Tiger Rag News Services
The LSU men’s tennis team featured three players who received postseason conference honors, headlined by Olaf Pieczkowski, who earned SEC Freshman of the Year, All-SEC First Team, and All-Freshman Team recognition. Erik Arutiunian was also named to the All-Freshman Team and All-SEC Second Team, while Andrej Loncarevic rounded it out with All-SEC Second Team honors.
Pieczkowski makes significant history for the program as the first ever Tiger to win SEC Freshman of the Year. Furthermore, he became the 17th player to be named First Team All-SEC, adding to his stellar freshman year.
At the top in year one ⭐️ pic.twitter.com/kyv7765oTq
— LSU Men's Tennis (@LSUTennis) April 23, 2026
Pieczkowski posts a 9-7 record on the season with a 5-4 conference mark, taking on the top court in every appearance. He captured six ranked wins – his most notable one coming in LSU’s signature win of the season, defeating then-No. 2 Texas, 4-3. Pieczkowski clinched the match for the Tigers, defeating then-No. 4 Sebastian Gorzny in a three-set comeback thriller, highlighting the program’s highest-ranked win since 1998. As a result, he won SEC Player of the Week – his first major accolade that fueled him for the rest of the season. Most recently, at the SEC Tournament, the freshman topped Georgia’s No. 40 Arda Azkara in straight sets to not only complete the 4-3 comeback win to advance after falling to a 3-0 deficit, but also helped secure the program’s first win over the Bulldogs since 1999. In the latest ITA rankings, Pieczkowski lands at a season-high No. 23 heading into the NCAA postseason.
The Polish native has not only provided firepower in singles but depth and explosiveness in doubles. Establishing himself at the third spot in the heart of SEC play, Pieczkowski notched nine wins all year and went 8-4 alongside partner Enzo Kohlmann. They bolstered the lineup, logging seven victories on court three and five within the conference.
The purple and gold standard ⭐️⭐️ pic.twitter.com/GoBR1TvxIM
— LSU Men's Tennis (@LSUTennis) April 23, 2026
Arutiunian has imposed himself since his arrival, making every singles appearance on the top two courts. He has stacked up wins over the course of the season, leading the team with a 19-6 record, going 7-1 on the top court and 12-5 on court two. Furthermore, he captured a team-best 10 ranked wins, to go with a 9-3 mark in SEC play. Arutiunian made his breakthrough in the ITA Kickoff Weekend, winning his first of two SEC Freshman of the Week honors thanks to his performances against then-No. 16 Arizona and then-No. 22 Pepperdine that helped advance the team to its first ITA National Indoor Team Championships since 2006. He took home the honors for a second time following his commanding performances against Oklahoma and then-No. 11 Texas A&M, winning three of his four matches. The Belarus Native notched a season-high ranking at No. 22 thanks to straight-set wins over then-No. 18 Jakub Vrba from Arkansas, then-No. 20 Kalin Ivanovski from Texas, and more. Arutiunian also won ten consecutive matches, spanning over a month from Feb. 14 to March 22.
In doubles, he and partner Matias Ponce de Leon have been a reliable force at the second spot. Together, the pair is 18-6, logging two ranked wins and going 8-5 in the conference – a team best. They highlighted their season with a seven-match win streak, as well as rising to No. 42 in the ITA rankings. LSU won the doubles point in 22 matches this season, and of those points, Arutiunian and Ponce de Leon clinched ten of them, proving their reliability on the court together time and time again.
Loncarevic entered each of the top four courts throughout the season, but found his place at the third spot amid conference play. He posts a 17-6 record thus far, going 10-5 on court three, an undefeated 5-0 on courts one and two combined, and 2-1 at the fourth spot. He tied Arutiunian with a 9-3 conference mark, as well as notching four ranked wins. The French native entered the postseason on a six-match win streak, and extended it to seven – a season best – after taking down Georgia’s No. 101 Santiago Giamichelle in the SEC Tournament. With a ranking as high as No. 102, Loncarevic’s most significant victories this season came over then-No. 68 Niccolo Baroni from Mississippi State in a three-set comeback, No. 78 Jack Loutit from Kentucky, and No. 90 Matic Kriznik from Alabama, both in straight sets. He has come out on top in the gritty moments this season, taking “clutch” to another level with six match-clinching wins out of the team’s 25.
In doubles, Loncarevic has made every appearance with fellow sophomore Sasa Markovic on the top court. Together, they are 13-7 on the season, going 7-4 in SEC play with six ranked wins. After remaining unranked for much of the first half of the season, they shot up to No. 66, then to No. 17, and finally to No. 13 in the final week of the regular season. They can credit their rapid rise to noteworthy top-10 wins over No. 4 Petar Jovanovic and Benito Martinez of Mississippi State, and No. 8 Henry Jefferson and Tanapatt Nirundorn of Florida. The duo has held it down at the top spot, defined by their powerful service play and consistency all season.
Each player has been nothing short of impactful in both singles and doubles, contributing to program history. Pieczkowski and Arutiunian both clinched a match in the ITA National Indoor Team Championships – over then-No. 8 Texas A&M and then-No. 9 UCF – to mark the first time since 2006 that LSU earned back-to-back wins over top 10 opponents. Following the tournament, the Tigers rose to No. 5 in the team rankings, their highest since 2000. Now, with the most wins since 1998, they continue their postseason push, looking to surpass more milestones in the closing stages of the season.
Up Next
LSU will return to the courts in the NCAA Regional from May 1-4. The selection show will take place on Monday, April 27, at 3:00 p.m. CT on NCAA.com.
Be the first to comment