STREETSBORO, Ohio – The Cleveland State men's tennis team continued Horizon League play Saturday afternoon, closing out a four-match roadswing with a 4-3 victory against Youngstown State. With the win, the Vikings improved to 12-7 overall this season and 2-0 in league action.
PDF BOX SCORE | Cleveland State 4, Youngstown State 3
Quick Hits
· With his win at No. 4 singles, Benjamin Slade is now in sole possession of sixth place on the CSU Singles Wins List, owning 74 career victories.
· Clark Bilinovich picked up his team-leading 23rd singles win of the season against YSU, improving to 14-4 this spring.
· Following his three-set win at the top of the lineup, Nico Mostardi became the ninth Viking all-time with 65 career wins, ranking ninth on the CSU Singles Wins List.
· Saturday's win marked the 247th victory for head coach Brian Etzkin.
· Cleveland State is now 2-0 in Horizon League play, and is currently on a three-match winstreak.
The Match
After dropping the doubles point, the Vikings responded by winning first sets on four of the six singles courts to switch the momentum back in their favor.
Benjamin Slade was the first Viking to get on the board, as he picked up a 7-6 (5), 6-2 win at No. 4 singles to even the match at 1-1. This marked Slade's ninth straight win over a league opponent in regular season matches, as he now stands at 9-0 over the last two seasons.
Cleveland State then gained a 2-1 advantage in the match after Clark Bilinovich picked up a straight-set win at the No. 5 spot, earning a 7-5, 6-4 victory to improve to 2-0 in league play this season.
Nico Mostardi then gave the Vikings a 3-1 lead after he battled for a 6-4, 1-6, 6-2 victory at the top of the lineup, improving to 19-10 overall this season and 11-6 at No. 1 singles this spring.
Cleveland State's clinching point came from William Malm at No. 6 singles, as he earned a 1-6, 7-5, 6-3 victory to give the Vikings a 2-0 #HLMTEN record this season.
Up Next
· Cleveland State will take a break from league play next weekend, hosting Case Western at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 6.
The Results
Doubles (3, 1)
1. Veremeichuk/Garretto (YSU) def. Slade/Mostardi (CSU), 6-4
2. Terry/Phillips (CSU) vs. Purser/Vardakis (YSU), 5-3, unf.
3. Dahan/Blanco (YSU) def. Malm/Bilinovich (CSU), 6-2
Singles (4, 5, 1, 6, 2, 3)
1. Nico Mostardi (CSU) def. Danylo Veremeichuk (YSU), 6-4, 1-6, 6-2
2. Vasilis Vardakis (YSU) def. Matthew Terry (CSU), 6-7(6), 6-4, 1-0(9)
3. Joao Garretto (YSU) def. Luke Phillips (CSU), 6-4, 5-7, 7-6(5)
4. Benjamin Slade (CSU) def. Luke Purser (YSU), 7-6(5), 6-2
5. Clark Bilinovich (CSU) def. Yossi Dahan (YSU), 7-5, 6-4
6. William Malm (CSU) def. Erik Gran (YSU), 1-6, 7-5, 6-3