A composite locking upright having low weight and great rigidity for installation into a playing surface with built-in sleeves. The composite locking upright supports and secures a net at a playing height for athletic sports such as, volleyball, tennis, and badminton. The composite locking upright may have a composite tube, a multi-material tube, an upper and a lower protective collar, and a locking tool. The composite tube may be made of a light-weight, fiber-reinforced composite. The multi-material tube may be made at least in part of the same material and may incorporate at least one abrasion resistant area, which may be a partial or full thickness insert and may be, but is not necessarily, formed of a metal. The multi-material tube is extendable and retractable from the composite. The locking tool locks the multi-material tube with respect to the composite tube and thereby fixes a net at a playing height.