Youngstown State University
Chicago State
Penguins Begin Quest For Third Straight Title on Saturday
4/26/2024 2:27:00 PM | Women's Tennis
The Youngstown State women's tennis team goes for its eighth Horizon League Tournament title when the second-seeded Penguins begin action in the semifinals on Saturday afternoon at the Schwartz Tennis Center on the Purdue University campus in West Lafayette, Ind.
YSU will face the winner of third-seed Chicago State vs. sixth-seed Oakland in the semifinals at 3 p.m. Cleveland State is the No. 1 seed and also received a bye to the semifinals. The championship match is scheduled for 3 p.m. on Sunday and will be televised on ESPN+.
Youngstown State enters the Championships on a five-match winning streak. YSU dropped its Horizon League opener at Cleveland State before claiming five straight wins to earn a share of the regular-season title with the Vikings and Chicago State.
The Penguins are the two-time defending champions having won the title with a pair of 4-3 title-match thrillers the past two years. In 2023, YSU claimed a 4-3 win over Cleveland State. In 2022, the Guins defeated Milwaukee by a 4-3 margin. Both matches were played at the Varsity Tennis Center in Ann Arbor, Mich.
YSU has won titles in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2022 and 2023. The Guins were runners up in 2013 and 2021. The eighth postseason title will break tie Notre Dame for the second most in conference history.
Regular-Season Recap
YSU played its first match of the season on Jan. 21 against Niagara. YSU picked up non-league wins over Niagara, Bowling Green and Duquesne. In the month of April, YSU is a perfect 5-0.
Horizon League Numbers
In the six Horizon League matches this spring, YSU was 27-9 in singles and 8-8 in doubles. Julia Marko and Yeseniia Ovcharova were both a perfect 6-0 in league play. Lili Minich collected a 5-1 record while Elinor Beazley was 4-2.
Horizon League Honors
Three Penguins earned all-league accolades – Eliska Masarikova, Julia Marko and Elinor Beazley. Maria Oliveira was selected for the Herb Foster Sportsmanship Award. Oliveira is just the second Guin to receive the Sportsmanship Award. Masarikova and Marko were first-team all-league picks while Beazley was a second-team selection. It's the third time that Masarikova has been named to the All-HL squad. For Marko, it's her first time on either the first or second team.
Postseason Run Since 2013
The Penguins have won 18 of their last 20 Horizon League Tournament matches since 2013. The only two defeats came to UIC - the 2021 championship match and the 2013 championship contest. YSU previously won league titles in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018, 2022 and 2023. The 2015 and 2018 titles were won in West Lafayette.
Horizon League Tournament History
All-time in Horizon League Tournament play, the Penguins own a 30-12 mark. The Guins have reached the finals in their last nine Horizon League Championship appearances, including 2023. In tournament matches played at Purdue, YSU is 5-1 winning titles in 2015 and 2018.
For news and updates throughout the tournament, follow the Youngstown State women's tennis program on Twitter @YSUWomensTennis
