CLEVELAND, Ohio – After clinching its third straight Horizon League Tournament title last weekend, the Cleveland State men's tennis team has earned an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament, and will take on Kentucky in a First Round contest on Friday, May 7 at 1:00 p.m.
This will be Cleveland State's eighth appearance in the NCAA Championship, and third straight trip for the Vikings. All eight of Cleveland State's NCAA Tournament appearances have come under current head coach Brian Etzkin (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2018, 2019, 2021).
The Vikings enter the First Round of the NCAA Championship with an 18-4 overall record, including a 15-match win streak that is tied for the second longest active win streak among Division I teams. During the regular season, the Vikings posted a perfect 8-0 mark against Horizon League opponents to claim the regular season title, and then picked up a pair of wins over IUPUI and Northern Kentucky last weekend to capture the 2021 #HLTennis Tournament Title.
The 2021 championship marked the eighth for Cleveland State, which marks the second most in Horizon League history – and the most out of active league teams.
This weekend's matchup between Cleveland State and Kentucky will be the sixth under head coach Brian Etzkin, and the fourth meeting between the two teams in NCAA Tournament play (2009, 2010, 2011).
Kentucky enters NCAA Tournament play with an 18-7 overall record, bowing out of the SEC Championship in the quarterfinals. The Wildcats will be playing as the No. 14 seed in this year's tournament, and stand at 15-0 when playing at home this season.
The other first round matchup in Lexington will be Arizona vs. Michigan, with the two winners facing each other in a Second Round contest on Saturday, May 8.
