James Madison University Head Coach Steve Secord announced on April 29 the signing of transfer Kaua Cressoni for the men’s tennis team in the 2026-27 season.
The addition of Cressoni brings experience to the program, as he has two years of eligibility remaining after playing two seasons at Gardner-Webb. His background includes contributing to two conference championship teams and competing in NCAA Championships.
“We are looking forward to working with Kaua,” Secord said. “He has been a part of two conference championship teams at Gardner-Webb, and those experiences will transition well into our program. At 6-foot-5, he is a very accomplished doubles player and dangerous in singles as well. He wants to work hard and improve every day and is going to fit in well with our team.”
Cressoni, originally from Sao Paulo, Brazil, helped Gardner-Webb win Big South Conference titles in both 2025 and 2026. He was part of teams that earned berths in the NCAA Championship each year. As a sophomore, he recorded a total of 34 wins—20 in singles play and 14 in doubles matches—with a dual match record this spring of 13-8 while playing between courts three and five. In doubles competition, he played primarily at No.1 position with a record of nine wins and nine losses during duals, earning Second Team All-Big South honors for doubles in 2026.
In his earlier season (2024-25), Cressoni posted thirteen total victories including twelve wins on court two for doubles play which led him to First Team All-Big South recognition.
Cressoni joins Sweden native Theodor Lorentzon as part of Secord’s incoming class; Lorentzon will enter JMU as a freshman next fall.
