KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Missouri Baptist University men's tennis will open the 2026 spring season ranked No. 18 nationally, while the women's program is receiving votes in the NAIA Women's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 Preseason Poll, as announced by the NAIA.

The Spartans' No. 18 ranking marks the first top-20 appearance in program history and follows a breakout 2024–25 campaign that featured record-setting success under head coach Scott Goodyear. 

The men finished 16–8 overall and advanced to the Heart of America Athletic Conference Finals for the second straight year, earning a berth to the NAIA National Championship for just the second time in school history and the first under Goodyear's leadership. 

MBU closed last season ranked No. 24 in the final poll—the first top-25 finish by any MBU tennis program.

In the fall, Goodyear guided Luca da Silva Ebenriter and Sebastian Junghanns to an ITA Regional Championship and a top-12 national finish at the ITA Cup in Rome, Ga.

I'm happy to see our men's team in the top 20 for the first time ever, but we will be working towards the top 10 in the spring," Goodyear said. "I think our women's team is very unified and has the talent to be better than RV, but time will tell."

The women's program also returns a strong core after a 13–8 record last spring, advancing to the Heart Conference Finals for the second consecutive year.

The preseason poll is the lone fall edition of the national rankings. The first regular-season poll is scheduled for release Wednesday, Feb. 11.