Liberty Men’s Tennis and Head Coach Derek Schwandt announced on April 21 the signing of Ángel Véliz to the team’s 2026-27 roster as an incoming freshman. Véliz is described as one of the most decorated freshman signings in program history, highlighted by a career-high No. 93 International Tennis Federation (ITF) Junior ranking.
The addition of Véliz is significant for Liberty, as he brings a strong record and international experience to the team. According to Schwandt, “Our staff is honored to welcome Angel to our Flames Family. He is a strong competitor and an all-in athlete. He will add tremendous value to our training and competitive environment. He is diligent and professional in his approach to the game and will love to contribute to the team culture and atmosphere.”
Véliz, who hails from Ecuador, has secured four ITF junior titles along with deep runs in high-level ITF events during his junior career. His achievements include reaching the round of 16 at the ITF J500 Banana Bowl, qualifying for the main draw at the ITF J500 Orange Bowl, finishing as runner-up at the ITF J200 Santa Cruz, winning the 2026 ITF J60 Quito title, and claiming three titles in 2025 at Salinas and Santa Tecla.
Currently holding a record of 30 wins and 18 losses according to tennisrecruiting.net, Véliz also maintains a positive mark against blue-chip athletes with a record of four wins and three losses. His current Universal Tennis Rating (UTR) stands at 12.21 with an International Tennis Number (WTN) rating of 18.3.
Véliz becomes Liberty’s second freshman signing for this recruiting class alongside Owen Guistwite who also announced his intention to join on Signing Day.
The No. 60 ranked Flames aim to build upon their recent season where they finished with a record of fourteen wins and ten losses before ending as runners-up in the Conference USA Championship.
