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Vikings Head to Kentucky for NCAA Championship First Round Match

Vikings Head to Kentucky for NCAA Championship First Round Match
Posted: May 09, 2011

May 9, 2011

Contact: Greg Murphy

Match 24

NCAA First & Second Rounds
Cleveland State (16-7) at No. 10 Kentucky (26-8)

Dates: 1st Round: Friday, May 13, 2011
2nd Round: Saturday, May 14, 2011
(if CSU wins 1st round) - vs. Louisville or Cornell
Times: 3:00 p.m. EST - First Round
3:00 p.m. EST - Second Round
Site: Hillary J. Boone Tennis Complex - Lexington, Ky.
Livestats: www.ukathletics.com

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QUICK SETS: Cleveland State will make its fourth consecutive appearance in the NCAA Men's Tennis Championship when the Vikings play at 10th-ranked Kentucky in a first round match on Friday (May 13) at 3:00 p.m. It will be the third straight year that the two teams will meet in the first round with the Wildcats earning 4-0 wins in each of the last two seasons. Cleveland State is 16-7 overall and captured its fourth straight Horizon League Championship with a 4-1 win over Green Bay on April 23. Kentucky, seeded 10th in the NCAA Championship, is 26-8 overall and is making its 13th appearance in the tournament in the last 14 seasons. The match will follow Saturday's other first round match between Louisville and Cornell with the two winners playing at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday (May 14) in the second round. The second-round winner advances to Stanford with the round of 16 beginning on May 19 at the Taube Tennis Center.

REVIEWING THE LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP: Cleveland State won its fourth consecutive Horizon League Championship with wins over UIC and Green Bay two weeks ago in Indianapolis, Ind. Following are recaps of both matches.

Match 22: CSU 4, UIC 0 (April 22, Indianapolis, Ind.)
In a rematch of the last three Horizon League Championship matches, Cleveland State won the doubles point and clinched the victory with wins at the top three singles positions. The No. 1 doubles team of Rob Fox and John Haley won their school record 27th match of the season.

Match 23: CSU 4, Green Bay 1 (April 22, Indianapolis, Ind.)
Cleveland State won its fourth straight Horizon League Championship with a 4-1 win over Green Bay. The Vikings used strong play in doubles to take the point and after the Phoenix tied the match at 1-1 with a win at No. 4 singles, CSU won three straight singles matches, including the clinching point by freshman Matt Ford at No. 6 singles.

PREVIEWING THE VIKINGS: Head coach Brian Etzkin has transformed the Cleveland State tennis program into one of the top mid-major programs during his nine year tenure, leading the Vikings to the last four Horizon League Championships. Etzkin has combined an experienced group with two freshmen to form the basis of the lineup this year with junior Yannick Goossens going 20-12 at the No. 1 singles spot this year. Senior Rob Fox is 22-13 at No. 2 singles, while freshman Matt Kuelker has stepped right in at No. 3 singles to post a 22-11 mark in his first season of collegiate tennis. Seniors Chris Klepatz (13-17) and John Haley (23-9) have each moved up one spot in the lineup from last year to Nos. 4-5, respectively, while freshman Matt Ford has gone 16-16 at the No. 6 slot. Fox and Haley have teamed to form one of the top doubles teams in the Horizon League over the last two years and went 28-10 this year, setting the CSU single season record for most doubles wins. Goossens and Klepatz have gone 8-10 at No. 2 doubles, while the freshmen duo of Ford and Kuelker are 8-5 at the No. 3 position.

THREE EARN ALL-LEAGUE HONORS: CSU had three players recognized on the All-Horizon League teams that were announced at the postseason banquet on April 21 during the league tournament. Junior Yannick Goossens and senior Rob Fox were both named to the first team, while freshman Matt Kuelker was voted to the second team and was also tabbed the co-Newcomer of the Year. In addition, Fox was honored as the Herb Foster Sportsmanship Award winner which recognizes student-athletes who display admirable conduct both on and off the courts. The award marks the sixth straight season that a men's or women's player from CSU has earned the honor as Fox joins Sarah Galon (2006, 2007), Brad Groleski (2006), Morgan Ungerott (2008), Steve Wipprecht (2009) and Charlotte Gibbons (2010).

