Story by NU Athletic Communication
The Nebraska men’s tennis team has added Matt Shearer to its roster for the 2025-26 season. Shearer comes to Nebraska after a standout career at William Carey University, an NAIA school in Mississippi.
Shearer was an All-American and a three-time first-team all-conference selection at William Carey. He won more than 20 singles and 20 doubles matches over his final two seasons, posting nearly 50 combined victories during those two years.
In 2025, Shearer was an NAIA All-American who ended the year with a national singles ranking of No. 10. He was the NAIA National Player of the Week in April after a 5-0 week that included a win over the No. 7-ranked singles player. Shearer compiled an 11-1 singles record and a 13-3 doubles record in 2025. He was the Southern State Athletic Conference Championship MVP and also earned a spot on the ITA Indoor Nationals All-Tournament Team in doubles.
A team co-captain, Shearer’s play helped William Carey win the 2025 Southern State Athletic Conference championship and advance to the round of 16 of the NAIA National Championship Tournament. In 2024, Shearer recorded double-digit victories in both singles and doubles and was a first-team All-Southern State Athletic Conference selection. Shearer was also a first-team all-conference pick in 2023.
Shearer, who hopes to pursue a professional career in doubles, believes Nebraska will help him reach his goals.
“I’m transferring to Nebraska for my fifth season to experience Division I tennis and compete at a high level with a Power Four program,” Shearer said. “I’m excited to be a part of a big school environment and challenge myself against top competition.”
Head Coach Peter Kobelt said Shearer will be an excellent addition to the Husker roster.
“We are very excited about Matt joining the program this January,” Kobelt said. “He brings a lot to the table from a tennis standpoint, especially in doubles. More importantly, he’s a great person, and he’ll represent Nebraska the right way off the court as well.”
A native of Auckland, New Zealand, Shearer joins a Husker program that is coming off a record-breaking season. Nebraska finished with a top-40 national ranking for the first time in program history in 2024-25, while also setting a school record with eight Big Ten Conference victories.