2008 PAC Women's Tennis Preview

BETHANY BISON (0-15 Overall, 0-6 PAC in 2007)
After a sixth place finish at the 2007 PAC Women’s tennis championships the Bison look to improve behind a pair of juniors. Expected back are Ashley Current and Kathleen Thompson who teamed together for three wins at the number one doubles position in 2007. BC will open up the 2008 season on September 6 at the Penn State-Behrend Invitational.


CHATHAM COUGARS (5-8 Overall, 3-3 PAC in 2007)
Four players return from a Chatham squad which placed fifth at the 2007 Presidents Athletic Conference (PAC) championship.

On the court, third-year head coach Aaron Wilf and his Cougars will be led by sophomore Barb Petty (right) who placed third in the PAC at first singles, and finished the season with an overall singles record of 9-6. Petty was also an Honorable Mention All-Conference selection in basketball. The Cougars also return juniors Sarah Urick and Becca Minges, as well as sophomore Meg Padula, who finished 3-3 in singles competition in the PAC. 

Chatham opens the season at home when it hosts Westminster College on Sunday, August 31 at a new home venue, the Pittsburgh Indoor Tennis Club, which is less than a mile from campus.  

GENEVA GOLDEN TORNADOES (7-5 in 2007)
Geneva’s tennis team certainly left little doubt in 2007 that it had the ability to compete with its new foes in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference. The Golden Tornadoes finished the season with an overall record of 7-5, including a 5-3 record against PAC competition. The 7-5 record marked the first time Geneva had finished a season over the .500 mark since head coach Mandee Craft took over the program seven years ago. The good news was the solid improvement in the win column, the bad news for Craft and the Golden Tornadoes was the loss of four extremely productive players. Geneva will have to find a way to replace its top five players from the 2007 season. Gone are Katie Caldwell, Jill Halama, Allison Krisza, Tess Roholt and Beth Sweatman. That five-some combined for 32 singles victories and all 19 doubles victories from a year ago.

Waiting in the wings for an opportunity is returning senior Jill Grabski , along with junior Beth Ragonesi. Grabski proved to be the most productive returning player with a 5-4 singles record and a mark of 2-2 in doubles play. Ragonesi lost her only singles match of the season and finished the year with a 2-2 mark in doubles play. Needless to say, the 2008 season will provide several opportunities for some very large shoes to be filled. “Losing good players is something every coach is faced with year after year,” said head coach Mandee Craft. “Perhaps we are in a tougher situation having lost so much production from one year to the next, but I am still very confident in the players we have returning, along with some of the young women we will be welcoming to our program.”

Craft will undoubtedly be relying on some immediate contributions from some of those new faces on the Geneva squad. Included in the group of newcomers are sophomores Chelsea Cover, Amanda Rockhill and Kara Zimmerman. New to Geneva in 2008 will be freshmen Maura McLaughlin, Havilah Mohler and Amy Weller. “When 2/3 of your roster are new to the program there is always going to be some uncertainty,” said Craft. “All we can hope for is that some of these newcomers will be confident enough to step right into the fire and contribute.”

Geneva finished the 2007 season with victories in three of its final four matches, all of which were against PAC competition. Coach Craft has clearly made it a priority for her team to improve throughout the season and be at its best at the end of the year. “I don’t think its any great philosophy to want your team to improve throughout the year,” said Craft. “We have always stressed hard work and commitment to the program and with that has generally brought positive results. I don’t see why this year would be any different.”

The only difference on paper for the Golden Tornadoes tennis team is the absence of some of the most productive players in recent history. It will be up to Craft and to her young squad to put things together quickly as Geneva will once again face a very challenging non-conference and PAC schedule. “We certainly don’t get any breaks with the schedule,” said Craft. “We are playing quality programs throughout the season which will also help us to improve to the level that we expect.”

GROVE CITY WOLVERINES (10-2 Overall, 6-0 PAC in 2007)
For the past several years, the Grove City College women’s tennis team has featured a wealth of experience along with a group of talented underclassmen as the upcoming season approached.

That’s not necessarily the case in 2008 as Grove City has just five returning letterwinners. Fortunately for Grove City, the returning quintet of players is extremely talented and very experienced as the Wolverines pursue their 22nd consecutive Presidents’ Athletic Conference championship.

