CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Cleveland State men's tennis team will wrap up regular season play with a two-match roadswing this weekend, traveling to IUPUI on Saturday, April 21 and UIC on Sunday, April 22.
Saturday, April 21 | @ IUPUI | 3:30 p.m.
West Indy Racquet Club | 4458 Guion Rd. | Indianapolis, Ind. | 46254
Sunday, April 22 | @ UIC | 3:00 p.m. EST
Flames Outdoor Tennis Courts | 839 W. Roosevelt Rd. | Chicago, Ill. | 60608
Last Time Out…
The Vikings picked up back-to-back wins over Wright State (6-1) and Northern Kentucky (7-0), improving to 4-1 in #HLMTEN play. Cleveland State also finished a 12-match home slate last weekend, finishing the 2018 spring season with an 11-1 record when playing at the Medical Mutual Tennis Pavilion, including a perfect 4-0 record against league opponents.
Slade Notches 20-Win Campaign
With a 6-4, 7-6(5) victory over Wright State at No. 4 singles, junior Benjamin Slade became the fourth Viking to eclipse the 20-win mark this season, and ended the weekend with a 21-12 mark on the year. Slade, who also recorded a 20-win season as a freshman, is the seventh Viking all-time with multiple 20+ win campaigns.
…Slade Closing In On CSU Singles Wins List
Entering the final roadswing of the regular season, Benjamin Slade is just one win shy of earning a spot on the CSU Singles Wins List, entering the weekend with 57 career victories. Slade, who has won six of his last seven matches, owns a team-best 15-6 mark this spring. With one more win, Slade would be tied for 10th place on the list, and would be the first Viking to crack the top-10 since the 2014-15 season.
Trio On CSU Single-Season Wins List
Heading into the final stretch of regular season play, three Vikings are ranked on the CSU Single-Season Wins List, as Nico Mostardi, Luke Phillips and Matthew Terry are all tied for eighth place with 24 wins so far this season. With just one more win, the trio would move into a tie for fifth place on the list, and would mark the first Vikings to reach 25+ wins in a single season since the 2013-14 campaign (Matt Kuelker & Manuel Bellutti).
#HLMTEN Doubles Play
Through five Horizon League matches this spring, the Vikings have picked up the early doubles point on four occasions, eventually picking up the match victory during all four of those contests. Cleveland State's most recent No. 3 doubles team of Jack Santilli and Matthew Terry owns a perfect 3-0 record after joining the lineup due to injuries, while the No. 2 tandem of Luke Phillips and William Malm stands at 3-1 in #HLMTEN matches.
Phillips & Slade Perfect In #HLMTEN Play
After four weeks of Horizon League play, freshman Luke Phillips and junior Benjamin Slade own perfect 5-0 singles records against league opponents. Phillips and Slade have been playing at No. 3 and No. 4 singles, respectively, and are two of just four league players to be undefeated in a complete league schedule. The last time a Viking played a complete league schedule and went undefeated in singles play was during the 2013-14 season (Joe VanMeter & Manuel Bellutti), while the last time a Viking freshman achieved the feat was during the 2010-11 campaign (Matt Kuelker).
Vikings Tabbed Preseason Favorites In Horizon League
Earlier this season, Cleveland State was selected as the preseason favorite to win the Horizon League, collecting 46 points and four first place votes in the preseason poll. Over the last six years that the league has been releasing a preseason poll, this marked the first time that the Vikings were favored to win and the fifth time that Cleveland State was a top-two selection.
Head Coach Brian Etzkin
Brian Etzkin is in his 16th year at the helm of the Vikings, owning a 230-169 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.
Scouting The Jaguars
IUPUI enters Saturday's contest with a 7-15 overall record this season, including a 1-3 mark against league opponents. The Jaguars picked up their lone #HLMTEN win in a 7-0 decision against Northern Kentucky, and enter the weekend on a three-match losing skid.
This will be the sixth meeting between the two teams under head coach Brian Etzkin, with Cleveland State owning a slight 3-2 advantage in the overall series.
Scouting The Flames
UIC enters the weekend standing at 6-9 overall and 3-1 in league play, and will face Youngstown State prior to Sunday's match against the Vikings. The Flames enter the weekend on a three-match winstreak, picking up wins against Wright State (5-2), Northern Kentucky (6-1) and IUPUI (4-3) during this stretch.
This will be the 23rd meeting between the two teams over the last 16 seasons, with Cleveland State owning a 16-6 record in the overall series. The Vikings have won 14 straight matchups entering Sunday's contest.
