FOREST, Va. --- First time ODAC champion Averett University saw three Cougars earn special individual plaudits, joining players from Shenandoah University and Washington and Lee University with high honors to highlight the 2025 All-ODAC Men's Tennis Awards.

Shenandoah junior Dominick Suwak earned ODAC Player of the Year honors from the league's head coaches, while Averett mentor Bert Poole garnered ODAC Coach of the Year laurels from his peers. Fellow Cougar Florian Bert and WLU's Ryan Good shared ODAC Rookie of the Year recognition. AU senior Jaeden Mukkaladyil received ODAC/Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete of the Year distinction from the league's athletic communications personnel.

There are plenty of new honorees on the 2025 all-conference lists with just six singles players and one doubles team plus two halves of two other tandems earning recognition for a second straight season.

In the singles ranks, Washington and Lee's trio of Evan Erb, Will Kistler, and Heys Parker repeat as All-ODAC First Team honorees along with AU's Mukkaladyil. Cougars' teammate Prabjeet Chandhok moves up to the first team from last year's All-ODAC Second Team. Guilford College's Andres Mercedes is a repeat honoree on the second team.

In doubles action, GC's full team of Brandon Hermes and Mercedes repeat as second team honorees. Randolph College's Jacob Martin was a second team choice with Ondra Pelda last season. He is a first team honoree this year with Andreas Mulner. WLU's Parker was a first team selection with Josh Rassin last year. He again is on the first team this year with partner Eli Hirshberg.

Suwak, a junior from Arlington, Va., put together a spectacular season in going 20-4 in all singles matches to mark his second straight 20-plus win season. He went 14-3 from the top flight including 8-0 in conference matches. While not currently ranked nationally, Suwak was slotted 48th in Division III earlier this season. He closed the year ranked 14th in the Atlantic South Region. In doubles action, Suwak partnered with four different players and posted a 13-13 overall record. He was 5-3 in conference all from the top position. Over his first three seasons in Winchester, Suwak has won a Hornets career-high 60 singles matches and a SU career second-best 46 doubles contests.

Poole completed his 10th season guiding the Averett tennis programs and enjoys his first ODAC top coaching award. He previously was honored as the VaSID Coach of the Year (2020) for men's tennis and the USA South Coach of the Year (2022) for women's tennis. Poole's 2025 men's program hoisted its first ODAC trophy, the second won by Averett since joining the ODAC. The Cougars entered the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2000 and picked up a first round win over Asbury to claim their third overall win on the national stage and first since that 2000 campaign. AU closed the season ranked 33 in the country.

Bert, a first-year from Frankfurt am Main, Germany, pairs his co-rookie honor with an All-ODAC Second Team selection at #3 doubles with partner Alex Donnelly. Bert and Donnelly went 9-4 overall and 4-1 in conference play featuring a 7-4 overall mark at #3. In singles action, Bert 14-10 overall and 5-3 in league matches. He was 9-7 from the third flight, 2-0 at #1, and 1-0 at #4.

Good, a first-year from Glen Allen, Va., combines his ODAC co-rookie award with an All-ODAC First Team selection at #6 singles. Good went 8-0 in all singles matches, including 5-0 in conference competition. He won three of those outings at #6. In doubles action, Good went 12-12 with four partners. He and Sanjheev Rao were 6-3, while Good went 6-1 in conference doubles matches.

Mukkaladyil, a senior from Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, shines both on and off the court for Averett. In the classroom, Mukkaladyil maintains a 4.0 grade point average as a business administration major with a certification/concentration in marketing management. A perennial honoree on the Averett President's List as well as ODAC All-Academic Team, Mukkaladyil is now a two-time recipient of College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District plaudits, having recently learned of this season's recognition. At AU's Night of Champions, he won the Top Senior Male GPA award. He is a member of the Sigma Beta Delta (business) honor society.

On the court, Mukkaladyil pairs this honor his second straight All-ODAC First Team singles honor (at #2). He was named Averett's Senior Male Athlete of the Year at the Night of Champions celebration. Mukkaladyil went 20-5 in all singles matches including 16-3 at #2 singles. He was 5-1 in league competition. In doubles play, Mukkaladyil 14-10 with four different partners. He was 6-2 in conference play. Mukkaladyil won both his singles and doubles (w/ Chandhok) in AU's conference title match against Washington and Lee, which marked the program's first ODAC championship and first league trophy of any kind in 25 years.

Listed below is the allotment of All-ODAC Men's Award winners.

ODAC Player of the Year: Dominick Suwak, Jr., Shenandoah
ODAC Coach of the Year: Bert Poole, Averett
ODAC Co-Rookie of the Year: Florian Bert, Fy., Averett
ODAC Co-Rookie of the Year: Ryan Good, Fy., Washington and Lee
ODAC/VAFB Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Jaeden Mukkaladyil, Sr., Averett

ALL-ODAC FIRST TEAM
#1 Singles: Dominick Suwak, Shenandoah University
#1 Singles: Evan Erb, Washington and Lee University *
#2 Singles: Jaeden Mukkaladyil, Averett University *
#2 Singles: Will Kistler, Washington and Lee University *
#3 Singles: James Kurani, Washington and Lee University
#4 Singles: Prabjeet Chandhok, Averett University ^
#5 Singles: Heys Parker, Washington and Lee University *
#6 Singles: Ryan Good, Washington and Lee University

#1 Doubles: Jacob Martin ^ / Andreas Mulner - Randolph College
#1 Doubles: Evan Erb / Will Kistler - Washington and Lee University
#2 Doubles: Eli Hirshberg / Heys Parker * - Washington and Lee University
#3 Doubles: Tudor Vlad / Sainandan Challagundla - Virginia Wesleyan University

ALL-ODAC SECOND TEAM
#1 Singles: Andres Mercedes, Guilford College ^
#1 Singles: Barrett Foster, Hampden-Sydney College
#2 Singles: Thomas Davis, Hampden-Sydney College
#3 Singles: Jovan Cirkovic, Shenandoah University
#4 Singles: Eli Hirshberg, Washington and Lee University
#5 Singles: Rafael Jodas, Averett University
#6 Singles: Lucas Fiandra, Averett University

#1 Doubles: Brandon Hermes ^ / Andres Mercedes ^ - Guilford College
#1 Doubles: Barrett Foster / Thomas Davis - Hampden-Sydney
#2 Doubles: Sam Egui / Rafael Jodas - Averett University
#3 Doubles: Alex Donnelly / Florian Bert - Averett University

* 2024 All-ODAC First Team
^ 2024 All-ODAC Second Team