Cleveland State, UIC Tabbed Favorites for 2019 #HLTennis Season
INDIANAPOLIS — Last season’s Horizon League tournament winner, Cleveland State, was tabbed as the unanimous 2019 men’s preseason favorite, while UIC earned the top spot on the women’s side over five-time defending champion Youngstown State as the 2019 Horizon League Men’s and Women’s Tennis preseason poll was revealed on Tuesday. The poll was voted on by the League’s seven men’s coaches and 10 women’s coaches.
The unanimous favorite on the men’s side is led by Brian Etzkin, who will be entering his 17th season at the helm of CSU Tennis. The Vikings will return Horizon League Player of the Year, Nico Mostardi and Horizon League Freshman of the Year, Matthew Terry. Cleveland State posted a 17-11 overall record in 2018 including a 6-1 mark in League action and avenged its lone conference loss by defeating No. 1 seed Detroit Mercy, 4-2, in the championship match. The Vikings have won four consecutive championships from 2008-11 before adding titles in 2013 and 2018.
Youngstown State finished 2018 with a 12-11, 5-2 HL record and fell to Cleveland State in the League semifinal, 4-0. YSU returns senior Danylo Veremeichuk, who earned All-League First Team honors last season.
Green Bay finished last season with a 5-2 HL record and 12-10 overall falling to Detroit Mercy 4-0 in the League semifinal. Green Bay returns senior James Ling, who earned All-League Second Team honors last season.
2019 Horizon League Men’s Tennis Preseason Poll
Rank, School, Pts. (First-place votes)
1. Cleveland State – 49 (7)
2. Youngstown State – 39
3. Green Bay – 35
4. UIC – 28
5. IUPUI – 20
6. Wright State – 16
7. Northern Kentucky – 9
On the women’s side, UIC finished 2018 with an overall record of 15-7, including an 8-1 mark in League play and earned seven first-place votes in this year’s coaches poll. Led by reigning Horizon League Coach of the Year Shannon Tully, UIC returns senior Georgie Sanders and junior Lejla Colic, who earned All-League Second Team honors last season.
Defending champion Youngstown State received the final three first-place votes and has won five consecutive League titles. YSU has reached the league’s title match in each of the past six seasons under the direction of head coach Mickael Sopel. YSU posted an 8-1 League record while finishing 16-11 overall last season.
Oakland, which went 11-12 (5-4 HL) last season finished third in the poll with 77 points. The Golden Grizzlies return Horizon League Freshman of the Year and All-League First Team member, Darya Maltseva, and All-League Second Team selection Dasha Artamonova.
2019 Horizon League Women’s Tennis Preseason Poll
Rank, School, Pts. (First-place votes)
1. UIC – 97 (7)
2. Youngstown State – 85 (3)
3. Oakland – 77
4. Cleveland State – 69
5. Wright State – 65
6. Milwaukee – 49
7. Northern Kentucky – 41
8. Detroit Mercy – 33
9. IUPUI – 21
10. Green Bay – 13
The 2019 Horizon League men’s and women’s tennis championships will take place April 26-28 in West Lafayette, Ind. at the Schwartz Tennis Center.