Second-Seeded Men’s Tennis Set For 2018 #HLMTEN Tournament Athletics

Posted: Apr 25, 2018

CLEVELAND, Ohio – After clinching a share of the Horizon League Regular Season championship last weekend, the Cleveland State men's tennis team will try to capture its sixth Horizon League Tournament title this weekend, entering the 2018 #HLMTEN Tournament as the No. 2 seed.

HORIZON LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIPS CENTRAL | 2018 #HLMTEN TOURNAMENT BRACKET

The Vikings will open the Horizon League Tournament with a semifinal contest on Saturday, April 28 against the winner of No. 3 Youngstown State/No. 6 Wright State, and a win would put them into the championship match on Sunday, April 29.

***Times listed above are for outdoor matches only. In case of inclement weather, check back to CSUVikings.com for updated match times.***

Follow The Vikings Live!
Viking fans that are unable to attend the 2018 Horizon League Tournament will still be able to follow the action live, as Live Scoring and Live Video will be available for all rounds of the championship. Links for both can be found on the men's tennis schedule page on CSUVikings.com.

Vikings Against The 2018 Field
Seed | 2018 Regular Season Result | Overall Record Under Etzkin | Current W/L Streak
1. Detroit Mercy | L, 4-3 | 12-2 | L 1
2. Cleveland State
3. Youngstown State | W, 6-1 | 18-7 | W 1
4. Green Bay | W, 6-1 | 12-12 | W 2
5. UIC | W, 6-1 | 17-6 | W 15
6. Wright State | W, 6-1 | 16-3 | W 6

Cleveland State In The Horizon League Tournament
The Vikings have had a lot of success in the Horizon League Tournament under head coach Brian Etzkin, capturing five tournament titles under his guidance (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013). Over the last 10 seasons the Vikings have advanced to the championship match eight times – the only school to play in the championship match more than five times during that 10-year span. Out of the eight current Horizon League schools, Cleveland State owns the most Horizon League Regular Season (5) and Tournament Titles (5).

…Vikings As The No. 2 Seed
This marks the fourth time that Cleveland State will be playing as the No. 2 seed in the Horizon League Tournament, also earning the second seed during the 2014, 2013 and 2007 seasons. The Vikings have reached the championship match twice as the No. 2 seed, finishing as the runner-up during 2014 and capturing their most recent tournament title during the 2013 campaign.

Last Time Out…
The Vikings picked up a pair of wins at IUPUI (6-1) and UIC (6-1) to close out regular season play, finishing the #HLMTEN slate with a 6-1 record and a share of the Horizon League Regular Season title. Last weekend's wins over the Jaguars and the Flames put the Vikings on a four-match winstreak entering tournament play, while the Vikings have now won six out of their last eight matches.

Vikings Notch 15-Win Season
Last Sunday's 6-1 victory at UIC marked the 15^th win of the 2018 Spring Season for the Vikings, marking the eighth 15-win campaign during head coach Brian Etzkin's tenure. Cleveland State, who eclipsed 15 wins for the first time in the last three years, leads all Horizon League teams with the 15 wins so far this season.

Slade & Phillips Notch Perfect #HLMTEN Campaigns
Throughout five weeks of Horizon League regular season play, freshman Luke Phillips and junior Benjamin Slade posted perfect 7-0 singles record 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 go undefeated in a complete league schedule this year. This marks the first time that a Viking has played a complete league schedule and gone undefeated since the 2013-14 season, while it is also the first time since the 2010-11 campaign that a Viking freshman has achieved the feat.

…Slade Cracks Top-10 On CSU Singles Wins List
Following his two wins at No. 4 singles against IUPUI and UIC last weekend, Benjamin Slade earned a spot on the CSU Singles Wins List, finishing regular season play with 59 career wins to rank 10th. Slade, who has won eight of his last nine matches, owns a team-best 17-6 mark this spring entering tournament play. Slade is the first Viking to crack the top-10 since the 2014-15 season, and would become just the 10^th Viking all-time with 60 career wins with just one more victory.

20-Win Quartet
For the third time under head coach Brian Etzkin four Vikings have eclipsed the 20-win mark for the season, as Nico Mostardi, Matthew Terry and Luke Phillips enter tournament play with 26 wins on the year, and Benjamin Slade currently has 23 victories this season. Overall, 14 Vikings have now recorded a 20-win season in program history, while Slade is the eighth Viking to have multiple 20-win campaigns to his name (21 wins as a freshman).

…CSU Single-Season Wins List
Heading into tournament play, three Vikings are ranked on the CSU Single-Season Wins List, as Nico Mostardi, Matthew Terry and Luke Phillips are all tied for fourth with 26 wins on the year. This marks the first time since the 2013-14 season that a Viking has eclipsed 26 wins in a single-season, while the trio needs two more wins to move into second place on the list.

#HLMTEN Weekly Honors
Throughout the season the Vikings have been honored by the Horizon League multiple times, picking up six Singles Player of the Week honors and two Doubles Team of the Week accolades. Cleveland State's six Singles honors is a league-best, while the Vikings' eight total accolades is also tops among league schools.

Singles Player of the Week:
Nico Mostardi – Jan. 23/Jan. 30/Feb. 6/March 27/April 24
Luke Phillips – Feb. 20

Doubles Team of the Week:
Mostardi/Terry – Jan. 30
Radosevic/Terry – March 20

Head Coach Brian Etzkin
Brian Etzkin is in his 16^th year at the helm of the Vikings, owning a 232-169 dual match record. Etzkin has guided the Vikings to five Horizon League Tournament titles and five trips to the NCAA Tournament during his tenure. As the all-time winningest coach in program history, Etzkin is one of the longest tenured coaches in the Horizon League, and is the only coach to record 200+ wins at their current school.

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Second-Seeded Men’s Tennis Set For 2018 #HLMTEN Tournament