CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Cleveland State women's tennis team will open up its 2020 spring season this week, traveling to Western Michigan for a 1:00 p.m. contest on Monday, January 20.
MATCH #1
Cleveland State at Western Michigan | Monday, January 20 | 1:00 p.m.
West Hills Athletic Club | Kalamazoo, Mich.
Live Stats
The Vikings
Cleveland State returns seven letterwinners from last year's squad that claimed a share of the Horizon League Regular Season title, including junior Klara Mrcela who earned Second Team All-League honors last year. Mrcela is joined by classmate Gaby Schoenberg, along with seniors Kateryna Avram, Blanche Lenoan and Sian Payne, and sophomores Lauren Longo and Lara Prosenjak.
#HLWTEN Preseason Poll
Earlier this season the Vikings were tabbed to finish second in the highly competitive 10-team Horizon League field, collecting 68 points to finish behind preseason favorite UIC. This marks the eighth year that the Horizon League has released a preseason poll, with the Vikings selected to finish second for the third time.
Recapping The Fall Season
Cleveland State competed in four tournaments during the fall season, including a trip to Cancun, Mexico for the Iberostar College Cup. Klara Mrcela and Lara Prosenjak finished the fall season with a team-best 7-2 doubles record, and picked up the Viking Invitational Doubles title. In singles, Blanche Lenoan posted a team-best six wins during the fall campaign, while Kateryna Avram and Mrcela both picked up five victories.
Head Coach Frank Polito
Frank Polito is in his second year at the helm of the Vikings, and his eighth year overall at Cleveland State. Last year, Polito helped the Vikings to a 16-9 overall record, including an 8-1 mark in regular season league matchups. Polito and the Vikings captured a share of the 2019 Regular Season #HLWTEN Championship last year, and earned an appearance in the league championship match for the first time since 2014.
Scouting The Matchup
Western Michigan
2020 Record: 1-0
All-Time Record Against CSU: 4-0
Last Meeting: Western Michigan 5, Cleveland State 2 (2/3/17)
