder of gratitude. "Whenever I'm getting angry or whenever I'm annoyed or whatever, I look down and I try to reset my mind and just think that I'm just thankful that I can actually be here and compete," he said.
 
The injury also revealed the strength of the team's brotherhood. "Every single one of them was doing whatever they could to help me," Giese said. "They were all saying, 'it's okay, Kelly', like 'trust the process'. Everything happens for a reason."
 
That support helped him return stronger, both mentally and physically. He became more disciplined, more patient, and more focused on controlling what he could. "My approach to competing has changed a lot," he said. "I've become a lot more disciplined on court, and I've found ways to bring God into my life. I know that it doesn't have to be perfect. And whatever I can give is enough."
 
Defining Moments
Giese's time at LCU is filled with matches that tested his resolve and defined his legacy. One stands out above the rest—a conference tournament semifinal that could have ended the team's championship hopes.
 
"I was in a third set match also, once again not playing the prettiest tennis, but getting by and fighting, and started cramping up in the second set," he said. "I find myself down a match point. And the team is down 3-2, so if I lose this point, then we are out of the conference tournament as the one seed."
 
He saved the match point, won the match, and helped propel LCU to a conference title. "It was a really good feeling knowing that, at that exact moment, if I would have lost that one point, then none of it would have been possible," Giese said.
 
Another moment he'll never forget came in the conference tournament final and his bond with his teammates. "It was the most amazing thing because as I'm going through my mind, as I'm running, I'm like, oh my gosh, we actually did it," he said. "They were still there for me. And they were able to hold me up and be able to get the win, even though I didn't really contribute. So it was an amazing feeling knowing that they had my back."
 
In 2025, LCU reached the national semifinals for the first time in program history. "We had never won a match in regionals before," Giese said. "And then being able to convert that into a national semifinalist in 2025—it was very special."
 
Leading with Purpose
Giese's individual accolades are impressive—two ITA All-American honors, back-to-back Lone Star Conference Player of the Year awards, and national rankings in both singles and doubles. But he measures his success by what the team accomplished together.
 
"Everything that the team has accomplished is significantly higher than just one person," he said. "I wouldn't have been able to achieve those things if it wasn't for my team pushing me every single day in practice."
 
His teammates and coaches played a pivotal role in his growth. "There is so, so many people that have had a major influence on me," Giese said. "Marcelo Mann and Ben Grumley spent hours and hours with me on court. They were always there for me whenever I wanted to work on something. They genuinely wanted to see me grow."
 
LCU also shaped him off the court. "LCU means a lot for me," he said. "It was a fresh, refreshing change. I want to be seen as a person who is a man of faith and a person who tries to be kind to every single person that he meets and have good energy. I think that was all created from what LCU has done for me over these past four years."
 
Next Chapter
After earning his Management degree, Giese received a medical hardship waiver that granted him another season of eligibility. With LCU not offering a graduate program in finance, he entered the transfer portal and ultimately chose the University of Nebraska, where he will pursue financial analytics while competing in the Big Ten.
 
"I knew I was going to use it," he said of the extra year. "College tennis is something that's so special and it's evolved so much… I knew the second that it was a great opportunity and I definitely need to use it."
 
The move to Nebraska presents new challenges—and new goals. "It is one of the best conferences in college tennis," Giese said. "I know that the level is going to be high. I know that I'm going to need a lot of discipline in order to compete with them. But it's laid a really good foundation for me of confidence, hard work, and success that I can take to the Division I level."
 
He hopes to become a Division I All-American, finish the season nationally ranked, and step into a leadership role on a new team. "The dream would be to become a big-time leader on the team, hopefully make Division I All-American, finish ranked in doubles," he said. "And then I think the biggest part is not just about the on-paper goals, but it's about my mental goals and where I want to be at level-wise with my tennis when I'm done with here, so I can take it to the next level and make an easier transition into the professional aspect."
 
Legacy
When people tell the story of LCU men's tennis years from now, Giese hopes they remember him not just for the matches he won, but for the standard he helped set.
 
"I just hope that I'm seen as a leader and hopefully seen as a captain," he said. "What we built there, while it's amazing, it's nothing compared to what we accomplished in terms of companionship and how close we got with each and every single one of the guys."