By: Ryan Hartwig (@RyanHartwig)
GreenBayPhoenix.com

GREEN BAY, Wis. (GreenBayPhoenix.com) - Fresh off its first Horizon League championship in 2012, the Green Bay men's tennis team was selected as the unanimous favorite to repeat in 2013, the conference office announced on Friday after a voting by the league's head coaches. The Phoenix picked up all six first-place votes in the preseason poll, leading the way with 36 points. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own teams in the poll.

"It's an honor to be voted as the top team in the Horizon League by the other head coaches," Phoenix head coach Mark Thomas said. "It's a testament to the hard work that both the players and the coaches have put in to get the program to its current level. There are several strong teams in the league and we look forward to competitive matches in conference play this season."

Green Bay finished the 2012 season with a school-record 19 wins (19-7, 6-1 Horizon League), defeating four-time defending champion Cleveland State in the Horizon League title match. The Phoenix wrapped up the season with a hard-fought loss at No. 7 Pepperdine in Malibu, Calif., in the school's first NCAA Tournament appearance.

For a complete summary of the 2011-12 campaign, click here.

VIDEO: Phoenix Completes Historic 2011-12 Season

The 2013 Horizon League Men's Tennis Championship will be held in Indianapolis, April 26-28. The top six teams will qualify for the tournament, with the top two seeds receiving byes into the semifinals. The league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament will be decided on Sunday, April 28, with live coverage being provided by the Horizon League Network.

2013 Horizon League Presason Poll

1.       Green Bay (6) - 36

2.       Cleveland State (1) - 30

3.       Wright State - 27

4.       Youngstown State - 19

5.       Detroit - 16

6.       UIC - 13

7.       Valparaiso - 6

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