Horizon League Reveals 2025 #HLTennis All-League Awards

April 24

Kobe Mosley

INDIANAPOLIS (April 24, 2025) – The Horizon League revealed our 2025 #HLTennis All-League honorees and specialty award winners on Thursday, with the selections based on votes by the League’s head coaches.

Lincoln Battle of Cleveland State and Ashlee Fisk of Northern Kentucky were named Players of the Year. Belmont’s Charlie Robin won Freshman of the Year along with Oakland’s Nisa Bulut. Our Herb Foster Sportsmanship Award winners went to Chad Valdes of Chicago State and Taj Hibbert of Tennessee State for the men and Filippa Frogner of Cleveland State for the women. Southern Indiana’s Chris Crawford and Cleveland State’s Frank Polito took home Coach of the Year honors.

Dig Deeper:

Battle wins Player of the Year honors in his sophomore campaign after being named Freshman of the Year a season ago.
- The Raleigh, N.C. native went 8-0 against League opponents in the No. 1 singles slot.
Fisk is the first Norse women’s tennis player to win Player of the Year since 2018.
- The senior won her last four singles matches at No. 1 singles and finished 5-1 in League play.
Robin amassed 18 singles wins and 10 doubles wins in his first collegiate tennis season.
- He becomes the first Bruin to win the award.
Bulut maintained a perfect 6-0 singles record in League play this season for the Golden Grizzlies.
- The freshman from Istanbul, Turkey gives Oakland back-to-back Freshmen of the Year, with teammate Emilia Jarvinen winning the award last season.
The Herb Foster Sportsmanship Award is given in honor of former Wright State men’s and women’s tennis coach Herb Foster and recognizes student-athletes who have distinguished themselves through demonstrated acts of sportsmanship and ethical behavior. Sportsmanship is defined as behavior exhibited during competition by student-athletes based on values, respect and integrity.
- Valdes was described by his head coach as “always having a positive and supportive attitude” on and off the courts.
- Hibbert’s coach praised him for his “tremendous respect for the game of tennis.”
- Frogner’s head coach noted how she “values the camaraderie and mutual respect shared among student-athletes.”
Crawford earns Coach of the Year honors after leading his program to their first-ever appearance in a conference postseason tournament.
Polito is honored with his second Coach of the Year award after the Vikings posted a 6-0 record in League play.
The 2025 Horizon League Tennis Championships will take place at the Varsity Tennis Center in Ann Arbor, Mich.
- Quarterfinal matches begin on Friday, April 25 and conclude on Sunday, April 27 with championship matches streamed on ESPN+.
- Fans can also follow the action on social media by following @HorizonLeague and #OurHorizon.
- For complete championship information, visit #HLTennis Championship Central.

2025 Horizon League Men’s Tennis Award Winners

Player of the Year
Lincoln Battle, Cleveland State

Freshman of the Year
Charlie Robin, Belmont

Herb Foster Sportsmanship Awards
Chad Valdes, Chicago State
Taj Hibbert, Tennessee State

Coach of the Year
Chris Crawford, Southern Indiana

All-League First Team
Esunge Ndumbe, Belmont
Lincoln Battle, Cleveland State
Carl Gedlitschka, Cleveland State
Jonasz Dziopak, Tennessee State
Taj Hibbert, Tennessee State
Onder Balci, Youngstown State

All-League Second Team
Charlie Robin, Belmont
Sabi Roi, Belmont
Cole Chappell, Cleveland State
Kamil Kozerski, IU Indy
Ethan Dasset, Youngstown State
Will Rassat, Youngstown State

Herb Foster Sportsmanship Award Finalists
Diego Castro, Belmont
Chad Valdes, Chicago State*
Carl Gedlitschka, Cleveland State
Guilherme Cauvilla, Eastern Illinois
Kamil Kozerski, IU Indy
Dugan Fowler, Northern Kentucky
Jy Hibbert, Southern Indiana
Taj Hibbert, Tennessee State*
Alex Alvarez, Tennessee Tech

2025 Horizon League Women’s Tennis Awards

Player of the Year
Ashlee Fisk, Northern Kentucky

Freshman of the Year
Nisa Bulut, Oakland

Herb Foster Sportsmanship Award
Filippa Frogner, Cleveland State

Coach of the Year
Frank Polito, Cleveland State

All-League First Team
Sima Heren, Cleveland State
Oihane Vicario, Cleveland State
Ashlee Fisk, Northern Kentucky
Nisa Bulut, Oakland
Julia Marko, Youngstown State
Lili Minich, Youngstown State

All-League Second Team
Tereze Vevere, Cleveland State
Emma Dell, IU Indy
Nadiia Konieva, Milwaukee
Emilia Jarvinen, Oakland
Lorena Cedeno, Youngstown State
Yesenyia Ovcharova, Youngstown State

Herb Foster Sportsmanship Award Finalists
Filippa Frogner, Cleveland State*
Grace Lampman, IU Indy
Sara Simonova, Milwaukee
Didi Steenhuis, Northern Kentucky
Emilia Jarvinen, Oakland
Lili Minich, Youngstown State