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TYLER, Texas (May 7, 2026) – For the second consecutive season, the Lady Chaparrals are headed to the NCAA Division II South Central Regional, as No. 42-ranked LCU travels to\u00a0Summers Tennis Center\u00a0in\u00a0Tyler\u00a0for a Friday 11 a.m. showdown against No. 26-ranked UT Tyler.<\/p>\n
The Patriots earned the region’s top seed after capturing the Lone Star Conference regular season championship, while LCU enters as the No. 4 seed in the regional bracket.<\/p>\n
The winner advances to the NCAA Division II Women’s Tennis Championship final site in\u00a0Surprise, Ariz.
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\nThe regional appearance marks another milestone for a rapidly rising Lady Chaps program making only its second NCAA postseason appearance in program history and just its fourth season since the program’s modern-era relaunch. Last season, LCU earned its first-ever NCAA Tournament berth and pushed nationally ranked Midwestern State in Wichita Falls before falling 4-2 in the regional round.
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\nNow, the Lady Chaps return battle-tested and carrying a deeper lineup, national rankings at the top of both singles and doubles play, and momentum from one of the strongest seasons in program history.
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\nLCU enters the postseason 15-6 overall and finished 8-2 in Lone Star Conference play. The Lady Chaps won five consecutive matches entering the conference tournament and secured ranked wins over Angelo State and Mississippi College during the spring.’
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\nThe matchup features some of the nation’s elite individual talent. LCU’s top singles duo of sophomore\u00a0AnaMaria Zoric<\/a>\u00a0and junior\u00a0Andrea De Bernardo<\/a>\u00a0have anchored the Lady Chaps all season. Zoric enters the regional ranked No. 43 nationally in singles with a team-leading 22-9 record, including a 16-4 dual mark and a current five-match win streak. De Bernardo, ranked No. 53 nationally, owns a 19-10 overall singles record and has played primarily at the No. 1 line, where she has collected multiple ranked victories this season.\u00a0
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\nTogether, De Bernardo and Zoric form one of the premier doubles teams in Division II tennis. The duo enters the NCAA Tournament ranked No. 2 nationally after compiling a dominant 19-2 record, including an 18-1 dual mark and a perfect 10-0 record in Lone Star Conference play. The pair recently became the first doubles tandem in program history to earn Lone Star Conference Doubles Team of the Year honors.
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\nFreshman\u00a0Kristel Jativa<\/a>\u00a0has also emerged as a major postseason factor for LCU. Jativa carries a team-best 22-7 singles record into regional play and has won six consecutive singles matches. She has excelled at the No. 4 line, where she owns a 13-2 record, while also teaming with freshman\u00a0Ana Sof\u00eda Valero Trevi\u00f1o<\/a>\u00a0for 18 doubles victories this season.\u00a0
\nVeteran leadership has also been critical for the Lady Chaps throughout the spring. Senior\u00a0Oshini Herath<\/a>, a member of the program’s inaugural roster during the relaunch season, returns to NCAA postseason play after earning Lone Star Conference Sportsmanship Team honors for the second consecutive year.
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\nUT Tyler enters Friday’s matchup at 16-5 overall and has spent most of the spring ranked among the nation’s top-30 programs. The Patriots are led by nationally ranked singles standouts\u00a0Yona Bancarel\u00a0(No. 9) and\u00a0Natalia Gorzny\u00a0(No. 50), while Bancarel and Gorzny also combine to form the nation’s No. 8-ranked doubles tandem.
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\nThe two teams met earlier this season in Tyler, with UT Tyler claiming a 5-2 victory despite LCU securing the doubles point. De Bernardo and Zoric earned a ranked doubles victory in that matchup, while Jativa and Valero Trevi\u00f1o also delivered a doubles win for the Lady Chaps.
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\nThat earlier meeting provided valuable experience for a young LCU lineup now returning with NCAA Tournament confidence.
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\nFriday’s regional will also test one of the most impressive doubles teams in the country. De Bernardo and Zoric enter the postseason undefeated against nationally ranked doubles opponents this season at 8-0.\u00a0
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\nThe Lady Chaps hope that experience, combined with postseason growth from last year’s breakthrough campaign, can help produce another historic step forward for the program.
\nA win Friday would send LCU to the NCAA Division II Championship final site for the first time in school history.
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