FAIRFAX, Va. – Four Patriots earn Atlantic 10 men's tennis postseason honors, highlighted by freshman Edgar Vilain being named the Atlantic 10 Most Outstanding Rookie of the Year.
Freshman Edgar Vilain was named the Atlantic 10 Most Outstanding Rookie of the Year after earning Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week honors three times during the spring season. Vilain posted a 13-6 overall singles record, including eight dual-match victories and five tournament wins, tying for the second-most singles wins on the team during the 2025-26 season. In doubles play, Vilain recorded 14 victories overall, highlighted by an 11-2 dual-match record alongside Niza Simunyola at No. 2 doubles. Vilain also earned Atlantic 10 All-Conference Second Team honors following his standout freshman campaign.
Deniz Okyay earned Atlantic 10 All-Academic Team recognition and was named to the Atlantic 10 All-Conference Second Team. Okyay earned Atlantic 10 Player of the Week honors on Feb. 17 and recorded six singles dual-match victories at the No. 1 position during the season. In doubles play, he posted an 11-4 overall record alongside Shari Saeed, including eight dual-match wins and three tournament victories at No. 3 doubles. The pair earned a 6-3 victory at No. 3 doubles against Richmond to help George Mason clinch the doubles point in a 4-2 regular-season victory over the Spiders.
Monil Lotlikar earned Atlantic 10 All-Conference Second Team honors after leading the Patriots with a 14-7 overall singles record. Lotlikar posted nine dual-match singles victories and five tournament singles wins while competing primarily at No. 2 singles. He also added five doubles dual-match victories at No. 1 doubles along with four tournament doubles wins. Lotlikar earned a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Navy's Lachlan Buckingham at No. 2 singles to help George Mason secure a 4-3 victory and later earned a hard-fought 6-1, 5-7, 6-4 win over Richmond's Paxton Pritchard at No. 2 singles during the Patriots' 4-2 regular-season win over the Spiders.
Niza Simunyola was named to the Atlantic 10 All-Academic Team after producing strong performances both on the court and in the classroom. Simunyola totaled seven singles victories, including five dual-match wins, and paired with Vilain to post a 12-2 record at No. 2 doubles during dual play while adding four doubles tournament victories in the fall. The duo defeated Richmond's No. 2 doubles pair of Paxton Pritchard and Sam Rathmanner, 6-3, during George Mason's 4-2 regular-season victory over the Spiders. Simunyola also earned a 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 comeback win over Richmond's Otto Sewell at No. 4 singles in the match and added a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Navy's J.J. Etterbeek at No. 4 singles during the season.
George Mason finished the season with 10 team victories, marking the program's first 10-win season since 2018-19. The Patriots also earned the highest Atlantic 10 Championship seed in program history at the No. 4 seed and achieved the program's first-ever national ITA ranking during the season, reaching No. 72 nationally.
