2012 Horizon League Tennis Championships Start Friday

Tennis Championship Brackets

INDIANAPOLIS – For the 16^th straight season, the UIC women’s tennis team earned the top seed for the Horizon League Tennis Championship, while on the men’s side, Wright State claims the No. 1 seed for the first time in program history.

The men’s and women’s championships will be played at North Central High School in Indianapolis from Friday, April 27-Sunday, April 29.

On the women’s side, UIC (16-3, 8-0 Horizon) brings a 141 Horizon League match winning streak into the championships, the top streak in NCAA tennis. The Flames have won 14 consecutive matches, the best mark in program history as they seek their 16^th consecutive Horizon League title.

With the No. 1 seed, UIC earns a bye until Saturday’s second round, along with No. 2 Cleveland State (15-8, 7-1 Horizon). The seven League wins ties the CSU record for conference victories in a season, as the Vikings also posted seven wins during the 2009-10 and 2010-11 seasons.

In Friday’s first round matches, Milwaukee (13-8, 6-2 Horizon) will take on No. 6 Detroit (6-12, 3-5 Horizon) at 1 p.m. ET, weather permitting. The teams met on Friday, with the Panthers coming away with a 7-0 win to clinch the No. 3 seed, Milwaukee’s best in program history.

No. 4 seed Butler (8-14, 5-3 Horizon) will meet No. 5 Wright State (10-12, 4-4 Horizon) in Friday’s other first round match. When the teams previously met on April 7, it was the Bulldogs who came away with a 5-2 victory over the host Raiders.

For the first time in program history, Wright State (18-4, 7-0 Horizon) earned the No. 1 seed on the men’s side. The Raiders will be looking for their first Horizon League men’s tennis title since 2001.

Also earning a bye to the semifinals is Green Bay (17-6, 6-1 Horizon), who set a program record with 17 victories this season. The Phoenix’s lone loss in Horizon League play this year came at the hands of Wright State by a 4-3 decision.

Friday’s first round matches will see No. 3 Youngstown State (9-10, 4-3 Horizon) take on No. 6 Butler (3-20, 2-5 Horizon) at 1 p.m. ET, weather permitting. The Penguins and Bulldogs just met on Sunday, with YSU coming away with a 5-2 victory to wrap up the third seed.

Also on Friday, four-time defending Horizon League champion Cleveland State (10-11, 4-3 Horizon) will play No. 5 Detroit (9-14, 3-4 Horizon). The Vikings and Titans opened their conference season on March 23, with the Vikings claiming a narrow 4-3 win at Detroit.

The Horizon League women’s tennis championship will be streamed live on the Horizon League Network at 9:00 a.m. ET; the men’s championship will also be carried live on HLN, beginning at 12:30 p.m. ET.