CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Cleveland State men's tennis team will begin its quest for a sixth Horizon League Tournament title this weekend, as the fifth-seeded Vikings are set for the 2016 Horizon League Championship. This year's tournament will take place at the Varsity Tennis Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan with play beginning on Friday, April 29 and concluding on Sunday, May 1.

2016 HORIZON LEAGUE TOURNAMENT BRACKET | CLEVELAND STATE MATCH-BY-MATCH STATS

Horizon League First Round
Friday, April 29 | vs. Youngstown State | 3:00 p.m.
Varsity Tennis Center | 2250 S. State St. | Ann Arbor, Mich.  48104

***All times listed above are for outdoor matches only. In case of inclement weather, check back to CSUVikings.com for updated indoor match times.***

Follow The Vikings Live!
Viking fans that are unable to attend the 2016 Horizon League Tournament will still be able to follow the action live, as Live Scoring and Live Video will be available for all rounds of the championships. Links for both can be found on the men's tennis schedule page at CSUVikings.com.

Entering The Horizon League Tournament
Cleveland State enters the 2016 Horizon League Tournament as the No. 5 seed after posting a 2-4 league record during the regular season. The Vikings, who enter the tournament having won two out of their last three matches, picked up league wins against Detroit (4-3) and UIC (5-2).

Vikings In The Horizon League Tournament
The Vikings have had a lot of success in the Horizon League Tournament under head coach Brian Etzkin, capturing five tournament titles under his guidance (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013). Over the last 10 seasons the Vikings have advanced to the championship match seven times – the only school to advance to the championship match more than five times in that 10-year span. Out of the eight current Horizon League schools, Cleveland State owns the most Horizon League Regular Season (4) and Tournament titles (5).

Slade Notches 20-Win Season
Last weekend, freshman Benjamin Slade became the first Viking to reach 20 singles wins this season, entering the Horizon League Tournament with a team-best 21-14 singles record. Slade notched his 20^th singles win against UIC – becoming the 11^th Viking all-time to record a 20-win season and the sixth to do so during their rookie campaign.

VanMeter In The Record Book
Entering the Horizon League Tournament, senior Joe VanMeter ranks sixth on the CSU Singles Wins list, owning 73 career victories. Earlier this year, VanMeter became just the seventh Viking all-time to notch 70 career singles wins, and is now two wins shy of becoming the sixth Viking all-time to reach 75 career victories. VanMeter has recorded a pair of 20-win seasons during his Cleveland State career, and stands at 12-11 this spring.

Cleveland State Has Strong Doubles Play
Cleveland State has had a strong showing in doubles play this spring, picking up the doubles point in 16 of its 24 matches so far this season. Entering the tournament, the Vikings have earned the doubles point in seven of their last nine contests, including four matches against Horizon League opponents. The Vikings have had 12 doubles pairings this spring, led by Joe VanMeter and Andre Mick who own a team-best 10-6 record at No. 1 doubles.

Head Coach Brian Etzkin
Brian Etzkin is leading the Vikings for the 14th season, owning a 206-141 dual match record during his tenure. Etzkin, who has led the Vikings to five Horizon League Tournament titles, is the all-time winningest coach in program history, and is a three-time Horizon League Coach of the Year (2007, 2009, 2010). Earlier this season he eclipsed the 200-win mark for his career, becoming just the second active Horizon League coach to reach the milestone (Jim Daugherty, Valparaiso).