NEC Men's Player of the Month: Taurus Mickus, FDU & Bassil Touban, LIU
NEC Men's Rookie of the Month: Carlo Zucchini, LEM
NEC Women's Player of the Month: Yelena Kim, FDU
NEC Women's Rookie of the Month: Sophia Fredericks-Mckee, FDU

Previous NEC Releases: October 1

NEC MEN’S TENNIS CO-PLAYERS OF THE MONTH
Taurus Mickus, FDU
Jr., Radviliskis, Lithuania/Radviliskis Lizdeika Gymnasium
Mickus performed at a high level in October, going 4-1 in singles play, and added three doubles wins. The junior rattled off three straight-set victories in a row at the Army Invitational to go undefeated at the event, winning convincingly in each match. Mickus prevailed against Army players Jack Hanna (6-2, 6-0) and Davis McDonald (6-3, 6-2), and followed up with a win over Sacred Heart's Martin Macias (6-4, 6-1) in his final match. Mickus split his matches at the ITA Northeast Regional, picking up a straight sets win over NEC foe Tom Lamers (6-4, 7-5) from Wagner. The Radviliskis, Lithuania native concluded his fall season with an impressive 8-3 singles record. 

Bassil Touban, LIU
So., Queens, NY/Maspeth (St. John's)
Touban excelled in October, posting a 4-1 singles mark and 1-0 record in doubles. The Queens, NY product advanced to the Round of 32 in the Qualifying Draw at the ITA Northeast Regional, doing so with a straight-sets win over Hofstra's Hideki Mastuoka (6-4, 6-3). Touban had another good showing at the Men's ITA Tournament later in the month, winning all three of his singles matches and earning a clean 6-0 win in a doubles match against a team from Monmouth. The sophomore's three singles wins came against Army's McDonald (6-0, 0-6, 10-6), and a pair of Fairfield players in Diego Alcala (7-6 (11-9), 6-4) and Alex Di Staulto (7-6 (7-5), 6-2).  

NEC MEN’S TENNIS ROOKIE OF THE MONTH
Carlo Zucchini, Le Moyne
Fr., Varese, Italy/European School of Varese
Zucchini built upon his September debut with an even better October. The rookie went 4-1 in singles and 3-2 in doubles for the month. In singles play, Zucchini picked up a win at the ITA New England Regional and trio of wins at the Colgate Invitational, all against Raider players. Zucchini advanced to the second round of the ITA New England Regional with an emphatic straight sets win over Boston University's Andrew Andea (6-2, 6-0). He won the top singles flight of the Colgate Invitational, stringing together three consecutive straight-set victories over Colgate's Witt Bulger (7-5, 6-0), Jerome Falcon (6-4, 6-2) and Aidan Lee (6-4, 1-0 (ret.)). Zucchini also captured the doubles flight at that tournament alongside partner Luke Hoyland, defeating teams from Colgate and Siena before winning an all-Le Moyne final. The Dolphins have won back-to-back NEC Rookie of the Month awards, with Gabriel Segubiense taking home the honor in September.

NEC WOMEN’S TENNIS PLAYER OF THE MONTH
Yelena Kim, FDU
Sr., Almaty, Kazakhstan/Novoaleksandrivsky Lyceum
Kim posted strong results throughout the month of October, finishing with three singles wins against quality opponents. The reigning NEC Tournament MVP picked up a singles win over Fordham's Paola Dalmonico (1-0, 6-1) at the Fordham Invitational. At the ITA Northeast Regional, Kim built upon that result by claiming marquee victories over Seton Hall's Imogen Brooker (6-0, 6-2) and Columbia's Sabrina Lin (4-6, 6-4, 7-5). The Almaty, Kazakhstan native advanced to the third round of the ITA Northeast Regional before falling in three sets to Columbia's Amber Yin (6-4, 4-6, 4-6). Kim closed her fall campaign with six singles wins. She became the second FDU player in a row to win NEC Player of the Month, after Oleksandra Ovsiienko earned the award in September.

