Sabi Roi Named All-Horizon League First Team

INDIANAPOLIS – Belmont University men's tennis' Sabi Roi has been selected to the 2026 All-Horizon League First Team. The Lyon, France, native went 5-1 in Horizon League play this spring primarily playing at the top of the singles lineup and is 9-6 on the season at No. 1 doubles alongside junior Stefan Vedovelli.
 
Voted upon by the league's head coaches, Roi earns his second consecutive all-conference selection. In his first season as a Bruin last spring, Roi was tabbed All-Horizon League Second Team.
 
Twice during the season, Roi was chosen as Horizon League Singles Player of the Week (April 8 and Feb. 4), and the senior claimed a pair of Horizon League Doubles Team of the Week honors in March (March 18 and March 4) alongside Vedovelli.
 
Heading into the 2026 Horizon League Men's Tennis Championship, Roi owns a team-best 18 singles wins on the year, including fall tournament action. Six of his 10 singles victories in dual matches have come at the No. 1 spot.
 
Roi's lone blemish in singles in Horizon League play was against Horizon League Player of the Year Taj Hibbert of Tennessee State, a tightly-contested three-set affair that was decided by three points in a third-set super tiebreaker. Having won six of his last eight matches, Roi looks to help Belmont defend its title at the Horizon League Championship beginning Friday morning.
 
In his first season as a Bruin, graduate Will Ecklund was named a finalist for the Horizon League Herb Foster Sportsmanship Award after displaying integrity and high character throughout the season.
 
Belmont's Horizon League Championship title defense begins at 9 a.m. CT/10 a.m. ET Friday when the Bruins, who are the No. 3 South Division seed, take on Cleveland State, who is the No. 2 North Division seed, in the first round. The three-day league tournament is being hosted at the Lindner Family Tennis Center, the site of the world-renowned Cincinnati Open, in Mason, Ohio. Should Belmont emerge victorious Friday, the Bruins would face No. 1 South Division seed Tennessee Tech in the Horizon League Championship semifinals Saturday morning.
 
2026 Horizon League Men's Tennis Award Winners
 
Player of the Year
Taj Hibbert, Tennessee State
 
Freshman of the Year
Owen Nguyen, IU Indy
Diego Munoz, Tennessee Tech
 
Herb Foster Sportsmanship Awards
Carl Gedlitschka, Cleveland State
Emilio Bravo, Northern Kentucky
Jy Hibbert, Tennessee State
 
Coach of the Year
Mark Klysner, Tennessee Tech
 
All-Horizon League First Team
Sabi Roi, Belmont
Lincoln Battle, Cleveland State
Taj Hibbert, Tennessee State
Alex Alvarez, Tennessee Tech
Alexis Maulouet, Youngstown State
Dominik Vonbank, Youngstown State
 
All-Horizon League Second Team
Carl Gedlitschka, Cleveland State
Konner Gunwall, IU Indy
Owen Nguyen, IU Indy
Emilio Bravo, Northern Kentucky
Davids Spaks, Tennessee Tech
Rafael Le Fur, Youngstown State
 
Herb Foster Sportsmanship Award Finalists
Will Ecklund, Belmont
Carl Gedlitschka, Cleveland State*
Eli Mercer, IU Indy
Emilio Bravo, Northern Kentucky*
Jy Hibbert, Southern Indiana*
Taj Hibbert, Tennessee State
Malo Vernejoul, Youngstown State
 
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