WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Cleveland State men's tennis team got back in the win column Sunday evening, earning a 4-2 victory at Purdue.
PDF BOX SCORE | Cleveland State 4, Purdue 2
Quick Hits
· Sunday's win over Purdue marked the first victory against a Power Five team for the Vikings since the 2009-10 season.
· Matthew Terry picked up the 76th singles win of his career against Purdue, improving to 23-5 overall this year.
· With his win at No. 3 singles, Luke Phillips is now in sole possession of 11th place on the CSU Singles Wins List with 63 career wins.
· After teaming with Luke Phillips for a win at No. 1 doubles, Nico Mostardi moved into a tie for eighth place on the CSU Doubles Wins List with 66 career doubles victories.
· This marked the first meeting between the two teams under head coach Brian Etzkin.
The Match
The Vikings were able to earn the early 1-0 advantage after picking up the doubles point, earning wins at the top two spots. Nico Mostardi and Luke Phillips combined for a 6-3 win at the top of the lineup, while Kade Mindry and Matthew Terry posted a 6-4 win at No. 2 doubles. This marked the seventh time this season that the Vikings have earned the doubles point, including the third time that they have picked up the doubles point against a Power Five team.
Cleveland State then added to its lead with a quick win at No. 4 singles, as Clark Bilinovich posted a 6-1, 6-4 victory over Purdue's Sebastian Welch.
Purdue responded with the next two singles points, picking up wins at No. 6 singles and the top of the lineup, knotting the match at 2-2.
Phillips put the Vikings back on top with a win at the No. 3 spot, as he posted his fourth straight win in a 6-4, 6-2 decision over Purdue's Michal Wozniak.
The clinching point came at the No. 2 spot then, as Terry battled for a 6-3, 7-6(4) victory against Maksymilion Raupuk to give the Vikings the 4-2 match victory.
From The Sidelines
"The doubles point was huge again today, we have been having some good chemistry in doubles lately, and it was great to pick up the early advantage and have a cushion heading into singles play today. We were able to pick up four first sets in singles – which gave us a lot of confidence – and we ended up getting three of those four matches, so we were definitely able to play some strong tennis today. It's been a while since we have beaten a Big Ten team, and it was definitely nice to celebrate a win against a good program. We have a team that feels like a top-50 team, and we have been battling injuries and illness throughout the season, so to play with a complete lineup was great to see."
"In singles, I thought Clark played with some great power today coming off of an injury. Luke did a really good job of staying offensive in his match and making shots under pressure to play from ahead the whole time. Matt was also coming back from being sick, and despite that, he did a great job of playing with a lot of energy and kept his focus throughout a tough second set to clinch the match for us." – head coach Brian Etzkin
Up Next
Cleveland State will continue its current four-match roadswing next weekend, traveling to St. Bonaventure for a 2:00 p.m. contest on Saturday, March 7.
The Results
Doubles (1, 2)
1. Mostardi/Phillips (CSU) def. Bennett/Saborio (PUR), 6-3
2. Terry/Mindry (CSU) def. Julio/Wozniak (PUR), 6-4
3. Bilinovich/Teichmann (CSU) vs. Dudek/Welch (PUR), 5-4, unf.
Singles (4, 6, 1, 3, 2)
1. #20 Athell Bennett (PUR) def. #94 Nico Mostardi (CSU), 6-4, 6-4
2. Matthew Terry (CSU) def. Maksymilian Raupuk (PUR), 6-3, 7-6(4)
3. Luke Phillips (CSU) def. Michal Wozniak (PUR), 6-4, 6-2
4. Clark Bilinovich (CSU) def. Sebastian Welch (PUR), 6-1, 6-4
5. Tomasz Dudek (PUR) vs. Raul Teichmann (CSU), 3-6, 6-3, 3-2, unf.
6. Santiago Galan (PUR) def. Kade Mindry (CSU), 6-2, 6-3
