Men’s Tennis Set To Host Trio Of Matches This Weekend

Posted: Feb 15, 2018

CLEVELAND, Ohio – After a brief roadswing last weekend, the Cleveland State men's tennis team will return to the Medical Mutual Tennis Pavilion this week, hosting Butler, Bucknell and John Carroll in a trio of matches.

Last Time Out…
The Vikings snapped their five-match winstreak, dropping a hard fought 4-3 match at Ball State. This marked the first loss for the Vikings since the opening weekend of the spring season and their first loss during the month of February.

Cleveland State Returns To The MMTP
The Vikings will return to the friendly confines of the Medical Mutual Tennis Pavilion this weekend, looking to improve on their perfect 5-0 record that they own at the MMTP this season. Cleveland State is calling the Medical Mutual Tennis Pavilion home for the third year, and stands at 11-7 all-time in matches played in the MMTP.

Mostardi Extends Singles Winstreak
With a 6-3, 6-4 victory at No. 1 singles against Ball State last weekend, sophomore Nico Mostardi extended his singles winstreak to 12 straight matches. Mostardi, who owns a perfect 7-0 mark this spring, has a team and league-best 19-4 record on the season. All 19 of Mostardi's wins so far this year have come as straight set victories.

Slade Closing In On Career Win #50
Entering the weekend, junior Benjamin Slade is just four singles wins shy of becoming the 13^th Viking all-time to reach 50 career singles wins. Slade, who has 46 career victories, currently owns a 10-9 singles mark this season and has won four of his last six matches.

#HLMTEN Weekly Honors
So far this season the Vikings have picked up four weekly accolades from the Horizon League, with Nico Mostardi earning Singles Player of the Week three times and the doubles team of Mostardi and Matthew Terry earning Doubles Team of the Week honors once. Cleveland State's four weekly honors leads all league teams so far this season.

Head Coach Brian Etzkin
Brian Etzkin is in his 16^th year at the helm of the Vikings, owning a 222-162 dual match record. Etzkin has guided the Vikings to five Horizon League Tournament titles and five trips to the NCAA Tournament during his tenure. Last spring, Etzkin helped lead the Vikings to the Championship match of the Horizon League tournament, making their eighth appearance in the title match.

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Scouting The Bulldogs
Butler enters Friday's match with a 5-2 record this spring, and is currently on a four-match winstreak with wins over Valparaiso, Youngstown State, Indianapolis, and Dayton. Friday's match at Cleveland State will be the first of a seven-match roadswing for the Bulldogs.

This will be the 19^th meeting between the two teams under head coach Brian Etzkin, with the series tied at 9-9. Last season the Bulldogs picked up a 7-0 victory, snapping a nine-match Cleveland State winstreak in the series.

Scouting The Bison
Bucknell enters the weekend with a 1-3 record, picking up their lone win in a 5-2 victory against La Salle. Prior to Sunday's match against the Vikings, the Bison will take on Saint Francis (PA), Butler, and Youngstown State.

This will be just the third meeting in the overall series, with Cleveland State picking up a 4-3 win last year and Bucknell claiming a 5-2 victory back in 2005.

Scouting The Blue Streaks
John Carroll, a Division III team, enters Sunday's match with a 0-1 record on the young season. Cleveland State will be the only Division I opponent for the Blue Streaks this season.

This will be the second meeting between the two teams, with Cleveland State picking up a 7-0 victory during the 2005-06 season.