April 29, 2008

Contact: Jessica Gerich

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Cleveland State will make its first-ever appearance in the NCAA Men's Tennis Division I Championships when the Vikings play No. 2 Ohio State in the opening round on Saturday, May 10 at the Stickney Tennis Center on Ohio State's campus. The pairings for the 64-team field were announced on Tuesday afternoon on ESPNU.

"We are excited to play the No. 2 team in the nation in Ohio State," head coach Brian Etzkin said. "We will be coming in as the underdog but we will prepare for this match like every other this season."

"I think we will surprise everyone. It will be exciting for us to see how we match up against some of the best in the country. We will have a lot of fan support to help us as well."

The Vikings clinched the Horizon League's automatic bid to the tournament by winning the league championship on Sunday, defeating UIC by a 4-1 score.

Cleveland State enters the NCAA Championship with an 18-5 record, led by Horizon League Player of the Year, sophomore Phil Orno. Orno compiled a 19-2 record at No. 1 singles and has won 19 consecutive singles matches. The team is also led by sophomore Ryan Hamning, an All-League first team selection and freshman Robert Fox, a second-team honoree.

Ohio State is 32-1, with their only loss coming to No. 1 Virginia. The Buckeyes defeated Illinois to claim the Big Ten Championship.

Tickets will be available at the site.