April 16, 2011
Contact: Greg Murphy
WESTLAKE, Ohio - The Cleveland State women's tennis team swept Detroit on Saturday, 7-0, at the Paramount Tennis Center to tie the school record for most Horizon League wins in a season.
The win moves the Vikings above .500 for the season at 12-11 and also allows CSU to finish the league slate at 7-1, tying last year's team for the best league record in program history.
"I feel like this program has really grown over the last few years and to be able to lose just one league match for the second year in a row is a great accomplishment," head coach Brian Etzkin said. "I feel that we have improved throughout the season and are playing some of our best tennis right now and this is the time of year that you want to be peaking as a team."
CSU swept the three doubles matches to earn the doubles point as Alex Bush and Alex Power cruised to an 8-4 win at No. 1 doubles. The other two contests were close with Catrine Bjerrehus and Maria Lazaris winning at No. 2 doubles (8-7) and Kara Sherwood and Mengdi Liu triumphing at No. 3 doubles (9-7).
"It was really big to get that point today and win some close matches," Etzkin said. "I feel that we have improved so much in our doubles play since our first match this spring and everyone is out there playing for each other. It's a good team vibe right now."
CSU went on to win all six singles contests, five of which came in straight sets.
Lazaris won at No. 4 singles, 7-5, 6-3, to cap a perfect 8-0 Horizon League season, while Bush won her team-leading 22nd singles contest with a 7-6, 6-3 win at No. 2 singles.
"We had a lot of momentum in singles thanks to the doubles point we won," Etzkin said. "And it was great to see us win the only three set match we played and both tiebreakers. Those are the types of points and sets you have to win if you want to be a championship team."
CSU is now out of action until the Vikings compete at the Horizon League Championships from April 21-23 at North Central H.S. in Indianapolis, Ind.
Cleveland State 7, Detroit 0
Apr 16, 2011 at Westlake, Ohio (Paramount Tennis Club)
Singles competition
1. Bjerrehus, Catrine (CSU) def. CORNWELL, Amanda (UDM) 6-2, 6-1
2. BUSH, Alex (CSU) def. ESPINOSA SALAS, C. (UDM) 7-6, 6-3
3. Sherwood, Kara (CSU) def. STRAKHOVA, Elena (UDM) 6-2, 6-2
4. Lazaris, Maria (CSU) def. FERNANDES, Julia (UDM) 7-5, 6-3
5. Power, Alex (CSU) def. HALABI, Raina (UDM) 3-6, 6-2, 12-10
6. Liu, Mengdi (CSU) def. WELDON, Erin (UDM) 6-0, 6-1
Doubles competition
1. BUSH, Alex/POWER, Alex (CSU) def. CORNWELL, Amanda/ESPINOSA SALAS, C. (UDM) 8-4
2. LAZARIS, Maria/BJERREHUS, Catrine (CSU) def. HALABI, Raina/STRAKHOVA, Elena (UDM) 8-7
3. LIU, Mengdi/SHERWOOD, Kara (CSU) def. FERNANDES, Julia/WELDON, Erin (UDM) 9-7
