2009 PAC Women's Tennis Preview

BETHANY BISON (2-12 Overall, 1-5 PAC in 2008)

The Bethany women’s tennis team will have a considerably different look to it this fall, as only one player who saw significant time last year returns for the Bison in 2009.

This means head coach Jan Forsty, who is in her second season guiding the women’s tennis program, will pencil in a young, inexperienced line-up in their first match Sept. 3 at home against Waynesburg. However, she has liked what she’s seen from her team in practice so far.

“Our top three singles players did not come back this year and six of the nine players on the roster are new, so to say we are young is an understatement,” said Forsty, who is also the head softball coach at Bethany. “But we are improving every day in practice and they are very receptive to coaching.”

The only player back who played in multiple matches last fall is sophomore Brittani Seeman (right). She played seven singles matches at No. 4 and also went 2-2 in doubles play. The other returners include sophomores Vanessa Manning, who played in one doubles match last year, and Kirstie Pomilio.

The rest of the BC squad will consist of two foreign exchange students from Germany, a pair of sophomores and two freshmen. According to Forsty, battling with Seeman for spots in the top five include junior Andrea Witzman, sophomore Sarah Wood and freshmen Michelle Lancaster and Jamie Taylor.

Rounding out the line-up will be junior Christine Bluemler and sophomore Morgan Minor.

“Our schedule will be challenging again, especially going against Grove City, who has won 22 straight PAC championships,” said Forsty, who led the Bison to two wins last year, their first victories since 2005. “But our goals are to get better every day, be competitive in every match and try to earn a couple more wins this year.”


CHATHAM COUGARS (4-9 Overall, 2-4 PAC in 2008)

Three players return from a Chatham squad which placed sixth at the 2008 Presidents Athletic Conference (PAC) championship.

On the court, fourth-year head coach Aaron Wilf and his Cougars will be led by sophomore Barb Petty who placed third in the PAC at first singles, and finished the season with an overall singles record of 10-3. Petty earned PAC Tennis Player of the Week honors on Oct. 6, 2008. The Cougars also return juniors Meg Padula and Katie Lucas.

Wilf is excited about the 2009 season, “with some key returners to the team and a several solid newcomers, we expect to build on our past progress.” The Cougars will have to overcome two key losses at second and third singles. 

If college experience is a necessary ingredient for team success, the Geneva College women’s tennis team was able to gain a lot of it in 2008. Coming into last season, the Golden Tornadoes had only one returning player with any college experience on the court.

Coming into the 2009 campaign, head coach Mandee Craft will shuffle a group of eight players that appeared in action last year. “What a difference it should make to have a group of returning players that know what to expect at this level,” said Craft. “We weren’t sure what to expect heading into last year and now we have more than a handful of experienced players.”

Despite the inexperience, the Golden Tornadoes managed to finish the 2008 season with an overall record of 6-7. Geneva had a chance to complete its second straight season above .500, but faltered against Chatham College in the final match of the season. Even with a sub-.500 record, the team did gain valuable playing experience that should pay dividends this year. “We didn’t always get the results we were looking for,” said Craft. “But it was more of a learning year for a very young squad that now can move forward with experience.”

Still very young, the Golden Tornadoes will feature only one senior in Bethany Ragonesi (left). Ragonesi posted a 3-4 overall record in singles last year, but was a part of Geneva’s top doubles tandem with a mark of 6-3 alongside Maura McLaughlin. McLaughlin will return for her sophomore season after posting a 5-4 singles mark in addition to her good work in doubles. McLaughlin also became the first Geneva tennis player this decade to receive the NCCAA national player of the week award after only her second week of collegiate competition. “We had some nice stories last year, but Maura being recognized on a national level in such a short time was really special,” said Craft. “It gave her and our whole team great confidence for the rest of the season.”

Other key contributors for the upcoming season will include juniors Chelsea Cover, Amanda Rockhill and Kara Zimmerman. In addition to McLaughlin, sophomores Havilah Mohler, Amy Weller and Linnea Martin will all play important roles in 2009.

