Lubbe Wins Freshman of the Year as Six Total Mustangs Honored in All-Big West
4/30/2026 3:15:00 PM | Men's Tennis
IRVINE, Calif. – True freshman import from Hazyview, South Africa, Jovan Lubbe stunned the Big West this season and became the sixth Mustang in conference history, and first since 2021, to earn Men’s Tennis Freshman of the Year.
In addition to Lubbe (Freshman of the Year, First Team Singles, Second Team Doubles), five other Mustangs were honored in All-Big West voting: Aaron Eliscu (Second Team Singles), Luc Hoeijmans (Second Team Singles), Leo Matthysen (Second Team Doubles), Raz Haviv (Honorable Mention Doubles), and Sean Ferguson (Honorable Mention Doubles).
Lubbe joins Noah Berry (2021), Ben Donovan (2014), Marco Comuzzo (2011), Jordan Bridge (2010), and Andre Dome (2009) as Mustang conference Freshman of the Year honorees.
The first-year Lubbe assembled an impressive enough resume to not only secure Freshman of the Year honors but also a spot on the All-Big West First Team. The team’s wins leader this season at No. 1 singles (12-7), Lubbe went 5-2 against conference opponents, including upsetting then-89th-ranked singles player and fellow first-teamer Lucca Liu (UCSB) to help the Mustangs claim the regular-season title.
Jovan is very deserving of these honors. Even though he’s a freshman, he’s extremely mature, ambitious, and prepared mentally to play at this level. He had some fantastic examples at Saddlebrook of how to prepare for the college game, and it’s evident that he’ll be an important piece of this team for the coming years.Head Coach Nick Carless
Aaron Eliscu, a senior on the cusp of graduation who entered the season with just 18 career singles appearances, earned All-Big West Second Team honors after delivering a pleasantly surprising team-leading 14-6 record. Eliscu was thrust into the top half of the lineup midseason after a series of injuries throughout the team, and the Arizona native stood tall in the face of the challenge, going 8-4 in those spots.
Eliscu capped his regular season with a stunning victory over UCSB’s 57th-ranked No. 2 singles player, Dominique Rolland. That win was sandwiched between a victory at No. 1 singles over UC San Diego’s Oliver Worth.
Luc Hoeijmans, the graduate transfer from Tulane, was also named to the All-Big West Second Team for singles after compiling an impressive 10-5 record despite missing time and opportunities to get on the court in both singles and doubles. Including a 2-2 stretch as the Mustangs’ No. 1 singles player, Hoeijmans spent his entire season in the top half of the lineup and served as a valuable veteran mentor and mind in the locker room.
Aaron is incredibly deserving of a second-team nod and probably even had a resume strong enough for the first team if the Big West were not as high-quality as it is. He’s really come a long way, and his determination in the face of change and adversity over his career is a tribute to his lasting body of work. Luc had to endure a lot and missed an integral part of the season. The fact that he was able to find solid form near the end of the year is remarkable and a testament to him.Head Coach Nick Carless
The pairs of Leo Matthysen / Jovan Lubbe (Second Team) and Sean Ferguson / Raz Haviv (Honorable Mention) earned All-Big West Doubles honors. Joining the team in time for the spring dual season, Matthysen teamed with fellow South African Lubbe at No. 1 doubles and saw quite a few matches as a true freshman, posting a 9-9 overall doubles record. Ferguson and Haviv joined forces later in the season as well but still managed a 3-2 record together at No. 3 doubles, including a four-match win streak to open conference play.
Leo did a really good job coming in midseason, showing great potential and leadership. Sean Ferguson and Raz Haviv, a newer pair towards the end of the year, also came up clutch for us later in the season.Head Coach Nick Carless
Eliscu and Hoeijmans were honored on Senior Night and are slated to graduate, but all other Mustangs will be returning to Ronca Tennis Center next season.
