The LSU men’s tennis team is already rewriting history early in the season by returning to the ITA National Indoor Championship in Waco, Texas, for the first time since 2006.
With back-to-back home wins over Rice and in-state Tulane, the No. 17 Tigers have showcased depth across the lineup and an ability to rise in pivotal moments. These traits can potentially position LSU as one of the nation’s early standouts.
LSU pushed its unbeaten streak to six with a 5-2 victory over Rice in Baton Rouge at the Tennis Complex, leaning on its doubles strength and clutch singles play to fend off a resilient Owls squad. The Tigers struck first in the doubles as Erik Arutiunian and Matias Ponce De Leon continued a perfect season with a 6-3 win on court two.
Moments later, the tandem of Enzo Kohlmann and Olaf Pieczkowski clenched the doubles point with a convincing 6-2 victory, keeping LSU flawless in doubles play on the year with a dominating performance from the duo.
Carrying that momentum into singles, LSU jumped ahead quickly. Arutiunian delivered another composed performance on court two, earning a straight-set win to put the Tigers up 2-0.
Sasa Markovic followed with a dominant showing on court six, stringing together long runs of games to give LSU a commanding 3-0 advantage.
Rice fought back with a win on court four, but Kohlmann answered when the Tigers needed him most. After dropping the second set on court three, the sophomore regrouped and closed the match emphatically, allowing just one game in the deciding set to clinch the team victory.
Ponce De Leon later added another singles win to cap the afternoon, while Pieczkowski battled in a three-set match against a ranked opponent on the top court.
With confidence built from the Rice win, LSU returned to the courts the following evening and delivered its most complete performance of the season, sweeping Tulane 7-0. The Tigers once again captured the doubles point, extending the streak to seven straight matches, before rolling through singles in straight sets across the lineup.
The sweep featured breakthrough moments from LSU’s young newcomer players. Pieczkowski secured his first singles win of the season on the top court, closing out the match with authority. Rudy Ceccon remained unbeaten in singles play, while Markovic and Ponce De Leon continued the strong runs, each controlling matches from start to finish.
“Our energy and toughness were much better,” head coach Danny Bryan said after the Tulane win. “We challenged the guys to clean some things up, and they responded. Everyone stayed tough and closed out their matches.”
Beyond the scores, LSU’s early-season success has been defined by balance. The Tigers have received contributions from every spot in the lineup, with freshmen making an immediate impact and veterans providing stability in high-pressure situations.
The team’s doubles consistency has allowed LSU to dictate matches early on, while its singles depth has prevented opponents from finding openings.
Now sitting at 7-0, LSU turns its attention to the ITA championship, where the Tigers open play on Feb. 13. The appearance marks LSU’s first trip to the prestigious tournament for the first time in two decades and serves as a benchmark to how far the team has come under the leadership of Bryan.
For this LSU squad, the milestone is meaningful — but it is not the finish line. With momentum, confidence and a young core playing fearless tennis, the Tigers head to the national stage ready to test themselves against the best in the country, carrying both history and expectation.
