CHICAGO, Ill. – The Cleveland State men's tennis team picked up a 6-1 victory at UIC in its final regular season contest Sunday, earning a share of the 2018 Horizon League Regular Season Title.
Cleveland State vs. UIC PDF Box Score
From The Sidelines
"This was a great team win for us today, and a great team accomplishment for us to clinch a share of the regular season title. This group has a lot to be proud of through the regular season, but they are hungry for more and we can't wait to get the tournament started next weekend. Despite dropping the doubles point today, we were able to regroup and get up pretty quickly in a few singles matches, which gave us some momentum for the rest of the match. I thought we competed really well today, and stayed focused during singles play even after losing the doubles point. We now need to have a good week of practice and get ready to put our best effort on the court during the tournament next weekend." – Head coach Brian Etzkin
Match Notes
· 2018 Record: 15-10, 6-1
· Cleveland State finished regular season play with a 6-1 mark against league opponents, earning a share of the Horizon League Regular Season Title. This marks the fifth regular season crown for the Vikings under head coach Brian Etzkin, and the first since the 2011 season.
· The Vikings are now 17-6 all-time against UIC, and have won 15 straight matches against the Flames.
· With his win at No. 4 singles, Benjamin Slade is now in sole possession of 10th place on the CSU Singles Wins List with 59 career victories.
· After picking up wins at the top three singles spots, Nico Mostardi, Matthew Terry and Luke Phillips are now tied for fourth on the CSU Single-Season Wins List with 26 victories this season.
· For just the second time in program history four Vikings on the same roster have 23+ singles wins, as Benjamin Slade finished regular season play with 23 wins, and Nico Mostardi, Matthew Terry and Luke Phillips finished with 26 wins this season.
· Benjamin Slade and Luke Phillips finished the regular season with perfect 7-0 records against Horizon League opponents – marking the first time since 2014 that a Viking has gone undefeated in a complete league schedule and the first time since 2011 that a Viking freshman has achieved the feat.
The Points
· Nico Mostardi picked up the first singles win on the day, cruising to a 6-1, 6-0 victory at the top of the singles lineup. Mostardi owns a team-best 26-7 singles record this year, including a 14-3 mark at No. 1 singles this spring.
· Benjamin Slade and Luke Phillips put the next two points on the board for the Vikings, as Slade earned a 6-2, 6-1 win at No. 4 singles and Phillips posted a 6-1, 6-4 victory at the No. 3 spot. Slade stands at 23-12 this year and owns a team-best 17-6 record this spring, while Phillips is 26-11 overall and 16-7 in dual match play.
· Cleveland State's clinching point came from Matthew Terry at No. 2 singles, as he earned a 6-4, 6-3 victory to finish regular season play with a 6-1 mark against league opponents. Terry is now 26-11 on the year and 14-8 this spring.
· The final two singles wins came from Gabriel Evtimov and William Malm, as Evtimov earned a 6-4, 7-5 victory at the No. 5 spot and Malm notched a 7-5, 7-6(3) win at No. 6 singles.
Up Next
· Cleveland State will begin its quest for a Horizon League Tournament Championship next weekend, with action running from Friday, April 27 – Sunday, April 29 in West Lafayette, Ind. The Vikings will begin play with a semifinal contest on Saturday, April 28 against the winner of the No. 3 Youngstown State/No. 6 Wright State first round match.
The Results
Doubles
1. Wasilewicz/Dib (UIC) def. Mostardi/Slade (CSU), 6-4
2. Phillips/Malm (CSU) def. Hedstrom/Wale (UIC), 6-3
3. Panchapakesan/Nanni (UIC) def. Santilli/Terry (CSU), 6-3
Singles
1. Nico Mostardi (CSU) def. Johan Hedstrom (UIC), 6-1, 6-0
2. Matthew Terry (CSU) def. Niko Wasilewicz (UIC), 6-4, 6-3
3. Luke Phillips (CSU) def. Marco Nanni (UIC), 6-1, 6-4
4. Benjamin Slade (CSU) def. Marcelo Dib (UIC), 6-2, 6-1
5. Gabriel Evtimov (CSU) def. K. Panchapakesan (UIC), 6-4, 7-5
6. William Malm (CSU) def. Piotr Lada (UIC), 7-5, 7-6(3)
