ROME, Ga.  Taking the top spot in this year's USA South Men's Tennis All–Conference awards, Matthew Hurley becomes the first Methodist men's tennis athlete since 2019 to capture the league's Player of the Year honor. He's accompanied on the All–Conference list by teammates Harry Crokam and Drew Guarnieri, who both earned second–team recognition.
 
Hurley put together an incredible season, earning a 17–1 record in dual matches at the No. 1 singles position, including a 6–0 mark versus USA South opponents. He went 13–5 overall in doubles matches, pairing with Decklan Rayner for a 12–3 record and winning five out of six matches against conference foes. He was also tabbed as the league's Player of the Week on five occasions.
 
This is Hurley's third consecutive season on the All–Conference First Team, and he's just the second player ever in program history to earn both the Player of the Year title and the Rookie of the Year honor – which he captured in 2023.
 
Crokam earns his second–straight second–team honor after going 11–7 in dual matches, competing at the No. 2 and No. 3 singles positions. In doubles action, the junior went 10–8 overall, including a 6–2 mark when paired with teammate Wills Belser.
 
Earning his first all–conference accolade, Guarnieri achieved a 12–5 mark in dual matches this season, representing the Monarchs at the No. 3, 4, 5 and 6 singles positions depending on the match. He was also 12–5 in doubles competition, taking the court with four different teammates throughout the Spring. In No. 3 doubles, Guarnieri went 7–2, including a 6–1 record alongside Ethan Carlyle. Guarnieri was also recognized as Methodist's representative on the All–Sportsmanship team.
 
The success of these three Monarchs was made evident this season as the team went 12–6 overall and 5–1 in USA South matches. It's the most regular–season wins for the program since 2019, matching the team's total of 12 regular–season victories that year.
 
The Monarchs earned the second seed in the USA South tournament, receiving a bye in the first round. They now set their sights on the semifinal round, where they'll face Pfeiffer University on Friday in Rocky Mount, North Carolina.