ATLANTA, Ga. (February 3, 2026) - After a dominant debut season play, Asbury has been selected as the top pick in the Collegiate Conference of the South (CCS) Men’s Tennis Preseason Poll, as voted on by the league’s head coaches. The Eagles earned 36 points and six of the seven first-place votes following a 13–4 overall record and an unbeaten 6–0 mark in CCS competition.
In their first year competing in the conference, Asbury claimed the CCS regular-season title and capped the season with a tournament championship run. The Eagles opened postseason play with a win over Belhaven in the quarterfinals before defeating Piedmont, 4–2, to secure the CCS crown. Asbury advanced to the NCAA Division III Men’s Tennis Tournament, where their season concluded in the opening round against Averett. The Eagles return a strong core led by juniors Ben Moore and Ignacio Murillo, along with senior Franco Patino. Moore posted one of the team’s top records in both singles (12–3, primarily at No. 3) and doubles (12–3), while Murillo went undefeated during his sophomore season before missing much of the year due to injury. Patino provided stability at the No. 2 singles position, finishing 10–8 in singles and 6–8 in doubles. All three earned all-conference honors under the leadership of 2025 CCS Coach of the Year Jared Miller.
Covenant was tabbed second in the preseason poll with 29 points after finishing last season 13–7 overall and 5–1 in CCS play. Covenant’s season came to a close in the CCS semifinals with a 4–1 loss to Piedmont, marking a shift after the Scots claimed conference championships in both 2023 and 2024. Looking to regain championship momentum, Covenant returns senior Ben Onufrock, who played primarily at the No. 1 position in both singles and doubles. Onufrock compiled a 15–5 singles record, including a perfect 6–0 mark in conference play. Joining him is junior Caleb Domkowski, who delivered a 16–2 singles record from the No. 2 spot and went 12–6 in doubles play.
Piedmont was selected third with 28 points and one first-place vote following a 13–12 overall season and a 4–2 record in CCS matches. For the third consecutive season, the Lions advanced to the CCS Tournament final. Piedmont reached the championship match after upsetting second-seeded Covenant, 4–1, in the semifinals before its postseason run came to an end in the title match. The Lions return a talented junior class highlighted by Mark Backeberg, Rohan Kavali, and Charles Parnell, each of whom played key roles throughout the lineup last season.
Maryville was picked fourth in the preseason poll with 19 points after finishing 9–9 overall and 2–4 in conference play in 2025. The Scots are looking to rebound after an early postseason exit in the quarterfinal round against Belhaven. Maryville brings back a veteran-heavy roster to help guide a new group of incoming players, led by all-conference honoree James Smith. He is joined by seniors Jonathan Crane and Jackson Meyer, who provide experience and leadership as the Scots aim to push deeper into tournament play this spring.
Belhaven was chosen fifth with 15 points after posting a 10–9 overall record and a 3–3 mark in CCS action last season. In postseason play, the Blazers opened the CCS Tournament with a win over Maryville before falling to eventual champion Asbury, 4–0, in the semifinals. Belhaven returns 2025 CCS Rookie of the Year Harshith Anugonda, who recorded six singles victories during his first season, including four against Division III opponents.
Huntingdon enters the season sixth in the preseason poll with 14 points after finishing 4–12 overall and 2–5 in conference play. The Hawks will look to rebound in 2026 as they continue to develop depth across the lineup.
LaGrange rounds out the preseason rankings in seventh place with six points. The Panthers enter the season looking to challenge the standings and make a push as conference play unfolds.
Conference play kicks off on Saturday, March 7, with several conference teams taking to the court. Follow all the CCS men’s tennis action with updated scores, schedules at standings at
www.collegiateconferenceofthesouth.com.
The 2026 CCS Men’s Tennis Championship Tournament starts with the Top 6 teams on Thursday, April 23 and the championship game is scheduled for Saturday, April 25 hosted by the Adams Tennis Complex in Murfreesboro, Tenn.
Below is a look at the 2026 CCS Men’s Tennis Preseason Poll. First-place votes are in parentheses:
2026 CCS MEN’S TENNIS PRESEASON POLL
| Ranking |
School |
Points |
| 1 |
Asbury University |
36 points (6) |
| 2 |
Covenant College |
29 points |
| 3 |
Piedmont University |
28 points (1) |
| 4 |
Maryville College |
19 points |
| 5 |
Belhaven University |
15 points |
| 6 |
Huntingdon College |
14 points |
| 7 |
LaGrange College |
6 points |
First-place votes in parenthesis.
ABOUT THE COLLEGIATE CONFERENCE OF THE SOUTH (CCS)
The CCS is an NCAA Division III athletic conference that began play during the 2022-23 academic year. The conference features nine member institutions (Agnes Scott College, Asbury University, Belhaven University, Covenant College, Huntingdon College, LaGrange College, Maryville College, Piedmont University, and Wesleyan College) and sponsors championships across 14 sports. In addition to sharing the member institutions' geographic identity, the name 'Collegiate Conference of the South' is indicative of a shared commitment to academic excellence, which is commensurate with the NCAA Division III philosophy.
Follow all things #CCS on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram at @ccofsouth for all the latest news around the league.