LUBBOCK, Texas— The Colorado Mesa University men's tennis team dropped 5-2 and 7-0 decisions to fellow NCAA Division II South Central Regional foes St. Mary's University and Lubbock Christian University on Saturday here at LCU's Penny Gullo Tennis Center.
 
The Mavericks, now 5-8, picked up wins from Emil Hultman and William Leschig in the No. 3 and 4 singles spots in the morning dual against St. Mary's but were shutout by the nation's third-ranked LCU Chaps in the afternoon affair.
 
Leschig and doubles partner Henry Scheck, ranked 32^nd nationally, were also able to pick up a 6-4 doubles win over St. Mary's Leonardo Fabbri and Louis Hein but fell by the same margin to 33^rd-ranked Mattia Ghedin and Kelly Giese of LCU.
 
St. Mary's improved to 8-1 with their victory.  They claimed 6-3 and 7-5 wins at No. 2 and 3 doubles before going up 2-0 overall with a 6-0, 6-2 win at No. 2 singles from Lu Castillo Sanchez, ranked 40^th nationally.
 
However, the Mavericks were able to tie the dual with Leschig's 6-2, 6-3 win over Florian Smalto at No. 4 and Hultman's 6-2, 7-6 (7-4) victory over Nikita Gavrilonoks in the third flight.
 
Fabbri then put the Rattlers up for good with a 6-2, 5-7, 6-1 3-set win over Scheck in the top flight before the Rattlers posted 6-3, 6-3 and 6-1, 6-1 wins in the last two flights to complete the dual.
 
LCU, now 8-4 this season after reaching the NCAA Division II Tournament semifinals in 2025, dominated the Mavs, winning by 6-4, 6-2 and 6-3 margins in doubles.
 
The Chaps, who had five nationally-ranked players in their singles lineup, then swept the singles matches.  Five were decided in straight sets.
 
However, Leschig won the first set by a 6-2 margin over No. 13 Andres De Los Rio at No. 4 before the Chap senior came from behind to win the second and third sets by 6-1 and 6-3 margins to clinch the dual.
 
CMU will return home briefly before heading out on a 4-match road trip through Southern California from Mar. 15-18, beginning in Santa Barbara, where they fell face Westmont.