Sept. 9, 2003
CLEVELAND -
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Sept. 9, 2003
CLEVELAND - The Cleveland State men's tennis team begins its season this weekend with the St. Bonaventure Invitational in Olean, N.Y. The men enter the 2003-04 season looking to improve on last season's fifth-place Horizon League finish. The women's tennis team is off this week.
About the Viking Men
Cleveland State returns five players from a year ago, including Horizon League Newcomer of the Year Jay Tee (Davenport, Iowa/Central). Tee was named to the all-league second-team last season along with teammate Eric Winn (Austin, Texas/Westlake). The Vikings finished 9-19 a year ago, including a 1-4 mark in the Horizon League.
About the Viking Women
The Vikings add three new faces to the squad in 2003 to go along with a trio of returnees. Rebekah Bicksler (Lexington, Ohio/Mansfield Christian) and Paulina Reyes (Puebla, Mexico/Institudo D'Amicis) are back for their junior and senior seasons, respectively, while Amanda Cerny (North Olmsted, Ohio/North Olmsted) also returns for her second season. Last year, the Vikings struggled with a lack of numbers, and finished with a record of 2-24, and 0-7 in the Horizon League.
National Pride
The Vikings have a number of players from around North America on both the men's and women's roster this season. The men feature Jay Tee from Iowa and Eric Winn and Paul Haley (San Antonio, Texas/Judson) from Texas. The women's team, meanwhile, adds Sarah Galon (Wahiawi, Hawaii/Leillehua) and Marcie Capozziello (Erie, Pa./Mercyhurst Prep) to go along with senior Paulina Reyes.
Head Coach Brian Etzkin
In his second season as head coach of the Viking Tennis program, Brian Etzkin has compiled a combined record of 11-43 (9-19 men, 2-24 women). Etzkin has been been given the task reviving the men's tennis program, whcih was cut after the 1992 season, but reinstated for the 2000 campaign. Prior to his arrival at Cleveland State, Etzkin spent two years as an assistant at Western Illinois before being named an assistant coach at Michigan State.
Scouting The Field
Joining the men's team and the host Bonnies at the St. Bonaventure Invitational this weekend will be teams from Buffalo, Youngstown State and Niagara. Cleveland State faced Youngstown State and Niagara in team matches last year, defeating the Penguins twice and falling to Niagara.
Up Next
The next match for the men's team will be on Oct. 4, 2003, when they will face UW-Green Bay in Valparaiso, Ind., in the league opener. The women's team will face St. Francis at the Malaga Tennis Center on Sept. 20, 2003.