NEC WOMEN’S TENNIS ROOKIE OF THE MONTH
Sophia Fredericks-Mckee, FDU
Fr., London, England/Latymer Upper School
Fredericks-Mckee continued her strong start to her collegiate career with a 3-2 singles record in October. The freshman earned a pair of gutsy comeback wins at the Fordham Invitational, defeating Army's Stacey Samonte (5-7, 6-3, 10-8) and Stony Brook's Laura Ozala (3-6, 6-3, 11-9). Fredericks-Mckee also won her first round matchup at the ITA Northeast Regional, prevailing in straight sets over Princeton's Anna Maria Fedotova (6-1, 7-5). She wrapped up her fall campaign with an impressive 11-5 singles record, the most singles wins on the Knights. Fredericks-Mckee was the second FDU player in a row recognized as the NEC Rookie of the Month after Ovsiienko claimed the accolade in September.

 
NEC MEN'S PRIME PERFORMERS

Jorge Alonso-Cortes, Sr., FDU - Swept his singles matches at the Army Invitational, beating two players from Army and one from Sacred Heart. Alonso-Cortes finished the fall season with an 8-1 record. 

Taurus Mickus, Jr., FDU - Named NEC Co-Player of the Month.

Gryffin Minor, Sr., FDU - Finished October at 3-2 in singles play. Minor emerged victorious in a pair of singles matches over Army players and 2025 Atlantic 10 Most Outstanding Rookie and First Team All-Atlantic 10 selection Filip Horak from Fordham. 

Carlo Zucchini, Fr., LEM - Named NEC Rookie of the Month.

Bassil Touban, So., LIU - Named NEC Co-Player of the Month.

Guillermo Bennaton, So., STO - Went 2-1 in singles on the month. Bennaton picked up wins over Boston College's Aidan Pack (6-2, 3-6, 6-0) and Siena's Matteo Castellazzi (5-7, 6-3, 6-2). The latter win came from the No. 1 spot in a 5-2 dual match win over the Saints.

Lukas Escher, R-Fr., WC - Won both of his singles matches from the No. 2 slot in straight sets during Wagner's dual match wins over Holy Cross and Lafyette. Escher defeated Matt Carlson from Holy Cross (6-4, 6-2) and Derrin Lerner from Lafayette (6-0, 6-2).

NEC WOMEN'S PRIME PERFORMERS

Nitya Vyas, Jr., BING - Posted a perfect 5-0 combined singles and doubles record at the NateRentals.com Hidden Duals. Vyas went 3-0 in singles at the event, two of which were comeback victories. She went 3-2 in singles for the month of October.

Sophia Fredericks-McKee, Fr., FDU - Named NEC Rookie of the Month.

Yelena Kim, Sr., FDU - Named NEC Player of the Month.

Emma Jane Barclay, Sr., LIU - Won both of her singles matches at the ITA Women's Tournament. Barclay split her doubles matches at the same event. She finished October with a 2-0 singles record.

Victoria Madail, So., WC - Finished October with a 2-2 singles record. Madail won a pair of singles matches in straight sets from the No. 2 position in dual wins over Holy Cross and Lafayette. The sophomore went 3-1 in doubles for the month.


2025 NEC TENNIS WEEKLY AWARD WINNERS:

MEN'S PLAYER OF THE MONTH
Oct. 1: Kevin Titus Suresh, SFU
Nov. 6: Taurus Mickus, FDU & Bassil Touban, LIU

MEN'S ROOKIE OF THE MONTH
Oct. 1: Gabriel Segubiense, LEM
Nov. 6: Carlo Zucchini, LEM

WOMEN'S PLAYER OF THE MONTH
Oct. 1: Oleksandra Ovsiienko, FDU
Nov. 6: Yelena Kim, FDU

WOMEN'S ROOKIE OF THE MONTH
Oct. 1: Oleklsandra Ovsiienko, FDU
Nov. 6: Sophia Fredericks-Mckee, FDU