Mansfield, Mass. - A historic season for the Adelphi University men's tennis team continued to run its course Wednesday, with Marko Jovanovic and Viktor Hockl earning NE10 Player and Rookie of the Year accolades, respectively.

Jovanovic and Hockl are the first Adelphi men's tennis players to be bestowed major awards by the NE10 in over half a decade. Until today, Matteo Cannavera and Uladzislau Litvinchuk were the last and only 'Cats to achieve such honors.

Cannavera captured both NE10 Player and Rookie of the Year honors in 2015, followed by a repeat NE10 Player of the Year award in 2016. Litvinchuk took home NE10 Rookie of the Year accolades for the Panthers in 2014.

Jovanovic, who shares the award with SNHU's Jesse Den Hartog, overcame a slow start to the 2022-23 campaign to become just the second NE10 Vern Cox Player of the Year in the program's history.

A stunning 7-5, 6-3 victory over defending NE10 Player and Rookie of the Year Jonathan Berling from SNHU set the tone for Jovanovic to headline all No. 1 singles players in the NE10 with a 5-1 league record.

In doubles, Jovanovic found his form playing alongside Reece Farrow. By season's end, Jovanovic and Farrow teamed up for a 3-1 conference record at No. 3 doubles, earning NE10 Second Team All-Conference recognition.

Along with being named NE10 Rookie of the Year, Hockl was an NE10 Second Team All-Conference performer, following an inaugural spring in which he ran off four consecutive singles victories -- including a thrilling 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-3) decision that helped cement Adelphi's first win over SNHU since 2015.

For the first time in their respective careers, Gabriel Balestero and Thomas Horsley each landed on the NE10 All-Conference First Team.

Balestero had a stellar year in singles, where he became the team's mainstay at the No. 3 flight and produced a 14-6 record, with a league mark of 5-1. Only two of his fourteen victories ever went to a third set all season.

Horsley collects his first-ever NE10 All-Conference honor on the strength of a 3-0 conference singles record. After seeing action in only one singles match last year, Horsley claimed both of his conference wins at No. 6 singles in straight sets.

The Panthers now turn their attention to Southern New Hampshire University and the semifinals of the 2023 NE10 Championship on Thursday (Apr. 20) at 1 p.m. in Garden City, N.Y.