Men’s Tennis Tested by Ranked Opponents in New Orleans

NEW ORLEANS, La. — Texas A&M University–Texarkana Men's Tennis wrapped up its postseason competition at the 2026 XULA Invitational, facing a pair of nationally ranked opponents in No. 12 Dillard University and No. 9 Xavier University of Louisiana.

The Eagles opened play against the Bleu Devils of Dillard, falling 4-1 in a competitive match. Dillard secured the doubles point with wins on courts one and three, despite a tight 5-4 battle from the duo of Matias Penaranda and Jose Rodrigues at No. 2.

In singles action, TAMUT picked up a point at the No. 6 position as Jose Rodrigues delivered a strong 6-3, 6-1 victory. Matias Penaranda also battled back after dropping the first set at No. 3 singles, forcing a third set before falling just short. The remainder of the singles lineup faced tough opposition as the nationally ranked Bleu Devils closed out the team result.

The Eagles returned to the courts the following day against No. 9 Xavier (La.), ultimately falling 4-2 in another hard-fought contest. Xavier claimed the doubles point, taking courts one and three while the No. 2 pairing of Penaranda and Rodrigues was locked in a 6-6 battle that went unfinished.

TAMUT responded in singles play with two impressive victories. Penaranda earned a straight-set win at No. 3 singles, while Lucas Yamaguti added another point with a 6-4, 6-3 victory at the No. 4 position. Several other matches were tightly contested, including a second-set tiebreak battle at No. 2 singles, but Xavier was able to secure the remaining points to clinch the match.

Texas A&M–Texarkana will now await its postseason fate as the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Selection Show is set for April 28 at 3 p.m., when the full field for the NAIA National Championships will be announced.