ROME, Ga. – Old Dominion junior Cosme Rolland de Ravel has been named the 2025 Sun Belt Conference Men’s Tennis Player of the Year to highlight the annual SBC Men’s Tennis Awards and All-Conference Teams announced Thursday. The honors were voted upon by the league’s nine men’s tennis head coaches.
The 2025 Sun Belt Conference Men’s Tennis Championship will take place this Friday through Sunday at the Rome Tennis Center in Rome, Ga.
2025 Sun Belt Men’s Tennis Awards:
Men’s Tennis Player of the Year: Cosme Rolland de Ravel, Old Dominion
Men’s Tennis Player to Watch: Baran Soyler, Georgia State
Men’s Tennis Newcomer of the Year: Christopher Norlin, Coastal Carolina
Men’s Tennis Freshman of the Year: Hiiro Sakamoto, Troy
Men’s Tennis Coach of the Year: Dominik Mueller, Old Dominion
Rolland de Ravel enters the championship with a 20-6 singles and 19-4 doubles record, going 8-4 in singles and 14-3 in doubles this Spring. In the Fall, he made it to the ITA Regional Semifinals by beating two line-up players from UVA and won the ITA East Sectional Consolation draw beating line up players from Clemson and Harvard. In the Spring he holds wins over Sinha (Cornell), Fahim (Virginia Tech), Almeida (Liberty) and a straight set victory over last year’s Conference Player of the year Paliouras from Georgia Southern. He has been ranked as high as #88 in singles and #41 in doubles this season.
Baran Soyler from Georgia State was selected as the 2025 Sun Belt Men’s Tennis Player to Watch. Soyler’s consistent results in both singles and doubles contributed to key team wins throughout the season. The junior recorded an overall 10-6 record at the highest singles spot, collecting strong wins against Florida Atlantic, VCU, and Furman. Soyler had a winning streak of five matches in singles, three of them being against conference opponents. He enters the championship with a 3-1 record in league action at singles.
Coastal Carolina’s Christopher Norlin was named the 2025 Sun Belt Men’s Tennis Newcomer of the Year. The junior transfer was 9-1 in singles during the fall and has showcased a 2-1 record at No. 1 singles. Norlin has been an even .500 at 7-7 in singles during the spring.
Troy’s Hiiro Sakamoto was selected as the 2025 Sun Belt Men’s Tennis Freshman of the Year. Sakamoto posted a team-best 20-3 record during dual play. He finished the regular season winning eight of his last 10 matches. He posted a 13-2 record at the No. 4 spot and a 7-1 record at No. 5. He went 5-2 in singles against Sun Belt opponents. All five of his conference wins came in two sets. All 20 of his spring wins came in straight sets. In doubles, Sakamoto went 15-6 in the spring, including 4-2 in Sun Belt play. He was 3-2 at the No. 2 spot and 12-4 at No. 3. He and partner Luciano Alcocer recorded wins against North Florida, Miami, UAB and South Carolina State.
Old Dominion’s Dominik Mueller was selected by his peers as the 2025 Sun Belt Men’s Tennis Coach of the Year. Coach Mueller guided his team to an overall 14-8 record and an undefeated 7-0 record In Sun Belt play to claim the Regular Season title. In this run, the Monarchs accumulated three wins over currently ranked teams. During the season, ODU had two ranked singles players and three ranked doubles teams, with 1 Singles player and 1 doubles team still currently ranked. In the fall, he led Connor van Schalkwyk to win the ITA Atlantic Regionals and therefore qualifying for the NCAA Singles tournament. ODU had three singles players, and one doubles team qualify for the ITA Sectionals within the NCAA Individuals pathway. ODU is currently ranked No. 59 in the country.
Singles First Team All-Conference
Dimitris Paliouras, Georgia Southern
Baran Soyler, Georgia State
Edward Tymes, Georgia State
Connor van Schalkwyk, Old Dominion
Cosme Rolland de Ravel, Old Dominion
Javier Montoya, South Alabama
Singles Second Team All-Conference
Christopher Norlin, Coastal Carolina
Aaron James Williams, Georgia Southern
Pol Del Castillo, Georgia Southern
Oriol Fillat Gimenez, Louisiana
Braden Hannig, South Alabama
Yeray Andres Pastor, Troy
Doubles First Team All-Conference
Laurent Julia Calac / Aaron James Williams, Georgia Southern
Cosme Rolland de Ravel / Adam Majzhrzak, Old Dominion
Connor van Schalkwyk / Codie van Schalkwyk, Old Dominion
Doubles Second Team All-Conference
Pol Del Castillo / Dimitris Paliouras, Georgia Southern
Braden Hannig / Javier Montoya, South Alabama
Noah Martens / Nicolas Simkin, Troy