Northern Kentucky’s men’s tennis enters postseason play on Friday, April 28, when the team takes on Youngstown State in the first round of the Horizon League Championship. NKU earned the No. 5 seed in the tournament, while the Penguins were awarded the No. 4 seed. The match is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. ET in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and will be broadcast on ESPN3 with streaming available on computers, tablets and smart phones through WatchESPN and the ESPN App. The winner of tomorrow’s match will go on to play top-seeded Valparaiso at 11 a.m. on Saturday, April 29.
NKU Men (7-8, 3-4 HL) vs. Youngstown State (18-7, 5-2 HL)
Friday, April 28 – 11 a.m. ET
Ann Arbor, Mich.
ESPN3 Broadcast
LAST TIME OUT: The Norse clinched their spot in the Horizon League Championship for the second time since joining the League last season with a 4-3 win over Wright State. NKU’s seniors rose to the occasion for the final home match of their careers to put away four singles victories to win the match. Mate Virag took down Jacob Perkins in matching 6-2 sets on the top court, followed by a 6-1, 6-1 win from Court Clark in No. 4 singles against Javier Alvarez. Adrian Isache recorded a 6-1, 6-2 win over Donovan Cellupica in No. 6 singles, and Lukas Clemens clinched the match in No. 2 singles with a 6-4, 6-3 win against Jonas Brezing.
SCOUTING YOUNGSTOWN STATE: The Penguins finished in an overall tie for second in the League with a 5-2 record, but fell to the No. 4 seed after a tiebreaker with Detroit Mercy and Green Bay, the former of which claimed a 3-4 win over YSU. Youngstown State’s lineup is headlined by Mitch Maroscher, who has gone 15-7 on the season for the second-best No. 1 singles record in the League. When NKU last met the Penguins on April 2, YSU claimed a 5-2 victory after taking the doubles point as well as the No. 1-4 singles matches. Adrian Isache and Blaine Carr recorded NKU’s points, with Isache taking down Luke Purser in No. 5 singles, 6-3, 6-1, while Carr won a three-set match over Gabriel Tolesani, 6-3, 4-6, 6-2.
For more information on NKU’s men’s and women’s tennis program, follow the team on Twitter @NKUNorseTennis or at facebook.com/nkunorsetennis.
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Chloe Smith
Assistant Athletic Communications Director
Northern Kentucky University