BATON ROUGE, La. – The LSU Men’s Tennis program earned a pair of regional awards from the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA), the organization announced on Tuesday. Sophomore Andrej Loncarevic earned ITA Most Improved Player, while Danny Bryan won ITA Coach of the Year.
Improving his singles win count of 14 from his freshman season, Loncarevic took a major step forward in his sophomore campaign with a 24-9 mark. The French native played on each of the top four courts in singles this season, but found his groove on court four amid conference play. He posted an 18-7 record in the dual season, going 11-6 on court three, an undefeated 5-0 on courts one and two combined, and 2-1 at the fourth spot. He tied freshman Erik Arutiunian with a 9-3 conference mark, as well as notching four ranked wins.
Loncarevic rose to national prominence with his debut in the first edition of the ITA singles rankings, landing at No. 123. He climbed as high as No. 102, with his most significant wins coming 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.
Emerging as one of the team’s most clutch players before everyone’s eyes, Loncarevic secured seven of the team’s 26 wins, with five of them coming in SEC play. He proved crucial in carrying the momentum for the Tigers even through the postseason, winning eight of his last ten matches.
In doubles, Loncarevic and fellow sophomore Sasa Markovic made every appearance together on the top court. They went 14-7 on the season, going 7-4 in SEC play with seven ranked victories. The duo’s rapid rise to No. 13 in the nation included signature top-10 wins over No. 4 Petar Jovanovic and Benito Martinez of Mississippi State, and No. 8 Henry Jefferson and Tanapatt Nirundorn of Florida.
Loncarevic’s sophomore season was filled with resilience, consistency, and the ability to deliver in the biggest moments, earning his way onto the All-SEC Second Team. Battling through tight singles matches and remaining firm on the top doubles court, he was a catalyst for this team’s success.
In his fourth year at the helm of LSU Men’s Tennis, Bryan spearheaded a memorable season that returned the program to a top contender in the nation. After landing two standout freshmen and a senior transfer, the team wasted no time making a statement. The Tigers opened the season with a 4-3 road victory over then-No. 25 Clemson before making their way to Arizona for ITA Kickoff Weekend. There, they knocked off then-No. 16 Arizona, 4-3, before defeating then-No. 22 Pepperdine, 4-2, to advance to the ITA National Indoor Team Championships for the first time in 20 years, dating back to 2006.
Bryan and the team travelled to Waco as the No.17 team in the nation, carrying a 7-0 record with three ranked wins already under their belt. The Tigers rallied for a gritty 4-3 comeback win over then-No. 8 Texas A&M before pitching a 4-0 sweep against then-No. 9 UCF, earning back-to-back wins over top-10 teams for the first time since 2006 – a team that Bryan was a part of himself. Bryan kept racking up the records as the purple and gold soared to No. 5 in the nation, the program’s highest ranking since 2000. He kept his squad locked in through conference play, delivering their most significant victory in a 4-3 takedown of No. 2 Texas – LSU’s highest-ranked win since 1998. For the remainder of the regular season, the Tigers stayed within the top seven in the ITA rankings and went 10-4 in conference play, going into the postseason with high ambition.
Earning the No. 3 seed in the SEC Tournament, LSU made its way to College Station to take on No. 6-seeded Georgia. After falling to a 3-0 deficit, Bryan’s Tigers were not deterred. They rallied to complete a 4-3 comeback, defeating the Bulldogs for the first time since 1999 and advancing to the tournament semifinals for the second time in Bryan’s four years. Entering the NCAA Tournament as the No. 7 seed, LSU received hosting honors for the NCAA Regional for the first time since 2009.
LSU finished 26-7 – the most wins in nearly 40 years, dating back to the 1988 season – with 11 ranked wins, including three over top-10 opponents. Bryan’s impact extended beyond the team’s collective success, as he developed several of his players into some of the SEC’s most decorated performers. Freshman Olaf Pieczkowski earned SEC Freshman of the Year and All-SEC First Team honors, while also landing on the All-Freshman Team – a testament to Bryan’s ability to bring in and immediately develop elite talent. Fellow freshman Arutiunian joined Pieczkowski on the All-Freshman Team and earned All-SEC Second Team recognition in his debut collegiate season. Rounding out the individual accolades, of course, is Loncarevic, further cementing LSU’s legacy being made in the SEC and the nation.
For the latest updates, follow @LSUTennis on Instagram, Facebook, and X.