GOOSSENS MAKES IT TWO STRAIGHT: Yannick Goossens' selection to the All-Horizon League first team marked the second consecutive season that he earned a spot on the all-league first team. Goossens moved up to the top of the Vikings singles lineup this year and went 20-12. He is the third player in school history to garner a spot on the All-Horizon League first team more than once.

LEAGUE DOMINANCE: Cleveland State has dominated the Horizon League over the last four years, winning four straight titles. But the dominance isn't limited to the league tournament as the Vikings have won 34 consecutive matches over league foes. The last time a Horizon League team defeated the Vikings was on April 6, 2008, a 4-3 win by Butler.

FOUR GET TO 20: For the second straight season - and just the second time in school history - Cleveland State had four players with at least 20 singles wins. John Haley leads the way with 23, while Rob Fox and Matt Kuelker have both won 22 matches and Yannick Goossens 20.

... AND TWO ARE PERFECT IN THE LEAGUE: Senior John Haley (No. 5 singles) and freshman Matt Kuelker (No. 3) were two of just three players to post perfect 7-0 records in the Horizon League in singles this year. They are the first pair of CSU teammates to go undefeated in league play since Phil Orno and Rob Fox both went 6-0 in 2008.

SLY LIKE A FOX: Senior Rob Fox has had a career that most student-athletes can only dream of as he has been part of four Horizon League Championship teams. In four league title matches, Fox has gone 2-1 in singles play with one unfinished match and 3-0 in doubles with one match not concluding.

... AND MOVES UP WINS LIST: Senior Rob Fox has won 22 matches this season to move into second place on the all-time wins list at Cleveland State with 96, three behind Phil Orno, who won 99 matches from 2006-10. Fox won 28 matches as a freshman in 2007-08, 23 matches as a sophomore, 28 as a junior and 22 this year to join Orno as the only players in school history to win at least 20 matches in four straight seasons.

THE GOOSE IS LOOSE: Junior Yannick Goossens has ascended to the top of the CSU lineup this year, posting a 20-12 record for his third straight season with at least 20 wins. Goosens, who ranks fifth on the all-time wins list at CSU with 67, went 22-9 as a freshman, playing predominantly at numbers three and four and 25-11 last year at No. 2 singles.

BUILT FORD TOUGH: It's never easy for a freshman to step right into the lineup and contribute, but that has not been the case with Matt Ford. The Allen, Texas, native has gone 16-16 at the No. 6 singles position, including a 6-1 mark in league play that helped spur the Vikings to the league title. Ford also had the clinching point in CSU's 4-1 win over Green Bay in the league title match.

DOUBLES DUO: There have been many famous duos throughout history, including Batman & Robin, Starsky & Hutch, Bert & Ernie and Laurel & Hardy. But over the last two years, the duo of Rob Fox and John Haley have made their mark as one of the most dominant doubles teams in the Horizon League, posting a 49-22 (.690) record. They set a school record with 28 doubles wins this year (28-10) and rank second in school history with their 49 doubles victories.

FAMILY BRAGGING RIGHTS: Senior John Haley entered the CSU program two years ago as a transfer from Tyler J.C., but was already familiar with it after his older brother, Paul, played at CSU from 2001-05. John Haley has won 41 matches during his career, one more victory than his older brother.

A NEW ADDITION: Head coach Brian Etzkin and his wife, Holly, welcomed a new addition to their family when their first child, a son, Aaron Wallace, was born on Tuesday (May 3) hours before the NCAA Championship selection show. Aaron checked in at 7 pounds, 5 ounces and was 20.5 inches long.

FOUR IN A ROW: Cleveland State won its fourth straight Horizon League Championship with a 4-1 win over Green Bay on April 23, becoming the first team in school history to win four consecutive Horizon League titles.

UP NEXT: If CSU defeats Kentucky in the first round, the Vikings would advance to the second round to face the winner of the other first round match between Louisville and Cornell on Saturday (May 14) at 3:00 p.m. The second round match would be played at Kentucky.