CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Cleveland State women's tennis team will open up the 2021 season this weekend, hosting Eastern Michigan on Saturday, January 30.
MATCH #1
Cleveland State vs. Eastern Michigan | Saturday, January 30 | 12:00 p.m.
Medical Mutual Tennis Pavilion | Cleveland, Ohio
Due to the conditions created by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Cleveland State will begin the season with no spectators.
The Returners…
Cleveland State returns five letterwinners from last year's squad, including All-League Honoree senior Klara Mrcela. Mrcela is joined by classmate Gaby Schoenberg, along with super-seniors Kateryna Avram, Blanche Lenoan, Siân Payne.
The Newcomers…
The returning letterwinners will be joined by three newcomers for the 2021 campaign, as true freshmen Slema Tounsi (Montreal, Canada) and Bethany Yauch (Pittsburgh, Pa.) are set to begin their collegiate careers, while senior transfer Miruna Vasilescu (Ulm, Germany/Akron) will also join the Vikings for the upcoming season.
Vikings Return To The Court
Saturday's match against Eastern Michigan will be the first contest for the Vikings in 325 days, as they were last in action on March 11, 2020 – a match in which they also faced the Eagles. The Vikings finished the shortened 2020 campaign with an 8-5 record.
Trio Returns For Super-Senior Season
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 trio of Kateryna Avram, Blanche Lenoan and Siân Payne have decided to return for a 'super-senior' season. During the 2019 campaign this trio led the Vikings to a share of the Horizon League Regular Season title and an appearance in the #HLWTEN Championship Match, while they helped the Vikings post an 8-5 record last year.
Schoenberg & Lenoan Closing In On 50 Career Singles Wins
Entering the 2021 campaign, Gaby Schoenberg and Blanche Lenoan are both closing in on recording their 50thcareer singles win, as Schoenberg currently has 46 wins and Lenoan owns 45 victories. This duo would become the 16th and 17th Vikings to reach the 50-win milestone in program history.
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 3.848 Team GPA for the term. In addition, five Vikings earned a spot on the Cleveland State University Dean's List (Kateryna Avram, Klara Mrcela, Siân Payne, Gaby Schoenberg, and Selma Tounsi) after recording a 3.25+ GPA on 12 graded credit hours.
Cleveland State In The MMTP
Saturday's home opener will mark the first match of what is scheduled to be a nine-match home slate for the Vikings during the 2021 season, as they will be calling the Medical Mutual Tennis Pavilion home for the sixth year. Since it's opening in 2016, the Vikings have posted a 37-12 record at the MMTP, including a pair of 9-1 campaigns during 2019 and 2017.
Head Coach Frank Polito
Frank Polito is in his third year at the helm of the Vikings, and his ninth year overall at Cleveland State, owning a 24-14 dual match record as head coach. During the 2019 campaign, Polito led the Vikings to a share of the Horizon League Regular Season Championship, and then helped Cleveland State make an appearance in the #HLWTEN Championship Match for the first time since 2014.
Scouting The Matchup
Eastern Michigan
2021 Record: 0-0
All-Time Record Against CSU: 2-0
Last Meeting: Eastern Michigan 4, Cleveland State 3 (3/11/20)
