CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Cleveland State men's tennis team will finally begin its 2021 spring season this weekend, traveling to Notre Dame on Saturday, January 23.
MATCH #1
Cleveland State at Notre Dame | Saturday, January 23 | 3:00 p.m.
Eck Tennis Pavilion | South Bend, Ind.
Live Video
The Vikings
Cleveland State enters the 2021 spring season as the two-time defending Horizon League Champions – capturing the title during the 2018 and 2019 spring campaigns – and returns seven letterwinners for the upcoming dual season. Included in the seven returners are super-senior Nico Mostardi, the two-time reigning Horizon League Player of the Year, and seniors Matthew Terry and Luke Phillips who are both two-time All-League honorees. Super-senior Jack Santilli, juniors Clark Bilinovich and Raul Teichmann and sophomore Kade Mindry round out Cleveland State's returning lineup, while the freshmen trio of JuandeDios Abboud, Maxime Mareschal-Hay and Austin Staiger will be opening their collegiate careers this weekend.
Vikings Return To The Court
Saturday's match at Notre Dame will be the first contest for the Vikings in 322 days, as they were last in action against St. Bonaventure on March 7, 2020. Last year, the Vikings finished the shortened campaign with a 6-6 record and were on track to capture their third-straight #HLMTEN championship.
Mostardi & Santilli Return For Super-Senior Seasons
After being granted an extra year of eligibility by the NCAA after having the 2019-20 season cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the senior duo of Nico Mostardi and Jack Santilli have decided to return for a 'super-senior' season. Throughout their Cleveland State careers, this duo has led the Vikings to 52 dual match victories and two Horizon League Tournament titles.
Vikings Post Strong Semester In The Classroom
With the 2020 Fall Semester in the books, the Vikings posted one of their best semesters in program history, finishing with a 3.779 Team GPA for the term. In addition, four Vikings earned a spot on the Cleveland State University Dean's List (JuandeDios Abboud, Luke Phillips, Jack Santilli, Austin Staiger), while Matthew Terry and Maxime Mareschal-Hay were named to the Cleveland State University President's List.
Mostardi & Terry On CSU Singles Wins List
Entering the season, Nico Mostardi and Matthew Terry are both featured on the CSU Singles Wins List – Mostardi ranking fourth with 84 career victories and Terry ranking eighth with 77 wins on his career. Mostardi is one of just seven Vikings to eclipse the 80-win mark, while Terry is just three wins shy of reaching the plateau.
Mostardi Earns Oracle ITA Preseason Ranking
For the third straight year, Nico Mostardi is featured in the Oracle ITA National Singles Rankings, as he came in at No. 91 on this year's preseason rankings. Last year, Mostardi spent the entire shortened campaign ranked in the top-100, and finished the year ranked No. 93. Mostardi's highest career ranking came after the 2019 fall season when he was ranked No. 65.
Head Coach Brian Etzkin
Brian Etzkin is in his 19th year at the helm of the Vikings, owning a 259-184 dual match record. During his tenure, Etzkin has led the Vikings to seven Horizon League tournament titles and seven trips to the NCAA Tournament.
Scouting The Matchup
Notre Dame
2021 Record: 3-1
All-Time Record Against CSU: 1-0
Last Meeting: Notre Dame 5, Cleveland State 2 (1/21/18)
