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LUBBOCK, Texas (January 17, 2026) — Lubbock Christian University opened the 2025–26 men’s tennis season Saturday with its first exhibition dual, edging Southern Miss in doubles but ultimately falling 4–3 in a tightly contested neutral-site match at Lubbock Country Club. The dual was moved indoors from the McLeod Tennis Center because of cold conditions and counted as a regular-season contest for the Golden Eagles.
 
LCU secured the opening point by winning two of three doubles matches. At No. 1, Mattia Ghedin and Kelly Giese set the tone with a 6–4 victory over Saheb Sodhi and Eric Perkowski. The Chaparrals clinched the point at No. 3, where Marco Seccia and Andrea Rossi Principe posted a 6–4 decision against Matei Varbanciu and Jose Murariu. Southern Miss picked up its lone doubles win at No. 2, as Jay Temming and Kale Mize defeated Jordan Georgiev and Andres De Los Rios, 6–4.
 
Southern Miss answered quickly in singles, leveling the match at 1–1 with a 6–2, 6–3 win by Sodhi over Pablo Segura at No. 3, followed by Murariu’s 6–3, 6–4 decision against De Los Rios at No. 2. The Eagles then grabbed their first lead at No. 1, where Mize edged Giese, 7–6 (3), 7–5.
 
LCU stayed within striking distance at No. 6, as Georgiev rolled past Rasmus Becker, 6–0, 6–4. However, Noltorp swung the momentum back to Southern Miss at No. 4, rallying past Ghedin, 4–6, 6–3, 6–2.
 
The match closed at No. 5 singles, where Seccia delivered a three-set win over Varbanciu, 6–7 (5), 6–4, 10–6, but the Eagles had already secured the fourth point needed to clinch the 4–3 decision.
 
For Lubbock Christian, Seccia highlighted the Chaparrals’ depth in the exhibition opener, grabbing a win in doubles and in singles.
 
Lubbock Christian returns to action Jan. 31 with another exhibition dual, facing Rice in Beaumont, Texas, in a 1 p.m. match hosted by Lamar at the Thompson Family Tennis Center.
 

Southern Miss 4, Lubbock Christian 3

Jan. 17, 2026 — Lubbock Country Club (Lubbock, Texas)

Doubles


Ghedin/Giese (LCU) def. Sodhi/Perkowski (USM) 6-4



Temming/Mize (USM) def. Georgiev/De Los Rios (LCU) 6-4



Seccia/Rossi Principe (LCU) def. Varbanciu/Murariu (USM) 6-4


Singles


Kale Mize (USM) def. Kelly Giese (LCU) 7-6 (3), 7-5



Jose Murariu (USM) def. Andres De Los Rios (LCU) 6-3, 6-4



Saheb Sodhi (USM) def. Pablo Segura (LCU) 6-2, 6-3



Olle Noltorp (USM) def. Mattia Ghedin (LCU) 4-6, 6-3, 6-2



Marco Seccia (LCU) def. Matei Varbanciu (USM) 6-7 (5), 6-4, 10-6



Jordan Georgiev (LCU) def. Rasmus Becker (USM) 6-0, 6-4


Order of finish: Doubles (2, 1, 3); Singles (3, 2, 1, 4, 6, 5)