CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Cleveland State men's tennis team will return home to continue Horizon League play this weekend, hosting Youngstown State in its lone match of the week.
Friday, April 8 | Youngstown State | 7:00 p.m.
Medical Mutual Tennis Pavilion | 2005 Chester Ave. | Cleveland, Ohio | 44114
Follow The Vikings Live!
Viking fans that are unable to attend this weekend's match against Youngstown State will still be able to follow the action live, as Live Scoring will be available via the men's tennis schedule page, or by clicking the link below:
Cleveland State vs. Youngstown State Live Scoring
Vikings Pick Up First League Victory
Last time out the Vikings picked up their first Horizon League victory of the season, posting a 4-3 win at Detroit. Cleveland State got singles points from Colton Buffington (No. 3), Kevin Goth (No. 4), and Andre Mick (No. 6), while the Vikings also earned the doubles point with wins at the No. 1 and No. 3 positions.
Cleveland State With Strong Doubles Play
Cleveland State has had a strong showing in doubles play this spring, picking up the doubles point in 13 of its 19 matches so far this year. Entering Friday's contest against YSU, the Vikings have earned the doubles point in four straight matches, including back-to-back Horizon League contests. The Vikings have had 11 doubles pairings this spring, led by Joe VanMeter and Andre Mick who own a team-best 9-5 record at No. 1 doubles.
Slade Closing In On 20-Win Season
Entering the weekend freshman Benjamin Slade is just two singles wins shy of a 20-win season, owning a team-best 18-12 singles record this year. Slade, who is 11-8 in singles play this spring, would become the 11th Viking to record a 20-win season and the sixth to do so during their rookie campaigns.
VanMeter In The Record Books
Entering Friday's contest against Youngstown State senior Joe VanMeter is just one win shy of moving into sixth place on the CSU Singles Wins list. VanMeter enters the weekend with 70 career singles wins, and is one of just 12 Vikings all-time to reach the 70-win milestone. This spring, VanMeter owns a 9-9 singles record and is currently playing at the top spot in the lineup.
Cleveland State Tennis Team, Alumni & Friends Banquet
The 14th annual Team, Alumni & Friends banquet will be held next Friday, April 15. The banquet will begin at 6:00 p.m. with dinner, player recognition, team slide show, and senior speeches. For those Viking fans that are interested in attending this year's banquet see the RSVP Form below for more details and RSVP information.
Cleveland State Tennis Banquet RSVP Form
Vikings Tabbed Third In Horizon League Preseason Poll
Earlier this season the Vikings were selected to finish third in the Horizon League Preseason Poll, picking up 37 points to finish behind Green Bay and Valparaiso who were tied for first place. This is the fourth year that the Horizon League has released a preseason poll, with the Vikings earning a top-three selection in all four polls. The final five spots in the poll were occupied by Youngstown State (4th), Detroit (5th), UIC (6th), Northern Kentucky (7th), and Wright State (8th).
Scouting The Penguins
Youngstown State enters the weekend with a 5-11 overall record this spring and a 1-1 mark in Horizon League play, picking up a 4-3 victory over Detroit last time out. A trio of Penguins have gone undefeated in league singles play so far this season (Yossi Dahan, Bassem El Mekawi, Agustin Reyes), while the doubles team of Dahan and El Mekawi is also perfect in league action.
Under head coach Brian Etzkin the Vikings own a 16-5 record against YSU, and have won three of the last four matchups against the Penguins.