Unlike the 2007 season when Geneva won its last four matches, the 2008 campaign ended in disappointment with three consecutive losses. With a 6-4 overall record heading into the final two weeks of the season, Geneva dropped PAC matches to Waynesburg, Saint Vincent and Chatham. Despite those losses, the Golden Tornadoes still managed a 5-5 record against PAC foes. In the first two years in the PAC, Geneva is 10-8 against conference competition. “This conference has some outstanding teams,” said Craft. “We are simply trying to improve with every match and with every practice to grow our program into a solid product year in and year out.”

Geneva’s program lost its top five players following the 2007 season and it was up to Craft to mold together a new group of stars on College Hill. After a year of growing pains and experience, the train appears to be back on track and ready to roll in 2009. “I am very excited about this year and about the future,” said Craft. “We have built a strong core of talented players who are now armed with college experience. It should be an exciting mix this year as we have also added a few new faces to the program.”

GROVE CITY WOLVERINES (12-2 Overall, 6-0 PAC in 2008)
Coming off the first-ever postseason appearance in program history, the Grove City College women’s tennis team has high expectations entering the 2009-10 season.

Grove City concluded the 2008-09 season by advancing to the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament for the first time ever. The Wolverines will return six players who played in the NCAA Tournament against Agnes Scott College last spring, along with several other talented veterans.

Third-year head coach Joe Walters will rely on this experienced nucleus as the Wolverines pursue their 23^rd straight Presidents’ Athletic Conference title.

Grove City welcomes back three-year letter-winner Lisa Baldwin (right) as the team's lone fourth-year performer. She is a two-time PAC champion, including a league title at second doubles in 2008.

Four sophomores return for Grove City after producing strong rookie seasons. Reena Barnett, Christina Bedi and Stacy Moon all won conference titles in 2008. Meanwhile, classmate Emily Buurma moved into the lineup on a full-time basis during the spring semester after seeing part-time duty in the fall. All four players competed in the NCAA match against Agnes Scott.

Grove City is also bolstered by junior Natalie Walten and sophomore Megan Bennett. Both players joined the program during the semester break last year and saw extensive action in the spring, including the NCAA match against Agnes Scott.

Veterans Elissa Beale and Lauren Woods are also expected to compete for spots in the lineup. Both saw part-time action in 2008-09.

Grove City will have to replace the graduated Tamara Nations, who earned PAC Player of the Year honors in both 2007 and 2008.

The Wolverines will open the 2009-10 season Sept. 3 against NCAA Division II foe West Liberty State (W. Va.). Presidents’ Athletic Conference play will begin Sept. 9 against Bethany.

The PAC Championships will be held Oct. 23-24 at the Pennbriar Club in Erie, Pa.

Grove City will also play several spring matches again this year in its pursuit of a second consecutive NCAA Championship Tournament invitation.

SAINT VINCENT LADY BEARCATS (13-3-1 Overall in 2008)
The Saint Vincent women’s tennis team will look to continue its recent run of success as the Lady Bearcats enter the 2009 campaign.

Last season, Saint Vincent, coached by Jim Bendel, enjoyed its finest in program history, finishing with a 13-3-1 record, and the Lady Bearcats have accumulated a 36-16 mark over the past three campaigns. 

Though a number of players are slated to return in 2009, the Lady Bearcats will be without arguably two of the most successful players in team history, the graduated tandem of Kim Meier and Meghan Wells. Meier, who has joined Bendel’s staff as an assistant, accumulated a 29-7 record over her last three seasons, mainly in the two and three spots, while Wells anchored the number one spot over her last two years, going 15-7.

A number of returnees will be looking to replace Meier and Wells in the new year.

Senior Allie Botti has seen her role increase over the past two years, and turned in an impressive 2008 season, winning five matches at the number two singles spot and two at number one.

Sophomore Alexis Cup (right) returns after bursting onto the scene with a strong 2008 season, finishing 10-3 in singles play, as she went 3-0 at number two, 2-1 at number three, and 5-2 in the four spot. 

Another sophomore, Emily Morris, was just as impressive, finishing 10-4 in singles competition, picking up at least one win in all six spots, including three apiece in the four and five positions.

Junior Nicole Peer went a perfect 8-0 in singles play, picking up wins in the two through six positions, while senior Brittany Vignero won six singles matches, and junior Rebecca Cronauer and sophomore Meghan Mahoney each picked up five wins in singles play. Rounding out the returnees are sophomores Caitlyn Brozek (2-2 in 2008) and Jessa Paruch (2-0), who will both look to build off of strong freshman seasons.