Grove City returns the conference’s Player of the Year and three other veterans who all have league titles to their credit.

Senior Tamara Nations (right) is a three-year letterwinner and a six-time PAC champion. She earned PAC Player of the Year honors in 2007 after winning the confrence title at No. 1 singles. Nations moved into the first singles spot during her junior season and will likely be at the top of the lineup again this fall. She will also see extensive action again at first doubles in 2008.

The Wolverines, who went 10-2 in 2007, will also be bolstered by a three-player junior class. Lisa Baldwin, Kait Garcia and Kristin Taylor are all returning starters who have won conference titles during their respective careers.

Baldwin led Grove City in singles wins during the regular season by compiling a 10-2 mark. She will likely hold down a spot in the middle of the lineup after playing at Nos. 3, 4 and 5 last year.

Garcia burst onto the scene in her sophomore year and ascended to the second singles post by season’s end. She is expected to challenge for one of the top spots in the lineup this season.

Taylor is also returning starter in both singles and doubles play. She is looking to move up in the lineup after playing primarily at fifth singles and third doubles during her sophomore season. Taylor is a two-time conference champion.

Sophomore Elissa Beale saw action as a reserve last season and is expected to compete for a spot in the Grove City lineup this fall. Grove City will also rely on a talented group of newcomers to fill some of the vacancies in the 2008 lineup.

In addition to the conference ledger, the 2008 schedule will also feature road matches against NCAA Division II Slippery Rock and West Liberty State. Grove City will also host Ohio power Oberlin in the regular-season finale.

The season begins Sept. 2 against visiting Saint Vincent. Grove City will compete in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Regional Championships Sept. 26-29 in Fredericksburg, Va.

SAINT VINCENT LADY BEARCATS (10-6 Overall in 2007)
The Saint Vincent College team is coming off a highly successful season in2007-08 with 14 wins and just six losses.

A provisional member of the PAC, the Lady Bearcat team was able to advanceits reputation last season with victories over all conference members except he perennial champion, Grove City College.

With four graduating seniors departing in May, the team is now undergoing significant restructuring with three returning veterans leading the way. Co-captains Meghan Wells (left) and Kim Meier have solid reputations as top competitors in the conference, as both were named PAC Coaches Award recipients last year.

Meghan is projected to be one of the top players in the area, and Kim, undefeated in both her freshman and junior years, stands to be very competitive in her senior year. “We¹re looking to both Meghan and Kim to be our leaders both on and off the court this year,” said veteran coach Jim Bendel.

“Their leadership on the courts will be supported by the presence of Allie Botti, who has a reputation for an exceptional commitment for excellence on the court,” added Bendel.

The squad of 13 players is ready for a schedule that allows them to have 16 playing dates in the fall of this year, followed by an intense one week schedule in the spring in Hilton Head, South Carolina.

The team will extend its play by scheduling one DI team and four DII teams this year. That competition will give the team a challenge during this rebuilding year, but the women are making every preparation for a successful season.

THOMAS MORE SAINTS (2-8 Overall, 1-4 PAC in 2007)
Under first-year head coach Nicki Lampe the Saints look to build on a youthful 2007 squad. A quintet of sophomores will return in 2008 with a year of collegiate experience under their belt. Providing experience and veteran leadership will be senior Jackie Philippo. The Saints open the season on September 3 at Midway, while PAC play begins September 6 at home against Westminster

WASHINGTON & JEFFERSON PRESIDENTS (4-5 Overall, 2-4 PAC in 2007)
The Presidents finished fourth at the PAC women’s tennis championships in 2007 and expect to improve that showing with the return of six players. Kerri DiGiovanni and Samantha Knapek are expected back for their senior seasons. The Presidents open the season at home against PAC power-house Grove City on Sept. 12.


WAYNESBURG YELLOW JACKETS (6-8 Overall, 4-2 PAC in 2007)

Heading into his 11^th season as the leader of the Waynesburg University women’s tennis team, head coach Ron Christman has a couple of big holes to fill thanks to transfers in the off-season. However, with a small, but promising freshman class and some good talent coming back, 2008 could be a successful year for the Yellow Jacket women, who finished third at the Presidents’ Athletic Conference tournament and put together a 5-8 overall record with a 3-2 conference mark in the regular season.

