LSU Topples No. 22 Pepperdine 4-2; Advances to ITA National Team Indoor Championships

BATON ROUGE, La. – Senior Matias Ponce de Leon completed an improbable comeback, posting a 1-6, 7-6(4), 6-3 win to put the LSU men’s tennis team through to the ITA National Indoor Team Championships for the first time since 2006. The Tigers achieved their third-ranked win this season, following their 4-2 result over No. 22 Pepperdine today at the LaNelle Robson Tennis Center.

LSU remains perfect at 5-0, while Pepperdine suffered its first loss, falling to 2-1 on the season.

“Another great match against a great team in Pepperdine,” head coach Danny Bryan said following the match. “There were so many momentum changes throughout the match, just like each of the other ranked matches we’ve played. All three of them could have gone either way, but our guys keep stepping up. We’ve played solid doubles in every match – the consistency is good to see. Additionally, we’ve seen different guys step up in each match; it’s not just the same every time. We keep preaching that if we want to be ‘the team,’ that means playing aggressively in the biggest moments and going for our shots. Our guys are buying in and seeing the results.”

When asked about the importance of this win to the team and to the program, coach Bryan stated, “It’s a huge accomplishment for us and for the program. It’s great to be back at the final site for the ITA National Indoor Championship for the first time since 2006. We’re looking forward to getting back to Baton Rouge and getting back to work.”

Taking the top court in doubles, Sasa Markovic and Andrej Loncarevic faced off against Maxi Homberg and Edward Winter. The set began with strong service games going back and forth. However, midway through, the sophomore duo forced a break to take a 4-2 lead. They were able to serve it out in the following games to secure a 6-3 victory.

At the second spot, Erik Arutiunian and Matias Ponce de Leon took on their first ranked opponents this season – No. 53 Lasse Poertner and Aleksa Pisaric. The set remained balanced until the Tigers forced a break to go up 5-3. However, the ranked pair was able to tie it back up. After dropping consecutive games, Arutiunian and Ponce de Leon stole them right back, taking the set 7-5 and securing the doubles point for LSU.

Going into singles with the advantage, the previous match’s hero, Loncarevic, stepped foot onto court No. 4 once again. Matched up against No. 61 Pisaric, the French native dominated from the jump. After storming out to a 4-0 lead, Pisaric was only able to nab a single game before the first set concluded at 6-1. From the first serve to the last, Loncarevic overwhelmed his opponent, posting a flawless 6-0 second set to log his first ranked win of the season. LSU led Pepperdine, 2-0.

Enzo Kohlmann took on the third spot once more, sharing the court with fellow sophomore, Poertner. Kohlmann imposed his will early on. Quickly going up a break, he refused to let his lead slip, putting away the first set 6-2. The next set held a similar story, where the Brazilian native earned consecutive games to help wrap up the match with a 6-4 second set. LSU sat one point away from clinching the match, improving the score to 3-0.

Arutiunian opened his match on court two, going down 2-0 in his battle with Homberg. He was unable to regain what he already lost, succumbing to a 6-3 scoreline in set one. However, the following set was much more tense. With each player trading games back and forth, neither was able to forge ahead, forcing a set tiebreak. After being tied 3-3 at the switch, Homberg put together a four-point run to ice the match, posting a 7-6(3) second set. Pepperdine would finally get on the board, LSU leading 3-1.

Seeking to build off his ranked win in the previous match, Markovic returned to the sixth spot, challenging David Fix. Both players earned three games before Fix took three more without a response, logging a 6-3 opening set. With his back against the wall in the next set, sitting at 4-2, Markovic rallied, winning four of his next six games to reach a set tiebreak. Finding himself down 4-2 at the switch, the sophomore Tiger tallied four straight points, setting himself up for consecutive set points. Unfortunately, Fix strung together a four-point run of his own, putting away the set and the match at 7-6(6). LSU still held a one-point lead at 3-2.

In a position to put the match away, senior Ponce de Leon clashed with Gustavo Almeida on court No. 5. The match lacked promise to begin, surrendering the first set 6-1. The following set appeared it was going down the same road, with Ponce de Leon facing a 5-2 deficit. However, with nothing to lose, he rallied, racking up four straight games that would eventually extend the set into a tiebreak. With momentum, the Spaniard won four of his next five points after the 3-3 stalemate at the switch, putting the set away 7-6(4). In the deciding set, Ponce de Leon broke through at the midpoint, taking a 4-2 advantage. With only service games left to hold, the first-year Tiger did just that, closing the last set 6-3. He clinched 4-2 for LSU and punched their ticket to the ITA National Indoor Team Championships.

Up Next

LSU hits the road again to square off against Memphis on Jan. 30 at 5:00 p.m. CT.

For the latest updates, follow @LSUTennis on Instagram, Facebook, and X.

LSU vs. No. 22 Pepperdine
Jan 25, 2026 at Tucson, AZ
LaNelle Robson Tennis Center
LSU 4, Pepperdine 2

Singles competition

1. Edward Winter (PEPP) vs. Olaf Pieczkowski (LSU) 4-6, 6-0, 5-4, unfinished
2. Maxi Homberg (PEPP) def. Erik Arutiunian (LSU) 6-3, 7-6 (7-3)
3. Enzo Kohlmann (LSU) def. Lasse Poertner (PEPP) 6-2, 6-4
4. Andrej Loncarevic (LSU) def. Aleksa Pisaric (PEPP) 6-1, 6-0
5. Matias Ponce De Leon (LSU) def. Gustavo Almeida (PEPP) 1-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-3
6. David Fix (PEPP) def. Sasa Markovic (LSU) 6-3, 7-6 (8-6)

Doubles competition
1. Andrej Loncarevic/Sasa Markovic (LSU) def. Maxi Homberg/Edward Winter (PEPP) 6-3
2. Erik Arutiunian/Matias Ponce De Leon (LSU) def. Aleksa Pisaric/Lasse Poertner (PEPP) 7-5
3. David Fix/Gustavo Almeida (PEPP) vs. Olaf Pieczkowski/Enzo Kohlmann (LSU) 5-5, unfinished

Match Notes:
LSU 5-0
Pepperdine 2-1
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2); Singles (4,3,2,6,5)