TEMPE, Ariz. – Heading into the 2026 spring season, Averett University men's tennis heads into dual action ranked No. 34 in the country in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Division III team rankings unveiled on Wednesday.

The Cougars' ranking is backed by a stellar 2024-25 campaign, finishing 17-5 and 8-1 in the ODAC. Averett then stormed through the conference tournament bracket, upsetting top dog Washington and Lee University to hoist the school's first ODAC men's tennis championship. The Cougars then won its first NCAA tournament match since 2000 before bowing out to Emory University in the second round.

The Cougars return a king's ransom of all-conference talent from the season before. Florian Bert, ODAC co-rookie of the year and an All-ODAC second team selection headlines the bunch, followed by second team No. 3 doubles selection in Alex Donnelly, sophomores Lucas Fiandra and Rafael Jodas, and senior Sam Egui under reigning conference coach of the year Bert Poole.

Fellow ODAC competitor Washington and Lee is one of three ODAC schools ranked in the poll, up at No. 33, while Shenandoah University is receiving votes.

 Averett opens its spring slate at the courts of preseason No. 24 Christopher Newport University on Saturday, Feb. 14, facing the Rochester Institute of Technology, before taking on the Captains the following afternoon.