ANN ARBOR, Mich. – After earning a spot in the Horizon League Tournament Semifinals for the eighth time, top-seeded Cleveland State dropped a heartbreaking 4-3 match to fifth-seeded Wright State Saturday afternoon. The Vikings conclude their season with a 14-9 overall record.
For just the second time against a Horizon League opponent this season the Vikings dropped the doubles point, as Wright State posted victories at No. 1 and No. 3 doubles. The Cleveland State tandem of Mathilde Orange and Princess Gbadamosi notched a 6-1 win at the No. 2 spot – marking their team-best 14th doubles win of the spring season.
The Vikings then got off to a quick start during the beginning of singles play, as Aleksandra Golawska evened the score at 1-1 with a victory at No. 5 singles. Golawska, who finished the year with a 17-10 singles record, posted a 6-0, 6-3 victory over Wright State's Vanessa Madrigal.
After Wright State was able to earn a victory at No. 2 singles, Gbadamosi once again evened the score at 2-2 with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Tori Turner at No. 4 singles.
The two teams then traded singles points at No. 6 and No. 3 singles, with Wright State picking up a win at the No. 6 spot and Victoria Bensimon posting a victory at the No. 3 spot. Bensimon, who posted her 12th straight singles win and team-best 18th victory of the season, earned a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Wright State's Elaine Cloern.
The deciding point came down to No. 1 singles then, with Horizon League Freshman of the Year Isabella Spindler taking on Wright State's Karoline Haller. Spindler was able to earn a 6-3 win in the first set, but Haller bounced back to post a 6-2 win in the second frame to force a third and final set. During the third set, Spindler was able to get out to a 3-0 lead, but wasn't able to hold the advantage, as Haller came-from-behind to earn a 6-4 victory to clinch the match for the Raiders.
Mathilde Orange finished her Cleveland State career as one of 14 Vikings all-time to record 50 career singles wins, and was a part of both Horizon League Regular Season titles for the Vikings.
No. 5 Wright State 4, No. 1 Cleveland State 3
Doubles:
1. Turner/Culbertson (WSU) def. Golawska/Spindler (CSU), 6-4
2. Gbadamosi/Orange (CSU) def. Haller/Verstrepen (WSU), 6-1
3. Cloern/Brdicka (WSU) def. Nix/Bensimon (CSU), 6-3
Singles:
1. Karoline Haller (WSU) def. Isabella Spindler (CSU), 3-6, 6-2, 6-4
2. Linsey Verstrepen (WSU) def. Mathilde Orange (CSU), 6-2, 6-4
3. Victoria Bensimon (CSU) def. Elaine Cloern (WSU), 6-4, 6-4
4. Princess Gbadamosi (CSU) def. Tori Turner (WSU), 6-2, 6-4
5. Aleksandra Golawska (CSU) def. Vanessa Madrigal (WSU), 6-0, 6-3
6. Aby Madrigal (WSU) def. Jana Schober (CSU), 6-3, 6-4
