CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Cleveland State women's tennis team has announced the addition of four student-athletes for the upcoming 2018-19 campaign, with Lauren Longo (Chagrin Falls, Ohio) and Lara Prosenjak (Hoce, Slovenia) joining the Vikings as freshmen, Klara Mrcela (Split, Croatia) joining the Vikings as a sophomore and Kateryna Avram (Kiev, Ukraine) coming in as a junior.
Kateryna Avram | Kiev, Ukraine
Avram comes to Cleveland State after playing her first two collegiate seasons at Northwestern State where she combined for a 14-26 singles record playing primarily at the No. 6 spot. During her junior career, Avram was a top-35 ranked player in Ukraine, including an all-time best ranking of No. 23. She competed in multiple ITF events throughout her prep career and earned the Athletic Title Master of Sports of Ukraine in Tennis.
Major: Business Administration and Management
Polito on Avram: "Kateryna comes in as an experienced collegiate tennis player, and will be an impact doubles player for us, as well as being a solidifying piece to our singles lineup."
Lauren Longo | Chagrin Falls, Ohio
Longo joins the Vikings after playing just one year of high school tennis – going undefeated during her lone campaign at Gilmour Academy. Longo played her junior tennis at Cleveland Racquet Club.
Major: Pre-Physical Therapy
Polito on Longo: "It's always great to be able to keep local talent in the area, and Lauren joins us as one of the top Northeast Ohio players. She will definitely bring energy to our team, and with some collegiate experience, she has the potential to move up the lineup and be an integral part of the team."
Klara Mrcela | Split, Croatia
Mrcela comes to Cleveland State following a one-year stint at UT Arlington where she posted a 5-7 singles record for the Mavericks, including a 2-3 mark during the spring season. During her junior career, she was crowned the 2016 Senior National Doubles Champion, and was an 18U singles finalist at the National Championship. While playing 18U, she was ranked No. 24 in the country, while she was also named a 14U alternate on the Croatian National Team.
Major: Business
Polito on Mrcela: "Klara is another transfer who comes in with collegiate experience, and I'm hoping for her to be an impact player in the singles and doubles lineup right away. She has a strong work ethic on and off the court, and because of this she will be able to help us from the first day she steps on campus."
Lara Prosenjak | Hoce, Slovenia
Prosenjak joins the Vikings following an excellent junior career, which included multiple years on the Slovenian National Team and a Slovenian National Championship. Prosenjak earned a spot in the European Championship twice during her junior career, while she also competed in the 2016 World Cup. Her outstanding junior career also included a pair of runner-up finishes at the U14 and U16 Slovenian Masters, and at one point, she won seven consecutive Slovenian Tournaments.
Major: Undecided
Polito on Prosenjak: "Lara has the potential to be an impact player for us throughout her collegiate career. She comes in with a good junior record, and has posted some quality wins against tough competition that will no doubt help her throughout her collegiate career."
This quartet will join a Cleveland State team that returns three letterwinners from last season – Isabella Spindler, Blanche Lenoan and Gaby Schoenberg. Last year, the Vikings advanced to the Horizon League Semifinals following a 7-2 #HLWTEN regular season campaign, appearing in the tournament semifinals for the 12th time in program history.
