Skip to navigation Skip to content Skip to footer

The Official Home of the Cleveland State University Vikings

Irina Strembitsky Earns MCC Newcomer Of The Year Honors

Irina Strembitsky Earns MCC Newcomer Of The Year Honors

April 28, 2001

CLEVELAND - The Midwestern Collegiate Conference announced its end of the year awards for tennis last night and Cleveland State was well represented. Freshman Irina Strembitsky (Eastlake, Ohio/Mayfield) earned Newcomer of the Year and first team All-MCC honors, while head coach Teresa Baker was tabbed as the conference's Coach of the Year on the women's side.

Strembitsky joined the Vikings this spring and made an immediate impact. Playing at No. 1 singles, she posted a perfect 6-0 mark (4-0 MCC) without even dropping a set. Last weekend, she defeated Detroit's Maria Pandele -- the 2001 MCC Player of the Year -- 6-3, 6-2. In doubles action at No. 1, Strembitsky was 5-1, including a 3-1 mark in MCC play.

Now in her third year at the helm of the Vikings, Baker directed Cleveland State to the fifth seed in this year's MCC Tournament. The coach of the newly reinstated men's team as well, Baker was the recipient in 1999 of the USPTA/Midwest Section Nancy Mickler Award and the USTA/ITA Community Service Award.