KANSAS CITY, MO. – After a pair of upset victories and strong play against NAIA competition, the Lewis-Clark State Men’s Tennis team made the jump into the NAIA Top 25 on Wednesday at No. 24. It is the first time the Warriors have been in the top 25 since 2021.
LC State Men’s Tennis defeated then-No. 12 Williams Woods (Mo.) 4-3 at the Texas Wesleyan Invitational before a win over the host school. The victory launched a five-match win streak for the Warriors that was capped by a 5-2 win over then-No. 23 Loyola (La.).
The Warriors’ schedule is unlike most in the NAIA due to geographical challenges which makes the 9-10 record misleading. A large portion of LC State’s schedule consists of nearby NCAA Division I programs, while the Warriors are 4-0 against NCAA Division III schools and 4-7 against NAIA programs. All but one loss against NAIA competition has been to top-15 ranked teams.