Men’s Tennis 2025-26 Overview
10/14/2025 3:30:00 PM | Men's Tennis
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — After navigating an 8-15 dual-meet season and a Big West Championship Quarterfinals appearance in Spring 2025, the Cal Poly men's tennis team is already launching an exciting new era. The program turns the page following significant roster turnover, retaining just five of the eleven players from last spring.
Tale of the Tape
The numbers tell a story of transition. “We had a very young team last Spring,” explained assistant coach Jurgen De Jager, a former Mustang now in his sixth year on staff. “For me and Nick [Carless], it was a rebuilding year after losing five seniors from Spring 2024.”
Despite a mound of injuries, the Mustangs remained competitive, earning conference wins over Hawai’i and UC Riverside, as well as posting a 6-4 home record. They pushed four-seed UC San Diego to a 2-4 margin in the conference quarterfinals, with two of those losses coming in singles battles that went to a tiebreaker set.
Even amidst overall struggles, doubles remained a bright spot. The Mustangs posted winning records from the teams of Cross/Kamyshev (6-2) and Eliscu/Roothman (5-4). “I believe our success in doubles will continue,” De Jager affirmed.
“Our record last season is one of just a few losing seasons in the past two decades at Cal Poly, and we definitely expect more of ourselves,” De Jager stated confidently. “I believe we can flip that 8-15 record on its head with our roster this season.”
Reflecting on the team's growth, De Jager highlighted the intangibles that flashed positives in a down year. “When you’re recruiting players, you never know what you’re truly getting. Sometimes players of the exact same quality flourish, and sometimes they don’t. To me, some things are non-negotiable: effort, energy, enthusiasm, and passion.” That’s where this season’s returners excelled where others did not.
This youth movement created unique opportunities for those returners. “It’s not common for underclassmen to play a big part in the lineup, but our key returners like Raz Haviv, Sean Kamyshev, and Jack Cross gained a ton of experience,” De Jager said.
Riding High Again
The program's core features returners Sean Kamyshev, Raz Haviv, Sean Ferguson, Jack Cross, and Aaron Eliscu. This returning experience is boosted by the addition of Tulane transfer Luc Hoeijmans. Adding to the renewed energy, Bastiaan Weststrate, one of the program's top players over the last few years, returns as a volunteer assistant coach.
De Jager raved about the returners, starting with Raz Haviv’s rise. “Raz was, on paper, maybe our best performer last year. We love his story: he did not play much his freshman year, then as a sophomore he was competing with the best players in the conference.”
He also praised Jack Cross's prototypical Cal Poly DNA. “As a true freshman, the way he competes, performs, and exudes kindness and effort was a major highlight. For guys like him to get so much court time was invaluable.”
When it comes to vocal leadership, Sean Kamyshev immediately stands out. “The best teams are player-led in some ways,” De Jager noted. “Leading by example is part of being a captain, which is what Sean does on and off the court. I don’t think we’ve ever had a sophomore captain before; that says a lot about him.”
Kamyshev, who co-led the team in singles (8-11) and doubles (10-11) wins, quickly adapted to a leadership role after learning from seniors his freshman year. His leadership is proactive. “One month before the season, Sean personally reached out to every one of his teammates to welcome them and talk about expectations. That was not requested by us at all; it’s a testament to his drive,” De Jager said.
One of the new Mustangs, grad transfer Hoeijmans, brings a proven track record from Tulane. During his standout 2022-23 season, he earned seven singles wins against ranked teams and an AAC Player of the Week honor.
The New Home
A monumental leap forward for the program was the completion of the Comerford Pavilion: a state-of-the-art, donor-funded $10 million facility. This cornerstone of the Ronca Tennis Center allowed Cal Poly to host night matches for the first time ever, starting with a match against BYU on Feb. 21, 2025.
Being able to offer a packed venue to alumni, donors, staff, and students with food, beverages, and tennis all under the lights was absolutely incredibleAssistant Coach Jurgen De Jager
Incoming Freshmen
The future is blazingly bright. The Mustangs' 2025 recruiting class was ranked No. 4 among all mid-majors, the highest in the Big West. This promising group features true freshmen Jovan Lubbe, Denzel Seetso, and Derek Hafiz.
Lubbe, from South Africa, trained at the legendary Saddlebrook Academy. His journey there was one of pure determination. “I hurt my arm three weeks before the Orange Bowl tournament [2019] and couldn’t hit overhead,” Lubbe recalled. “I was forced to hit underhand serves and rely on tactics. I still played very well and got noticed by a Saddlebrook coach.”
A recruit who “could have gone to almost any Power Four school,” according to De Jager, Lubbe chose Cal Poly for its blend of elite academics and competitive athletics, as well as the comfort of a coach from his home country who understands the international transition.
Derek Hafiz arrives from Westport, Connecticut, boasting a formidable junior career. He was ranked as a five-star recruit by TennisRecruiting.net, hailed as the top recruit out of New England by the USTA.
Coach Nick Carless highlighted his immense potential. “Derek is already an accomplished player, but what truly excites me is his ceiling,” Carless said. “He loves the game, is technically sound, and competes with relentless intensity. With his powerful serve and forehand combination, he has all the tools to become not just a great college player, but something more.”
Denzel Seetso brings a world-class pedigree from Botswana. A standout junior in Africa, he rose to become the continent's U-14 No. 1 and earned a scholarship to the ITF Training Academy in Kenya. His talent propelled him to the international stage, representing Botswana in the prestigious Davis Cup.
Seetso attended The Taft School in Watertown, Connecticut. There, he dominated the competition, finishing his junior year (2023-24) with an undefeated singles record and leading Taft to a Founders League Championship.
Coach Carless praised Seetso's professional approach. “Competing in the Davis Cup for his country has prepared Denzel for the high-stakes atmosphere of college tennis,” Carless stated. “He’s an aggressive, athletic baseliner with a mature, all-court game. His experience and professional mindset will allow him to make an immediate impact on our program from day one.”
