GRIFFITH, Ind. – For the first time under head coach Brian Etzkin, the Cleveland State women's tennis team defeated UIC Friday evening, earning a 4-3 victory over the Flames. With the victory, CSU improves to 10-11 overall this season and 6-1 in Horizon League play, and is now guaranteed a top-two seed in the upcoming Horizon League Tournament.
"This was an unbelievable, come-back, gritty college win today," head coach Brian Etzkin said. "This was a big win for our program, and it puts us in a good position going into tomorrow's match against Valparaiso. Not only was this win exciting for this year's team, but also for all of the former Vikings. The entire team played with focus and determination throughout the match today, and hopefully we can continue that throughout the coming weeks."
For the second straight match, CSU dropped the doubles point needing four singles wins for the victory. The Vikings were able to do just that, picking up wins at the No. 1, No. 2, No. 4, and No. 6 positions.
The Vikings' first point of the day came from Alex Bush at the No. 2 position, as she earned a convincing 6-2, 6-2 victory against the Flames. Lauren Golick then gave CSU its second point, winning her fourth straight match in a 6-3, 6-3 decision at the top of the lineup. Golick now stands at 6-1 in Horizon League singles play.
"Alex Bush and Lauren did a great job at the top of the singles lineup for us once again, coming through and keeping us in the match with a pair of straight set victories. The team really fed off of their energy and started to make their own magic, dialing in on their respective matches," Etzkin said.
Victoria Bensimon was able to even the score at 3-3 with her sixth straight win at No. 6 singles. Bensimon posted a 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 victory against the Flames, keeping her record perfect in Horizon League singles play at 5-0.
"I am so proud of how Victoria was able to handle the pressure in her match today, her manner on the court has changed so much since the beginning of the season and you can definitely tell that she is maturing as a player. Late in the third set she faced a team match point, but came up with some big shots and hit them with confidence to keep herself in the match. From here, she was able to battle her way back and pick up the three-set victory and our third point of the match," Etzkin said.
Mathilde Orange then posted Cleveland State's clinching point for the second straight match, earning another tough victory at No. 4 singles. Fresh off of a 7-6 (2), 7-6 (5) victory against Milwaukee, Orange battled back for a 6-7 (6), 6-3, 6-3 victory against the Flames, giving the Vikings the 4-3 advantage.
"Mathilde had a repeat of her Milwaukee match today, as she had to battle and earn every point that she won. After losing the first set, she stayed the course and didn't let that bother her, fighting until the very end of the her match," Etzkin said.
The Vikings will close out the regular season tomorrow (Saturday, April 19), as they travel to Valparaiso for an 11:00 a.m. contest. With a win, the Vikings would clinch the Horizon League regular season title for the first time in program history.
Cleveland State 4, UIC 3
Doubles:
- Mariana Palacios/Kathryn Sharples (UIC) def. Alex Power/Ellen Folkers (CSU), 8-2
- Kara Sherwood/Mathilde Orange (CSU) vs. Jana Knoppe/Ann-Sophie Hahn (UIC), 6-3, unfinished
- Natalia Kuvakina/Keti Mebuka (UIC) def. Alex Bush/Victoria Bensimon (CSU), 8-1
Singles:
- Lauren Golick (CSU) def. Kathryn Sharples (UIC), 6-3, 6-3
- Alex Bush (CSU) def. Mariana Palacios (UIC), 6-2, 6-2
- Jana Knoppe (UIC) def. Kara Sherwood (CSU), 6-4, 6-0
- Mathilde Orange (CSU) def. Natalia Kuvakina (UIC), 6-7 (6), 6-3, 6-3
- Keti Mebuke (UIC) def. Princess Gbadamosi (CSU), 6-1, 6-4
- Victoria Bensimon (CSU) def. Ann-Sophie Hahn (UIC), 6-3, 2-6, 7-5
