CLEVELAND, Ohio – Cleveland State men's tennis head coach Brian Etzkin has announced the addition of Raul Teichmann (Biel/Bienne, Switzerland) and Clark Bilinovich (Clinton, Ohio) to next year's roster, with both players joining the Vikings as true freshmen with four years of eligibility remaining.
"I am very excited for Raul and Clark to join the team, both players have tremendous upsides, so I am eager to see what kind of impact they will have on the team next season," Etzkin said. "They both have size, offensive weapons, and an enthusiasm for the game which will blend well with all of our returners. I can definitely see them both being impact players for us in the near future."
Raul Teichmann | Biel/Bienne, Switzerland
Teichmann will join the Vikings as the No. 81 ranked player in Switzerland and the No. 7 ranked player in his age group. While playing in the U18 age group, Teichmann advanced to the quarters of the Swiss Championship, while he has also won two international doubles tournaments.
Major: Undecided
Etzkin on Teichmann: "Raul will be a great addition to the team, he has the ability to create offense and he has a lot of experience in national and international tournaments. He has the type of game that could translate into a top-half of the lineup guy and he will be able to step in right away and help stretch our already deep lineup."
Clark Bilinovich | Clinton, Ohio
Bilinovich is the No. 4 ranked player in the state of Ohio and has been ranked in the top-225 in the nation throughout his junior career. As a top-30 Great Lakes Region player, Bilinovich spent three years playing on the Midwest Zonals team and finished in the top-four at the Northeast Ohio Qualifier three out of the last four years, including a first place finish in 2014.
Major: Computer Science
Etzkin on Bilinovich: "I'm always happy when we get players from Northeast Ohio and have a chance to keep some of the local talent in the area. Clark has a big upside with his size and weapons, and with how hard he works, I can see him being an impact player for us sooner rather than later."
Teichmann and Bilinovich will join a Cleveland State team that returns seven letterwinners from its 2018 Horizon League Championship squad, including the reigning Horizon League Player of the Year in Nico Mostardi and the reigning Horizon League Freshman of the Year in Matthew Terry. During 2017-18 the Vikings posted a 17-11 record en route to clinching a share of the Horizon League Regular Season title and capturing their sixth Horizon League Tournament crown.
