Youngstown Penguins open #HL Tennis Championships Play on Friday
The Youngstown State men’s tennis team begins play at the Horizon League Championships on Friday afternoon. This year’s event will be at the Varsity Tennis Center on the campus of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.
YSU, the No. 2 seed from the North Division, will face No. 3 South Division foe Southern Indiana in the quarterfinals at 3 p.m.
The Penguins finished the regular season with a 13-9 mark overall while going 5-3 in Horizon League play. YSU has a four-win improvement from a year ago and improved in HL matches by two victories.
It marks the first-ever meeting between YSU and the Screaming Eagles. The winner advances to play No. 1 South Division Belmont on Saturday in the semifinals. USI enters the match with the Penguins following a 5-9 and 2-2 campaign. The Bruins went 11-10 on the season and won all four of their HL South Division matches. Cleveland State is the defending champion.
A victory over Southern Indiana will give YSU its seventh appearance in the past eight years in the Horizon League semifinals.
Regular Season Recap
YSU played its first dual match of the season on Jan. 24. The Guins won their first six matches of the campaign tying the school record for the best dual start in program history. YSU later added a four-match winning streak in late March. In Horizon League play, the Guins earned home wins over Northern Kentucky, IU Indy and Chicago State. YSU also beat the Cougars and Norse on the road.
Horizon League Numbers
Individually in the eight Horizon League matches this spring, YSU was 31-17 in singles and 17-6 in doubles. The Penguins won the doubles point in seven of eight league contests on the year. William Rassat had team-best six singles wins while Onder Balci and Ethan Dasset had four.
Overall Numbers
Rassat leads the team with 17 overall singles wins (12 spring/5 fall) while Balci is second with 16 (10 spring/6 fall). Balci has nine wins at No. 1 singles while Rassat has eight at No. 2. Ethan Dasset and Viktor Van Craenenbroeck both have 11 victories while Mihia Haita has 10. Overall, in doubles, YSU is 40-20 this spring, with an impressive 17 victories coming at No. 2.
Horizon League Tournament History
All-time in Horizon League Tournament play, the Penguins own an 8-27 mark. Five of the eight victories have come since 2017. The Guins won the championship in 2022. Prior to winning two contests in 2022, YSU’s most recent victory in the event was April 27, 2018, against Wright State.
For news and updates throughout the tournament, follow the Youngstown State men’s tennis program on X and instagram @YSUMensTennis
This story was originally published April 23, 2025 at 2:45 PM