After defeating Cleveland State on the road for the first time since 2022 earlier this season, the Youngstown State men's tennis team looks to close out the regular season and stay undefeated in Horizon League play when it welcomes the Vikings to the YSU Indoor Tennis Center Friday evening. First serve is set for 6 p.m.
Having already clinched the HL North Division with a 7-0 win over Northern Kentucky and a 5-2 victory against IU Indy last weekend, the Penguins improved to 15-4 overall and 5-0 in league play.
CSU enters the weekend coming off back-to-back 6-1 victories against NKU and IU Indy to improve to 12-10 overall and 3-2 in conference play.Â
When the two teams last met, the Penguins dropped the doubles point, but rallied with straight-set victories at No. 3 and No. 5 singles.
Youngstown State sealed the match by taking the final two singles matches, as Rafael Le Fur and Matteo Ceradelli each earned three-set wins, with Ceradelli outlasting his opponent in a two-hour, 37-minute match.
In its last two conference matches, Cleveland State has secured the doubles points and has now claimed the point in five of six league matches.
The CSU duo of Lincoln Battle and Carl Gedlitschka remain undefeated this spring in conference play, posting a 5-0 record at the No. 1 position while earning their fourth HL Doubles Team of the Week honor entering the matchup against the Penguins.
For the Penguins, Alexis Maulouet picked up his second individual league honor after going 2-0 last weekend at the No. 1 position. He holds a 3-1 record in conference singles play, with his lone loss coming against the Vikings.
A YSU victory would mark its first season sweep of CSU since the 2021-22 season, when the Penguins went 8-0 in conference play and won their first Horizon League Championship.Â
Oscar Gippet remains undefeated in singles play this spring, and his 24 overall victories have moved him into third place for single-season wins in program history. Rafael Le Fur and Dominik Vonbank rank second on the team with 18 singles wins.
