Youngstown State University
Milwaukee
Penguins Open #HLTennis Championships Play on Saturday
4/25/2025 1:30:00 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 morning at the Varsity Tennis Center on the University of Michigan campus in Ann Arbor, Mich.
YSU will face sixth-seed Milwaukee in the semifinals at 11 a.m. Cleveland State is the No. 1 seed and received a bye to the semifinals. The championship match is scheduled for 11 a.m. on Sunday and will be televised on ESPN+. The Panthers upset No. 3 seed Oakland on Friday. The Guins defeated Milwaukee, 5-2, on April 5 at the YSU Indoor Tennis Center.
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 the No. 2 seed at the tournament.
The Penguins have won all five times that the event has been hosted at Michigan. YSU's seven overall titles tie it with Notre Dame for the second most all time in HL history.
The last two titles in Ann Arbor have come down to the final match. In 2023, YSU claimed a 4-3 win over Cleveland State. In 2022, the Guins defeated Milwaukee by a 4-3 margin.
YSU won postseason titles in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2022 and 2023. The Guins were runners up in 2013 and 2021.
The Penguins enter the postseason with a 12-7 overall record.
Regular-Season Recap
YSU played its first match of the season on Jan. 18 against Marshall. YSU dropped its opening match, 4-3, to a team that was ranked as high as No. 50 in the country, went 18-5 this spring and was fifth in the Sun Belt. From that match on it was a streaky run for the Guins – three wins, three losses, four wins, three losses and five wins to end the year.
Horizon League Numbers
In the six Horizon League matches this spring, YSU was 28-8 in singles and 13-2 in doubles. YSU won the doubles point in all six contests. Lorena Cedeno was a perfect 5-0 in HL play while Yeseniia Ovcharova was 5-1. Ghada Dirninger, Juli Marko, Lili Minich and Yoana Dudova all won four matches.
Horizon League Honors
Four Penguins earned all-league accolades – Marko, Minich, Cedeno and Ovcharova. Marko and Minich were first-team honorees while Cedeno and Ovcharova were second-team selections. It's the third time that Marko has been named to an All-HL squad. She was also a first-team selection last year.
Postseason Run Since 2013
The Penguins have won 18 of their last 21 Horizon League Tournament matches since 2013. The only defeats were against UIC - the 2021 championship match and the 2013 championship contest – and Chicago State in the 2024 semifinals. YSU previously won league titles in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018, 2022 and 2023. The 2014, 2016, 2017, 2022 and 2023 titles were won in Ann Arbor.
Horizon League Tournament History
All-time in Horizon League Tournament play, the Penguins own a 30-13 mark. The Guins have reached the finals in nine of their last 10 Horizon League Championship appearances. In tournament matches played at Michigan, YSU is 12-0.
For news and updates throughout the tournament, follow the Youngstown State women's tennis program on X @YSUWomensTennis
