RIVER FOREST, Ill. – The Concordia University Chicago (CUC) men's tennis season is set to begin. After some intense Northern Athletic Collegiate Conference (NACC) battles last season, the Cougars are hungry to get back on the court under the guidance of head coach, Lenno Lasn.
 
Last Season
The Cougars opened the season with non-conference matches against Elmhurst University and Roosevelt University. Despite picking up the point at No. 1 singles against Elmhurst, CUC fell in both matches, 6-1 and 7-0, respectively.
 
After the winter break, the Cougars held some tight battles with Lawrence University, Ripon College, University of Dubuque, and Indiana University East (IUE). While the Cougars dropped all four matches, there were multiple highlights. Against Lawrence, Nathan Stringer (Milwaukee, Wis.) picked up the lone point for the Cougars in a thrilling three set match at No. 2 singles (2-6, 6-2, 10-6). Sam Smith (Munster, Ind.) and Diego Loveshe (Franklin Park, Ill.) secured two points for the maroon and gold at fifth and sixth singles, respectively, against Ripon. Smith edged out his opponent in set one 7-6, with a 9-7 tiebreaker, and definitively took the second set 6-4. Loveshe won his match 7-5, 6-0. Finally, Kevin Bullens (River Forest, Ill.)  won in a three-set match (6-7, 6-4, 10-5) at No. 3 singles against IUE.
 
CUC played one final non-conference match, an exhibition against Prairie State College, before beginning Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) action. The Cougars kicked off conference play with a nail-biting 4-3 loss to Edgewood University. Despite the duo of  Collin Dickey (Frisco, Texas) and Reynaldo Leal (Weslaco, Texas) winning at No. 1 doubles, the Eagles were able to steal the doubles point and take a 1-0 lead heading into the singles matches. Dickey, Leal, and Loveshe won their singles matches at first, fifth, and sixth, respectively, but the Eagles won the other matches and took the match, 4-3.
 
The Cougars were blanked in the next two conference matchups against St. Norbert College and Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) before they found their first victory of the season in an exhibition match against College of DuPage. The Cougars swept all three doubles matches and won at fourth, fifth, and sixth singles to take the match 6-3. CUC followed that up with a decisive 7-0 non-conference victory over Lakeland University. The duos of Dickey and Leal at No. 1 doubles and Bullens and Kyle Pelzek (Hales Corner, Wis.) at No. 2 doubles secured victories for the doubles point. Heading into the singles matchups with a 1-0 lead, the Cougars dominated the court with strong performances from Loveshe, Smith, Stringer, and Bullens, who blanked his opponent at No. 3 singles.
 
In the final three conference matches of the season, CUC fell to Concordia University Wisconsin (CUW), Wisconsin Lutheran College (WLC), and Illinois Tech. The closest matchup came against WLC where the Cougars lost 4-3. Smith and Bullens came back to win in three sets at No. 4 and No. 5 singles, respectively, while Loveshe commanded his match at No. 6 singles.
 
"We had great group last season and with everyone returning, I'm looking forward to this upcoming season," Coach Lasn noted. "We know where we need to improve and I love the team's energy, will, and drive to succeed this year."
 
Coach Lasn
This marks Coach Lasn's fifth season at the helm of the Cougar men's tennis program. He has accumulated a 4-44 record and led the Cougars to the postseason in his second year. "I believe in consistency and hard work on and off the courts. Both are equally important," Coach Lasn said of his coaching style.
 
Returning Players
The Cougars return 10 athletes from last season.
 
Senior Diego Loveshe (Franklin Park, Ill.) led the squad last season with four singles wins, one of which was at No. 4 singles.
 
Fellow senior Kevin Bullens (River Forest, Ill.) followed with three singles wins and co-led with two doubles wins.
 
Collin Dickey (Frisco, Texas) comes into his junior season with most doubles wins (2), competing at No. 1 doubles. Dickey also competed and won at No. 1 singles last year.
 
Other returns include August Barnes (Sodus, Mich.), Salvatore Davis (Berwyn, Ill.), Sam Smith (Munster, Ind.), Joshua Gustafson (Merrill, Wis.), Reynaldo Leal (Weslaco, Texas), Kyle Pelzek (Hales Corners, Wis.), and Nathan Stringer (Milwaukee, Wis.).
 
Coach Lasn had this to say of his returners. "They are the ones who make this team great. They care, they want to be here, and they love competing."
 
New Faces
Andres Villagran (El Paso, Texas) will be the lone player making his debut for the maroon and gold this season. "Andy is an amazing addition to the team," Coach Lasn praised of Villagran. "He will be competing to be a top player for us this year."
 
A Look Ahead
In the fall, CUC competed in three non-conference matches. On September 21, the Cougars battled Cornell College twice. In match one, Dickey, Smith, and Leal picked up singles points as the Cougars fell 4-3. In match two, Leal and Barnes won their singles matches to pick up points in the 5-2 loss. CUC then fell 7-0 to Illinois College on September 27.
 
The season picks back up on February 7 as the Cougars welcome University of Dubuque to Illinois. The Cougars take a week off before taking a weekend trip to Wisconsin. On February 21, CUC will head to Ripon, Wis. to face Ripon College and University of Wisconsin-Superior. The following day in Appleton, Wis. CUC will compete against Lawrence University.
 
Beginning March 2, the Cougars will play a trio of non-conference matches down in Orlando, Fla. They will face St. John Fisher University, John Carroll University, and Trine University. The non-conference slate ends on March 26 with a home match against Olivet Nazarene University. Conference play begins with two matches against Edgewood and WLC on March 28 and 29, respectively.
 
On April 4, CUC will play a double header, hosting Monmouth College for a non-conference match before heading to Chicago to face Illinois Tech for a NACC match. The Cougars will play one final non-conference match on April 7 against Wheaton College. For the final four conference matches, CUC will travel to Mequon, Wis. to take on CUW on April 11 before welcoming SNC to River Forest on April 12. In similar fashion to the previous weekend, on April 18, the Cougars will head to Glendale, Wis. to face MSOE with the final conference match on April 19 at home against Lakeland.
 
The NACC tournament will be held April 28 – May 2.
 
"The goal is to be top six in the conference this year," Coach Lasn noted. "We have a great group that cares and want to get better every day, which will propel them forward this season."
 
2025 Stats Leaders
Singles
Total Wins: Diego Loveshe (4)
Wins as Number One Player: Collin Dickey, Nathan Stringer (1)
Wins as Number Two Player: Sam Smith, Nathan Stringer (1)
Wins as Number Three Player: Kevin Bullens (2)
Wins as Number Four Player: Diego Loveshe, Sam Smith (1)
Wins as Number Five Player: Kevin Bullens, Joshua Gustafson, Reynaldo Leal, Sam Smith (1)
Wins as Number Six Player: Diego Loveshe (2)
 
Doubles
Total Wins: Collin Dickey/Reynaldo Leal, Kevin Bullens/Kyle Pelzek (2)
Wins at Number One Doubles: Collin Dickey/Reynaldo Leal (2)
Wins at Number Two Doubles: Kevin Bullens/Kyle Pelzek (1)
Wins at Number Three Doubles: Kevin Bullens/Kyle Pelzek, Joshua Gustafson/Sam Smith (1)
 
Men's tennis kicks off the spring season on February 7 with a non-conference match against University of Dubuque at Score Tennis & Fitness in Countryside, Ill. The match is set to begin at 3:00 pm. Coverage for this match and all CUC men's tennis matches this season can be found at cucougars.com/coverage.