Matheson first LU tennis player to make NCAA singles championship

Liberty University men’s tennis player Sam Matheson, a junior from New Zealand, became the first Flame in program history to qualify for the NCAA Division I men’s singles championship, set for May 25-30 in Tulsa, Okla.

Matheson is ranked No. 100 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Top 125. He is just the ninth Big South Conference competitor to receive a bid and the first since Philippe Tsangaridis of Coastal Carolina in 2014.

He was one of 14 automatic qualifiers before the NCAA Division I Men’s Tennis Subcommittee made the 50 at-large selections to complete the field of 64 singles players and 32 doubles teams.

Matheson finished the spring season with an 18-1 overall record, notching a program-best 28 singles victories between the fall and spring seasons. Automatic qualification into the NCAA Division I singles championships is awarded to any conference with one or more eligible singles players ranked in the ITA Top 125.

• Read the full story on the Liberty Athletics website.