Tennis Release #15

Men's Bracket

Women's Bracket

CHAMPIONSHIP PHOTO GALLERY

Cleveland State to face Kentucky, UIC to battle Notre Dame in first round of NCAA Championships

The Cleveland State University men will travel to the University of Kentucky to face the Wildcats in the first round of the NCAA Men's Tennis Championships, while the University of Illinois at Chicago women will take on the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Both matches will be played on May 9, with the men playing at 1:00 p.m. Eastern time, and the women's time to be decided at a later date.

The Vikings defeated UIC 4-3 last weekend to earn their second Horizon League title in a row, and another automatic berth into the NCAA Championships. The Wildcats are the No. 11 overall seed and posted a 17-10 record this season. Cleveland State and Kentucky will play each other for the first time in school history.

On the women's side, the Flames will meet fifth-seeded Notre Dame in their first round match after UIC clinched its 13th-straight Horizon League championship. The Fighting Irish boast a 24-4 record and were crowned Big East Champions for the second consecutive year. The Irish own an 8-0 record all-time against the Flames.

First- and second-round competition will be conducted May 8-9 with the winner of each site advancing to the NCAA Divison I Men's and Women's Tennis Championships at the George P. Mitchell Tennis Center in College Station, Texas, hosted by the Texas A&M University. The team championships will be held May 14-19. For more information, visit www.ncaa.com.

Cleveland State Men, UIC Women Repeat as Champions at 2009 Horizon League Tennis Championships

The 2009 Horizon League Tennis Championship concluded Sunday afternoon as the Cleveland State University men and University of Illinois at Chicago women were crowned champions. It was the Vikings second-straight appearance in the finals and their second title in a row, while the Flames claimed the League championship for the 13th-consecutive year.

In the men's championship match, Cleveland State picked up the doubles point against UIC, but the Flames rebounded in singles, winning matches at No. 2, No. 5 and No. 6. CSU came back to even the score with wins at No. 3 and No. 4, leaving the top singles match as the deciding point. The Vikings' Phil Orno squared off against UIC's Sebastian Lystad, and the two men put on a show. It was Orno who came out victorious at the end, securing the Vikings' second championship with his 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-3 victory over Lystad.

On the women's side, Detroit played in its first championship match in school history after defeating second-seeded Butler 4-3 on Saturday. UIC began by securing the doubles point with wins by its No. 1 and No. 2 duos, but the Titans' Erin Weldon evened the score with her quick victory at No. 6 singles (6-1, 6-3). UIC forged ahead, however, and went on to win at No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 singles to clinch its 13th-consecutive title and another trip to the NCAA tournament.

In men's consolation action, Valparaiso secured fifth-place by defeating Youngstown State, 4-0. Butler topped Green Bay (4-0) to place third for the second year in a row as the Bulldogs bounced back from their disappointing loss to UIC in the semifinals.

For the women, fifth-seeded Youngstown State earned third-place by defeating second-seeded Butler, 4-2. The Penguins secured the doubles point to gain an advantage, and then picked up victories at No. 2, No. 5 and No. 6 singles to edge the Bulldogs. Fourth-seeded Cleveland State came away with the fifth-place victory against No. 6 Milwaukee, 4-0, while seventh-seeded Green Bay and No. 8 Wright State battled in the seventh-place match, with the Phoenix emerging victorious (4-1).