CLEVELAND, Ohio - After capturing its seventh Horizon League Regular Season Championship last weekend, the Cleveland State men's tennis team will look to defend its tournament title this weekend, entering the 2021 Horizon League Tournament as the No. 1 seed. The Vikings will open the Horizon League Tournament with a semifinal contest on Saturday, May 1 against fourth-seeded IUPUI, and a win would put them into the championship match on Sunday, May 2.
HORIZON LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL | 2021 #HLTENNIS TOURNAMENT BRACKET
Horizon League Semifinals
Saturday, May 1 | vs. IUPUI | 3:00 p.m.
Schwartz Tennis Center | West Lafayette, Ind.
Horizon League Championship
Sunday, May 2 | vs. TBA | 3:00 p.m.
Schwartz Tennis Center | West Lafayette, Ind.
Due to the conditions created by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Horizon League will not allow spectators at the 2021 Championship.
Times listed above are for outdoor matches only. In case of inclement weather, check back to CSUVikings.com for updated match times.
CLEVELAND STATE IN THE HORIZON LEAGUE TOURNAMENT
The Vikings have had much success in the Horizon League Tournament under head coach Brian Etzkin, capturing seven tournament titles under his guidance (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2018, 2019). Over the last 10 complete seasons the Vikings have advanced to the championship match eight times – the only school to play in the championship match more than five times during that 10-year span. Out of the five current Horizon League schools, Cleveland State owns the most Horizon League Regular Season (7) and Tournament Titles (7).
…VIKINGS AS THE NO. 1 SEED
This marks the sixth time that Cleveland State will be playing as the top seed in the Horizon League Tournament, also earning the No. 1 seed during the 2019, 2011, 2010, 2009, and 2008 seasons. The Vikings have reached the championship match every year that they have played as the top seed, capturing the tournament title on all five occasions.
LAST TIME OUT…
The Vikings picked up back-to-back wins at IUPUI to close out regular season play, capping off a perfect 8-0 #HLTennis slate en route to claiming the Horizon League Regular Season title. This marked the second straight undefeated regular season league slate for the Vikings, while it also extended their current #HLTennis win streak to 23 straight matches dating back to the 2017-18 campaign (includes regular season & tournament matches).
CSU ENTERS #HLTENNIS TOURNAMENT ON 13-MATCH WIN STREAK
Entering Horizon League Tournament play, the Vikings are currently on a program-best 13-match win streak - which is tied for the fourth longest active win streak among Division I teams this season. This marks the fourth time that the Vikings have posted a double-digit win streak under head coach Brian Etzkin, also doing so during the 2018-19, 2010-11 and 2008-09 campaigns. Entering Saturday's Semifinal match, Cleveland State has won 16 of its last 17 matches, including a perfect 7-0 mark during the month of April.
TERRY, MARESCHAL-HAY & ETZKIN EARN #HLTENNIS MAJOR HONORS
The trio of Matthew Terry, Maxime Mareschal-Hay and Brian Etzkin all picked up major honors from the Horizon League earlier this week, as Terry was named the Player of the Year, Mareschal-Hay was named the Freshman of the Year and Etzkin earned Coach of the Year accolades. This marks the third straight year that a Viking has earned Player of the Year honors (Nico Mostardi 2018 & 2019), while it's the third time out of the last four years that a Viking has been named Freshman of the Year (Nico Mostardi 2017, Matthew Terry 2018).
…MOSTARDI & PHILLIPS NAMED ALL-LEAGUE
In addition to Matthew Terry (First Team) and Maxime Mareschal-Hay (Second Team), Nico Mostardi and Luke Phillips also earned All-League honors earlier this week, as Mostardi was named to the First Team and Phillips was named to the Second Team. Mostardi becomes just the third Viking to be a three-time First Team honoree, while Phillips earned a spot on the Second Team for the third time in his career.
PHILLIPS & TERRY NOTCH 8-0 #HLTENNIS CAMPAIGNS
Throughout four weeks of Horizon League regular season play, the Viking duo of Luke Phillips & Matthew Terry posted perfect 8-0 singles records against league opponents - the only league players to go 8-0 in regular season #HLTennis matches this season. For their careers, Phillips and Terry have combined to go 39-3 during regular season league matches, including another perfect 7-0 campaign for Phillips as a freshman in 2018.
…VIKINGS IN #HLTENNIS SINGLES PLAY
In addition to Luke Phillips and Matthew Terry, Nico Mostardi (4-0), Kade Mindry (3-0) and Raul Teichmann (1-0) also went undefeated against league opponents, helping Cleveland State to a 40-8 singles record through eight league matches this season. All 10 Vikings have appeared in at least one Horizon League match this year, as the team has had to play with an adjusted lineup every time out due to injury.
VIKINGS WITH THE DOUBLES POINT
So far this season Cleveland State has picked up the doubles point in 17 of its 20 matches, including seven of eight #HLTennis matchups. For the year, the duos of Nico Mostardi/Luke Phillips and Matthew Terry/Maxime Mareschal-Hay both have 10-4 records, including a team-best 6-1 record from Terry and Mareschal-Hay against league opponents. Through eight league contests so far this season, the Vikings own a 15-4 record in doubles matches.
TRIO ON CSU SINGLES WINS LIST
After combining for a perfect 20-0 record against league opponents so far this season, the trio of Nico Mostardi, Matthew Terry and Luke Phillips enter #HLTennis Tournament play ranked in the top-10 on the CSU Singles Wins List. Terry currently leads the group sitting third with 91 career wins, while Mostardi ranks fourth with 89 wins and Phillips is tied for eighth with 80 career victories. Terry is one of just three Vikings all-time with 90+ career wins, while Phillips joined Terry and Mostardi as one of nine Vikings to reach the 80-win milestone.
…MOSTARDI & PHILLIPS ON CSU DOUBLES WINS LIST
Nico Mostardi and Luke Phillips are also ranked on the CSU Doubles Wins List, as they currently sit fifth as a tandem with 25 wins, while Mostardi is tied for fifth individually with 76 wins and Phillips ranks ninth with 68 victories. Mostardi and Phillips are two of eight Vikings to be ranked on both the singles and doubles wins list.
#HLTENNIS WEEKLY HONORS
Throughout the season the Vikings have been honored by the Horizon League multiple times, picking up six Singles Player of the Week honors and seven Doubles Team of the Week accolades - leading the league in both categories.
Singles Player of the Week:
Matthew Terry (3.17/3.24/3.31/4.14/4.21/4.28)
Doubles Team of the Week:
Mostardi/Phillips (2.3/2.24/3.24), Terry/Mindry (3.3), Phillips/Bilinovich (3.17), & Terry/Mareschal-Hay (4.21/4.28)
HEAD COACH BRIAN ETZKIN
Brian Etzkin is in his 19th year at the helm of the Vikings, owning a 276-188 dual match record. Etzkin has guided the Vikings to seven Horizon League Tournament titles and seven trips to the NCAA Tournament during his tenure. As the all-time winningest coach in program history, Etzkin is one of the longest tenured coaches in the Horizon League, and is the only men's coach to record 275+ wins at their current school.