Saint Vincent also received strong doubles play throughout the 2008 campaign, with a number of the team’s returnees figuring prominently in the success. Bendel used 16 different doubles teams in 2008, and seemed to find success with every pairing, as the Lady Bearcats went a cumulative 35-16 in doubles competition.

The tandem of Cup and Botti was the most common one used, and the pair did well, teaming up to go an impressive 9-4, primarily in the second doubles spot.  The Peer/Paruch team won six doubles matches, and Mahoney/Vignero finished 3-1. 

In addition to the deep group of returnees, Bendel’s squad also has a number of talented incoming freshmen who look to gain experience right off the bat, and hope that the Lady Bearcats’ recent string of success extends well into the future.

The Lady Bearcats will play an 18-match schedule in 2009, beginning with a Sept. 1 home contest with longtime rival Seton Hill University.  The squad wastes little time before beginning PAC play, as they travel to Bethany on Sept. 5. 

THOMAS MORE SAINTS (3-8 Overall, 3-3 PAC in 2008)

Second-year Thomas More College head women’s tennis coach Nicki Lampe returns four players from last season’s squad that finished 3-8 overall, 3-3 in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) and finished fourth at the PAC Championship Tournament.

Returning is senior Kristina Behne, juniors Lindsey Burns and Brittaney Knapp and sophomore Lauren Race. Behne was 5-11 at fifth singles last season and 2-12 at third doubles. Burns was 6-10 at third singles in 2008 and 4-12 at second doubles. Knapp was 2-12 at fourth singles last season and 4-12 at second doubles. Race played first singles last season, going 5-9, and was 7-9 at first doubles.

The Saints open the 2009 campaign with a non-conference match with across the river-rival, the College of Mount St. Joseph on Aug. 29 at 9 a.m. in Cincinnati, Ohio.

WASHINGTON & JEFFERSON PRESIDENTS (1-8 Overall, 0-4 PAC in 2008)

Washington & Jefferson College women’s tennis begins a new chapter in its history in 2009 as Katie Tetzlaw takes over as the program’s head coach. Tetzlaw, the eighth head women’s tennis coach at W&J, will guide the Presidents into their 31^st NCAA Division III varsity season. 

Junior Alyssa Tousignant (left) and sophomores Carrie Campbell and Kimberly Knapek return from last year’s squad which placed fifth of seven teams at the 2008 Presidents’ Athletic Conference Championships. 

Tousignant played the No. 1 singles flight last season after posting a 4-7 record at No. 4 singles as a freshman. She owns nine career victories and was the fourth-place finisher at the 2007 PAC Championships. 

Campbell and Knapek served as the Presidents’ No. 3 doubles team a year ago and placed third at the conference championships. They combined for a 4-4 record. 

Knapek was W&J’s No. 5 singles player and notched three victories, while Campbell held down the No. 6 singles flight. She placed fourth at the championship tournament. 

Tetzlaw, who also serves as W&J’s assistant women’s basketball coach, will look to six other players to compete for the other starting slots in the Presidents’ lineup. 

Washington & Jefferson opens its season on Sept. 11 when traveling to 22-time defending PAC Champion Grove City.


WAYNESBURG YELLOW JACKETS (4-10 Overall, 3-3 PAC in 2008)

 Head Waynesburg University women’s tennis coach Ron Christman heads into the 2009 season with one his smallest, and youngest teams of his 12-year tenure with the school.

Out of the eight players on this year’s squad, there are just two seniors among four sophomores and two freshmen. However, the returners on this year’s team have already gained plenty of experience during their time with the team.

The Jackets’ two seniors, Allie Horochak and Jess Mally, will be key to the team’s success. Not only will they be counted upon to win matches, but also to help bring the younger members of the team up to speed in the collegiate game.

Last year, Horochak went 5-10 in singles play, and was the team’s primary number-two singles player, going 5-7 at the spot. She also posted a team-best 7-10 mark in doubles competition, where she teamed up with Mally.

Along with her work in the doubles ranks, Mally won the third most singles matches by going 6-11 overall, with a 5-7 record at third singles.

