No. 5 seed Delaware (13-9) vs. No. 4 seed Kennesaw State (15-6)
Murfreesboro, TN | Outdoor Tennis Center | Friday, April 17 | 11 a.m. EDT

KENNESAW, Ga. — Kennesaw State men's tennis begins postseason play on Friday versus Delaware in the first round of the 2026 Conference USA Men's Tennis Championship in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

The winner of Friday's match advances to face No. 1 seed Middle Tennessee (No. 48, ITA) in Saturday's semifinal at 2 p.m. EDT.

OWLS IN THE POSTSEASON
This weekend's tournament marks KSU's 11^th all-time postseason appearance. The Owls have reached the semifinal round in their conference tournament in each of the last six seasons across both CUSA and ASUN.
A season ago, KSU defeated No. 4 seed New Mexico State 4-1 to reach its first CUSA semifinal. Top-seed Middle Tennessee ended the Owls' 2025 campaign with a 4-0 semifinal defeat.

SEASON REVIEW
At 15-6, KSU's 2026 squad is one win shy of a program record 16^th win. The additional win would also double the Owls' win total from 2025. Fifteen wins is already tied for the program's best total in director of tennis Matt Emery's tenure.

KSU's season includes two different five-match win streaks. The Owls won five straight from Feb. 20 to March 11 versus Georgia Southern, UNC Asheville, VCU, Lehigh and William & Mary. After a setback to UNCW, KSU picked it back up for five more consecutive wins from March 20-28 over UAB, Lipscomb, Presbyterian, Howard and Navy.

The Owls are 67-38 (.638) in singles play, with 85% of their wins attributed to underclassmen.

Nathan Walters heads the KSU youth movement with a team-leading 15-3 record. The true freshman from Cirona, Spain, owns wins spread across courts three through five. Walters was named CUSA Men's Tennis Athlete of the Week on March 25.

Xavi Ferrer, a sophomore from Alicante, Spain, is hot on Walters' heels with a 14-4 record. Ferrer boasts a conference-leading 10-match singles win streak as well.

Dominic Ducariu and Leon Peranovic, both true freshmen from Germany, hold 11-5 and 11-6 records, respectively. Erik Vladimirov, a sophomore from Sofia, Bulgaria, stepped into the lineup late in the season and made an impact, winning each of his six singles appearances.

The Owls are 25-26 (.490) in doubles, with Ducariu and Ben Hudson's five wins leading the team, all on court one.

KNOW THE FOE
The Owls and Fightin' Blue Hens did not meet in the regular season and meet for the first time on Friday. The two teams do share common opponents: Howard, Navy, Miami, UNCW and William & Mary. KSU went 3-2 against these foes while UD went 2-3.

UD enters the postseason on a four-match losing skid, with losses to Drexel, UNCW, William & Mary and No. 56 Old Dominion. The Blue Hens' 63-38 (.624) singles mark is led by Tobey Lock (10-5) and Itamar Tapiro (9-3). Federico Garbero and Pere Prat's 6-1 doubles record leads UD's overall mark of 27-26 (.509).

The Champions Fund
The Champions Fund is a newly created, 100% tax deductible, philanthropic opportunity to contribute strategic revenue to Kennesaw State Athletics, with the goal of strengthening our ability to recruit and retain top-tier talent in this new era of collegiate athletics. Contributions to the Champions Fund will help aid in funding student-athlete recruitment and retention, as well as helping the Owls provide competitive excellence through investments in coaching, travel and facilities. The fund will also give an elevated student-athlete experience, including enhanced academic, nutrition, wellness and leadership programs. Donate to the Champions Fund here and help us support our Kennesaw State Owls.