Youngstown State Women and Belmont Men Capture #HLTennis Championships
Championship Central | Women's Championship Bracket | Men's Championship Bracket
Ann Arbor, Mich. – For the seventh time in team history, the Youngstown State women’s tennis team is the Horizon League Champion as they won their second consecutive and seventh total championship on Sunday as they edged out Cleveland State 4-3. Belmont claimed their first Horizon League men’s tennis championship as they won 4-1 against Tennessee Tech as the Horizon League Tennis Championships concluded on Sunday at the Varsity Tennis Center.
No. 1 Youngstown State 4, No. 2 Cleveland State 3
Youngstown State went undefeated in conference play in the regular season to secure the top seed in the Horizon League Women’s Tennis Championship, and they continued their winning ways throughout the championship en route to their seventh championship title. The Penguins fended off Cleveland State 4-3.
Youngstown State got the match started by winning the doubles point. The No. 3 doubles tandem of Julia Marko and Line Greyling won the first doubles match 6-4. Then the top doubles pair of Eliska Masarikova and Elisa Rigazio secured the point for the Penguins as they won 6-3.
Rigazio continued scoring for the Penguins as she won her singles match from the top spot 6-1, 6-2, putting the Penguins ahead 2-0. Bethany Yauch responded for the Vikings as she put them on the board as she won from the No. 2 spot 6-4, 6-0. Tereze Vevere scored the equalizer as she went 6-1, 4-6, and 6-2 to win from the No. 3 position. Julia Marko then put the Penguins back in front as she won her No. 5 singles match 6-7 (4-7), 6-1, and 6-1. The battle at No. 6 singles went to Cleveland State as Filippa Frogner fended off her opponent to win the match 2-6, 7-5, and 7-6 (7-4). With the match tied up now, it all came down to the No. 4 singles competition between Cecilia Rosas for Youngstown State and Sima Heren for Cleveland State. Over the three set battle, Rosas took the first set in tiebreakers, winning 7-6 (7-4). The second set then went Heren’s way as she won it 6-2. The third set saw Rosas with a 5-3, before Heren tied it up again at 5-5. Rosas then closed it out for the Penguins as she claimed the last two points, winning the set and the match 7-5.
The Penguins have earned the automatic qualifier to this year’s NCAA Championship and they will find out their opponent on Monday at 6 p.m. ET at NCAA.com.
No. S1 Belmont 4, No. S2 Tennessee Tech 1
The Belmont Bruins men’s tennis team claimed their first ever #HLTennis Men’s Championship as they fended off Tennessee Tech as they won 4-1.
The Golden Eagles only point came from the doubles, as the No. 2 doubles team of Evzen Holis and Pol Masafret won their match 6-4. The top doubles team of Elias Grubert and Mika Berghaus took down Belmont’s top pair as they won 7-5.
Singles play favored the Bruins as they picked up the tying point from Riccardo Trione at No. 5 singles as he won his match 6-4, 6-2. Ian Cruz then put Belmont in front as he won 6-0, 7-5 from the No. 4 spot. The Bruins took the 3-1 lead as Jack Randall won 6-4, 6-3 from the No. 6 spot. In yesterday’s semifinals against Youngstown State, Tomas Luis clinched the match winning point. In the championship match, the Bruins relied once again on Luis as he clinched the championship point, winning 6-0, 1-6, and 6-3 from the No. 3 singles position to win Belmont the championship.
The Bruins have earned the automatic qualifier to this year’s NCAA Championship and they will find out their opponent on Monday, May 1 at 6:30 p.m. ET at NCAA.com.