International Recruiting Strengthens Family Culture for Lynchburg Men’s Tennis
By: Evan Gates | Guest Contributor
Members of the Lynchburg men’s tennis team pose for a preseason picture on media day. | Caroline Gerke.
Although each of the University of Lynchburg men’s tennis team’s 12 athletes comes from an international background, the program’s family culture has provided support away from home while improving collective performance on the court.
Throughout Director of Men’s and Women’s Tennis Chris Johnson’s nine-year tenure at Lynchburg, the roster has transformed from an exclusively American lineup to one featuring global talent. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, Coach Johnson made concerted efforts to help the University expand its recruiting outreach to new countries.
“It’s not a new phenomenon, it’s just new to Lynchburg,” Johnson said. “Now it looks like we have a lot of people, but it was really a collaborative effort to get that started.”
The process commenced when transfer Christian Zepeda joined the Hornets ahead of his sophomore season in 2023. Within a few months, the Leon, Mexico native was accompanied by his younger brother, JP, along with five additional international student-athletes.
“It was just a very new concept for the [admissions] department,” Johnson said. “We put together a game plan and did a lot of work to put the systems in place where we could recruit and bring in international student-athletes.”
This springtime marks a proud moment for the coaching staff, as each of the initial six international recruits will graduate from the University.
For senior Dan Hardy, the rise of international student-athletes underscores the high level of competition within the Old Dominion Athletic Conference.
“Since I started, there have definitely been more international students coming,” Hardy said. “It’s showing how competitive some of the coaches are becoming to reach ODACs. It’s good to see that international students are now starting to show prominence in the conference, and other coaches are taking on that.”
As a native of the United Kingdom, Hardy sought a college that prioritized high-level athletics. While many European schools either do not sponsor tennis programs or offer roster spots before the commitment process, Lynchburg became the perfect fit.
“Most people don’t go for the sport [in the U.K.],” Hardy said. “Trials are after you go, so you start at the university and then you try out. If you want to play tennis, you have to be pretty good and know someone.”
High Mileage, High Expectations
Dan Hardy serves to his opponent as the men’s team faces Randolph on Senior Day. | Nick Brent
For most students, college marks the first prolonged period away from home. While international student-athletes often travel across the globe to fulfill their dream, several competed away from home at an early age.
“It wasn’t too bad for me because I had already lived in Spain for a bit before coming here,” Hardy said.
Ricards Spaks, a sophomore from Liepaja, Latvia, also adjusted to travel before collegiate tennis, having competed on the International Tennis Federation Juniors Tour.
“Since I played juniors, I traveled a lot,” Spaks said. “It’s, of course, tough being away from parents, but there are also video live streams for them to watch.”
After spending four years in America, his senior teammate acknowledged the difficulty of maneuvering defeat without his loved ones.
“Homesickness is not due to being away from home; it only happens when things aren’t going well,” Hardy said. “Winning helps; when you’re winning a tennis match and you’re with people that you like, it’s so much easier.”
Switching Surfaces
Ricards Spaks and Nicholas Pierreux strategize before playing a point in a doubles match versus Randolph. | Nick Brent
Division III tennis does not pose the added pressure of maintaining an athletic scholarship, but performance plays a key role in earning attention as a recruit. For Spaks, collegiate tennis became a reality with consistent improvement after the COVID pandemic.
“I broke my hand during COVID, and I stopped playing tennis for a year,” Spaks said. “I was even thinking about quitting. When I came back and started competing more, I started winning tournaments in Latvia.”
In addition to adjusting to a new country, international athletes must adapt to different playing surfaces and conditions. While Europeans periodically compete on clay or carpet courts, collegiate tennis is exclusively played on hard-surface courts.
Spaks began his Division I career at the University of Southern Mississippi before transferring to Lynchburg, prompting him to adjust his strategy on hard courts.
“When I was in Mississippi, I was actually struggling with that a lot because my game is fast-based,” Spaks said. “I had to change my game completely. I started playing slower and built my cardio, so I could last for more points.”
Amidst these changes, Coach Johnson cites the team’s competitive practice schedule as the answer for overcoming these barriers.
“They adjust pretty quickly with the surface,” Johnson said. “They’re used to playing tennis a lot, and we have a ‘get what you earn’ culture. It’s very competitive: we have six starting spots and 12 guys.”
On the court, Spaks’ transition has paid off, as the sophomore occupies a 12-2 record after recording just one win at Southern Miss.
“When I was in Division I, I got injured and basically lost every match,” Spaks said. “My record was 1-11, so it was also pretty mentally hard. I wanted to be stronger and better physically because I hadn’t known what to expect. “
Seven Cultures, One Mission
The men’s team huddles during its match against Randolph. | Nick Brent.
After several years of leading the recruiting process, Coach Johnson understands that athletes might feel apprehensive about traveling halfway around the world. As a father of a high school athlete, he aims to use his patience and knowledge to help families come to a decision.
“I’ll stay on the phone for an hour because we would have a thousand questions if we sent our daughter to France,” Johnson said. “It’s not a two-week camp, it’s a four-year deal.”
Johnson has also used his experience to help fellow staff members recruit overseas.
“We do it as a family,” Johnson said. “This isn’t just a few emails throughout the process. I’ve worked with some of the other coaches as they start to bring in international student-athletes as well. It’s such a pleasure for me because I’ve been doing it for so long.”
With the 2026 men’s team representing seven different nationalities, several players have seen their personal styles change as a result.
“We all bring something different and come from different places,” Hardy said. “You get inundated with Latino music at practice, so I have Spanish songs on my playlist now.”
Their differences also create a wide variety on the dinner table.
“When we sit down at a restaurant, where we eat and who orders what gets to be a funny deal,” Coach Johnson said. “We have a lot of fun with it.”
Despite beginning their careers in different locations, the Hornets have united on the court, posting a 7-7 record to start the season. Heading into the final weeks of the season, they remain dedicated to staying united as a team.
“For international players, it’s more cultural, a different type of team bond,” Spaks said. “But on court, I don’t think it really matters.”
To view the 2026 Lynchburg men’s tennis schedule, click here.