Waynesburg’s four sophomores, Jessica Kody (right), Kelsey Diesel, Jenny McAndrews, along with first-year player Rebekah Reyes, will be counted on to take their games to the next level.

Kody, a native of Pittsford, N.Y., leads all returners when it comes to singles wins (8-10). She went 6-6 as the team’s No. 3 singles player and went 6-10 at first doubles, along with graduated senior Laura Garcia, on her way to being named Team Rookie of the Year.

While Diesel saw limited singles play last year, she saw plenty of time on the court in doubles competition. The Washington native went 3-6 at third doubles, while teaming with McAndrews.

This year’s freshman class includes Stephanie Ball and Katlin Unrue.

While this year’s team is a little low on bodies, Christman commented that he is looking forward to the opportunity to work with all of his players very closely, a situation that his low numbers affords him. He’s already said that this year’s team’s work ethic and attitude can not be questioned.

This year, Waynesburg will also be welcoming some of their alumni back on Oct. 17, when they host their alumni tournament as part of the school’s homecoming festivities.

This past summer, Waynesburg continued another tradition as, for the ninth-straight year, the Jacket women were honored by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) as an All-Academic Team. To pick up the award, the team had to average a 3.20 GPA or higher during all of 2008.

Three current players, Diesel, Horochak and McAndrews, were also named ITA Scholar Athletes, rewarding them all for carrying 3.5 averages or higher.  

Waynesburg opens their season on the road with a non-conference match at Westminster.

WESTMINSTER TITANS (13-7 Overall, 5-1 PAC in 2008)
As the team enters the 2009 season, the Westminster College women's tennis program is at its highest level. The Titans are coming off a season in which they set a new team record for wins with a 13-7 record. In addition, two of the five returning letter-winners are school record-holders for wins.

Fifth-year head coach Scott Renninger, who was named the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) Women's Tennis Coach of the Year for three years running, is able to keep things in perspective.

"Those are the things we point toward as incentives," Renninger said. "That's not the goal. The goal is to win the PAC Championship. We have to be consistent to challenge the stranglehold that Grove City has on the title."

After going 5-1 in PAC dual matches, Westminster placed second with 38 points at the 2008 PAC Championships, falling 14 points behind 22-time champion Grove City. The Titans were able to come away with the No. 1 doubles title.

One half of the winning doubles tandem is back this year in senior April Scudere (left). Scudere is a two-time team most valuable player who also won the No. 4 singles title two years ago at PACs. Scudere, who posted a 14-8 record at No. 1 singles last year, is the team's career leader for singles victories with a 40-23 mark. After setting a new school record for doubles wins in a season last year at 17-6, Scudere is tied for the team record for career doubles wins with a 37-25 mark.

"April is an outstanding athlete," Renninger said. "It's very difficult to hit shots that she can't return. Unless it's a true winner, she can get it back."

Scudere and Andrea Redhair posted a 9-2 record at No. 1 doubles last year, en route to the team's first-ever PAC title at No. 1 doubles. Redhair has since transferred, but Westminster has one other former PAC champion on its roster this year.

Senior Hilary Newman, a PAC No. 3 singles champion in 2008, is back after she tied a school record last year for singles wins in a season with a 16-7 tally, including 14-3 in regular season dual matches at No. 3 singles. Newman also posted a combined 15-8 doubles record, mostly in the No. 2 spot.

"Hilary is a tremendous tennis player in all aspects," Renninger said. "She is a great baseline hitter."

Behind Scudere and Newman are three solid letter-winners. Probably the strongest candidate for the No. 3 singles player, according to Renninger, is junior Rachel Jack, who went 14-7 last year, mostly at No. 6 singles. Jack also led the team with an 11-4 doubles record at No. 3 a year ago.

Sophomore Dana Griesmer went 15-4 at No. 4 singles.

Renninger also anticipates sophomore Lauren Latinovich to challenge for a starting doubles position.

Nine newcomers will join the fold in 2009.

"We will be under strong leadership with April and Hilary," Renninger offered. "But definitely the fate of the team relies on the newcomers."

Renninger also pointed to the team's chemistry last year as a driving force.

"Our greatest asset last year was how the girls liked and enjoyed each other," Rennninger added. "They were extraordinarily compatible."

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