CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Cleveland State men's tennis team will close out regular season Horizon League play on the road this weekend, traveling to UIC (Saturday, April 23) and Valparaiso (Sunday, April 24).
Saturday, April 23 | @ UIC | 3:00 p.m. EST
Flames Outdoor Tennis Courts | 839 Roosevelt Road | Chicago, Ill. | 60608
Sunday, April 24 | @ Valparaiso | 3:00 p.m. EST
Valpo Tennis Complex | Valparaiso University | Valparaiso, Ind. | 46383
VanMeter Moves Up CSU Singles Wins List
After posting a 6-1, 6-4 victory at No. 2 singles against Green Bay on Senior Day, Joe VanMeter moved into a tie for sixth place on the CSU Singles Wins List with 71 career victories. VanMeter is tied with Rob West in the record book, who played for the Vikings from 2005-09. With at least four matches left this season, VanMeter has the possibility of becoming just the sixth Viking all-time to record 75 career singles victories.
Slade & Radosevic Closing In On 20-Win Seasons
Entering the weekend freshman Benjamin Slade and sophomore Mirko Radosevic are closing in on 20-win seasons, as Slade is just one win shy of the mark and Radosevic is three wins short of a 20-win season. Slade currently has a team-best 19-13 singles record this season, and would become just the sixth Viking to record a 20-win season during their rookie campaigns, while it would also mark the first 20-win season for Radosevic.
Upcoming Horizon League Tournament
This weekend's matches will have a large impact on the upcoming Horizon League Tournament, as all six seeds are still up for grabs. The 2016 Horizon League Tournament will take place at the Varsity Tennis Center on the University of Michigan campus, with first round action taking place on Friday, April 29, semifinal action taking place on Saturday, April 30 and the championship match taking place on Sunday, May 1.
Scouting The Flames
UIC enters Saturday's contest with a 10-9 overall record and an even 2-2 mark in Horizon League play. Last time out the Flames split their matches, picking up a 4-3 victory at Detroit and falling at Valparaiso (6-1). This will be UIC's fourth match at home this season, with the Flames owning a perfect 3-0 record when playing at home.
This will be the 21st meeting between the two teams, with Cleveland State owning a 14-6 record in the overall series. The Vikings enter Saturday's contest on a 12-match winstreak against the Flames, with UIC's last victory coming during the 2006-07 season.
Scouting The Crusaders
Valparaiso enters the weekend with an 18-5 overall record and a perfect 4-0 mark against Horizon League opponents. The Crusaders are the only team to be undefeated in league play this season, and will face Youngstown State prior to Sunday's contest against the Vikings.
Cleveland State owns an 8-3 record against the Crusaders under head coach Brian Etzkin.
