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Men’s Tennis Finishes 2018-19 With Top-10 ITA Regional Ranking

Men’s Tennis Finishes 2018-19 With Top-10 ITA Regional Ranking
Posted: Jun 06, 2019

TEMPE, Ariz. – For the second straight year the Cleveland State men's tennis team earned a top-10 ITA Regional ranking, as the Vikings finished the year ranked eighth in the Midwest Regional in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association poll.

COMPLETE ITA REGIONAL RANKINGS

As a team, the Vikings are appearing in the regional rankings for the second straight year, while the eighth-place showing marks the highest ranking in program history. Cleveland State is one of three mid-major teams to earn a spot in the top-10, while the Vikings are the only Horizon League team to appear in the rankings.

"I was very proud of the team for their efforts this year, I thought we had an incredible season and accomplished many of our goals, and it's always nice to have your hard work recognized by your peers," head coach Brian Etzkin said. "Being able to achieve the highest regional ranking in our program's history is definitely a credit to the team's dedication and continued hard work on the courts, and the team-first mentality that we played with throughout the season. Earning a top-10 regional ranking is a nice feather in our cap, and a great way to wrap up the season."

Cleveland State finished the 2018-19 campaign with a 19-8 overall record, marking the third time in program history that the Vikings have recorded 19+ wins. The Vikings finished the year with a perfect 6-0 mark against Horizon League opponents to claim the regular season title, and then followed that up with their second straight Horizon League Tournament championship after posting back-to-back wins against IUPUI and UIC.

The 2019 #HLMTEN Tournament title marked the seventh all-time for the Vikings, which is tied for the second highest individual school total in league history.

Earlier this spring, the Vikings made their seventh appearance in the NCAA Tournament, with all seven trips coming under current head coach Brian Etzkin.

This marks the fourth time in program history that the Vikings have appeared in the year-end regional rankings, also earning a spot on the list following the 2017-18, 2009-10 and 2008-09 seasons.