After winning a Presidents’ Athletic Conference PAC championship at number two singles as a freshman, Blakeley Mall transferred in the off-season following a 10-6 season.

Also leaving Waynesburg is last year’s PAC runner-up at number six singles, Evelyn Fabian. Like Mall, Fabian transferred after a 9-7 campaign.

Though the loss of Mall and Fabian will be felt, Christman will still have a good group to lean on this fall, led by senior Laura Garcia. Last year, Garcia was a second-team All-PAC selection at number one doubles, along with Mall.

In 2007, Garcia played all 17 singles matches as Waynesburg’s number one player and one half of their number one doubles team.

On the singles side, last year’s number three, Allie Horochak, is back for her junior season and could slide up to the number two spot. Jess Mally, who was honored as a second-team All-PAC pick at number four singles, is also back and should return to the starting lineup as a junior. Last year, Mally went 3-2 in PAC singles play.

Dana Davis, who saw action at number five singles and number three doubles in 2007, returns for her senior campaign and is also a strong candidate for consistent starting time.

When it comes to doubles competition, Mally and Horochak handled the number two spot last year and could push for the number one spot. Junior Carrie Daubert brings experience as a pairs player from last season, as well.

This year, Christman has recruited five freshmen to his squad and while he isn’t ready to say if any of them could jump right in and compete for one of the top two spots, he is high on their overall abilities as a group.

“Even though not one of them is at the level of a Blakeley Mall, all five have potential,” Christman said. “We’re in real solid shape when it comes to players filling in in case of injury or anything like that. The five are pretty even.”

While there are still starting spots still up for grabs, Christman prepared ahead for the situation. Last year, the verteran coach used his non-PAC matches to get those who weren’t regular starters valuable experience on the court.

“Just about everyone got to play,” Christman said. “In non-conference matches, if someone has a big test or a lab due and we’re traveling, they may stay home and we’ll move people up the lineup.”

While Christman doesn’t have any official assistant coaches on his staff, he confidently relies on his men’s team to help out the women and vice-versa.

“Both teams really help each other out,” Christman said. “Both teams have players that string rackets and it is exceptionally helpful at men’s matches. We are the stringers for the PAC tournament.”

The Yellow Jacket women open up their season on Aug. 29 with a non-conference match again PAC rival Westminster.

WESTMINSTER TITANS (10-9 Overall, 5-1 PAC in 2007)
The Westminster College women's tennis team has all the prospects for a successful season in 2008. Sure, there are questions entering the season, but fourth-year head coach Scott Renninger has many reasons to be excited about his squad.

"I like the enthusiasm and the work ethic of the team," said Renninger, the two-year reigning Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) Coach of the Year. "We're really excited about the girls we have coming back."

Westminster returns five letter-winners including four starting singles players from the 2007 team that tied a school record for wins in a season with a 10-9 record and a 5-1 mark in the PAC.

Two of the returning players are juniors April Scudere and Hilary Newman (left) who won Westminster's lone PAC singles title in each of the last two years.

Scudere won at No. 4 singles in 2006 before a runner-up finish last year while compiling a 10-11 record for the season.

Newman, who transferred to Westminster from Division I Robert Morris prior to the 2007 season, won the No. 3 singles title last year and posted a team-best 16-5 singles record for the year.

Scudere and Newman also posted a team-best doubles record of 11-10 at the No. 2 position.

Some of the questions entering the season will be who will occupy the No. 1 doubles spot vacated by four-year letter-winners and 2008 graduates Dana Larson and Christina Commisso.

"We will be relying on April and Hilary as well as our seniors to be strong leaders," Renninger said. "Someone is going to have to fill those shoes."

Westminster will have four seniors on the squad, including letter-winners Alyson Lingle and Beth Erwin. Lingle, who is back on the team after a year away while studying abroad, posted a 14-7 singles record (9-2 at No. 6) two years ago, while Erwin went 2-3 at No. 6 singles and 2-1 at No. 3 doubles last year.

Other returning starters include sophomores Natalie Hruska, 11-8 singles record (9-4 at No. 6), and Rachel Jack, 12-9 (10-6 at No. 5).

Westminster placed second in the PAC last year with 33 points at the conference championships, finishing 17 points behind 21-time champion Grove City.

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