Bensimon Notches 70th Career Singles Win As Vikings Top Northern Kentucky

Bensimon Notches 70th Career Singles Win As Vikings Top Northern Kentucky

CRESTVIEW HILLS, Ky. – For the sixth time under head coach Brian Etzkin the Cleveland State women's tennis team improved to 3-0 to start Horizon League play Saturday, notching a 4-3 victory at Northern Kentucky.

"This was a great match today, we really had to fight for every point we got and the entire team left everything on the courts," associate head coach Frank Polito said. "We had to battle during doubles play and earn some come-from-behind wins, and we then had to continue that momentum into singles play which really gave us the final push we needed. We had some great leadership from our upperclassmen today, and hopefully they can continue that throughout the rest of the regular season slate."

To start the match, both teams were in a battle for the doubles point, as the Vikings came away with the first point of the day – which turned out to be the crucial point of the day. After falling at the No. 3 spot, Cleveland State was able to secure a 6-4 win at the top of the lineup with Victoria Bensimon and Jana Schober, while Princess Gbadamosi and Isabella Spindler continued their winning ways with a 7-5 win at No. 2 doubles.

The Cleveland State tandem of Spindler and Gbadamosi remained undefeated in Horizon League doubles action with their victory against the Norse, while it also marked their sixth straight win and gave them a team-best 7-1 record this spring.

Saturday's doubles victory at the No. 2 spot also gave Gbadamosi her 54th doubles win of her career, moving her into a tie for 10th place on the CSU Doubles Wins List.

The Vikings were then able to add to their lead during the start of singles play, as they jumped out to a 3-0 advantage with wins at the No. 3 and No. 4 spots.

Aleksandra Golawska picked up Cleveland State's first singles win of the day, cruising to a 6-1, 6-1 victory at No. 3 singles, improving to 18-2 against Horizon League opponents in regular season matches on her career. The win also marked Golawska's 48th career singles win, as she is now just two wins shy of becoming the 14th Viking all-time to reach the 50-win milestone.

Cleveland State's third point of the day came from Gbadamosi at No. 4 singles, as she earned a 6-3, 6-2 win to improve to 9-7 this spring. Gbadamosi, who has now won five of her last seven matches, became the eighth Viking all-time to reach the 65-win plateau with Saturday's victory.

Although the Vikings dropped the next singles point at the top of the lineup, Bensimon was able to secure the clinching point at No. 2 singles with a 4-6, 6-4, 5-4, default victory. Bensimon's win marked the 70th of her career, as she became just the seventh Viking all-time to reach the milestone. Bensimon now has a team-best 16-12 record this season, and owns a 24-2 record against Horizon League opponents in regular season matches.

The trio of Golawska, Gbadamosi, and Bensimon all stand at 3-0 in Horizon League singles action heading into tomorrow's match against Wright State.

Despite the match already being decided, the Norse were able to pick up wins on the final two singles courts, putting the final score at 4-3.

Tomorrow's (Sunday, April 2) match against the Raiders is slated to begin at 2:30 p.m. and will take place at Springboro High School.

Cleveland State 4, Northern Kentucky 3

Doubles
1. Bensimon/Schober (CSU) def. Sunjic/Skopac (NKU), 6-4
2. Spindler/Gbadamosi (CSU) def. Nellessen/Power (NKU), 7-5
3. Dijanezevic/Donahue (NKU) def. Golawska/Lenoan (CSU), 6-2

Singles
1. Margita Sunjic (NKU) def. Isabella Spindler (CSU), 7-5, 7-6 (5)
2. Victoria Bensimon (CSU) def. Klara Skopac (NKU), 4-6, 6-4, 5-4, def.
3. Aleksandra Golawska (CSU) def. Sydney Power (NKU), 6-1, 6-1
4. Princess Gbadamosi (CSU) def. Katja Dijanezevic (NKU), 6-3, 6-2
5. Danielle Donahue (NKU) def. Jana Schober (CSU), 6-2, 7-6 (6)
6. Sierra Nellessen (NKU) def. Blanche Lenoan (CSU), 6-0, 3-6, 1-0 (7)