2009 Penn State Behrend Women's Tennis Season Preview

The Penn State Behrend women's tennis program expects to continue its trend of dominance against the AMCC. Behrend returns to the court with a stacked deck as its entire lineup is back and ready to go entering the 2009 season. "Our team should be strong again this fall," said twelfth year Head Coach Jeff Barger. "All of our starters are returning. Everyone improved greatly over last year, so we expect to do well."

Behrend has captured seven of the past ten AMCC titles under 2008 AMCC Coach of the Year, Jeff Barger. Last season, the blue and white cruised to a perfect 8-0 mark against the league and tallied a 14-3 overall mark, tying for the fourth most wins in program history.  Behrend has rolled to four straight AMCC regular season and conference tournament titles, while posting a 54-8 overall mark in AMCC games, since the league's creation in 1997. In addition, Behrend has produced both the league's player and newcomer of the year in back-to-back seasons.

The Behrend Lions will use a strong tradition and an experienced roster to create momentum entering the 2009 season. Newest league member, D'Youville College, adds another women's tennis program to join Frostburg State, La Roche, Pitt-Bradford, and Penn State Altoona in pursuit of upsetting the Behrend plans. "Hopefully we can hold on to the title," Barger said. "Everyone will be trying to knock us off. If we do well and win the big matches we could win another title."

Fourteen players return from last season's championship squad. Seniors Christy Calvert (Warren/Mercyhurst Prep) and Karen Hobaugh (Kutztown/Kutztown) will serve as team captains. Both are very well decorated All-AMCC players and anchor the veteran line-up in both singles and doubles play. Hobaugh, a former AMCC Newcomer of the Year and Behrend Rookie of the Year, could make a run at the all-time record for career wins in singles. She has earned a stellar 42-6 record in singles play and a 29-12 mark in doubles over three years. "Karen has been strong in preseason and is ready to make a run at the singles all-time record," said Barger. "She is also playing well in doubles and is pushing the others hard." Calvert boasts a 33-11 career record in singles action, while also earning a 33-13 mark as a teammate in doubles play. "Christy has been slowed by injury this season. When she is playing well she is a great singles player and has also done very well n doubles. Both Karen and Christy have given a lot to the program."

The junior class will also play a pivotal role in Behrend's title defense. Erin Bliley (Erie/Mercyhurst Prep), Hillary Lasher (Lakewood, NY/Southwestern), and Elissa Swartz (Warren/Warren) will create a formidable singles roster and provide Coach Barger with multiple line-up options for doubles play. Bliley was 9-1 in doubles as a freshman and Lasher crushed opponents with a 15-2 singles record, while also producing a 19-2 gap in doubles action. Last season, Lasher was named all-conference in fifth singles and third doubles. Swartz is competitive in both the singles and doubles line-ups and carries a lifetime mark of 14-2 in doubles.

Entering last season, Coach Barger thought he had a strong group of freshmen joining the program, and he was correct. Eight skilled freshmen are now sophomores and ready to raise their games. Ashley Brem (Kersey/St.Marys), Jade Buhite (North Kingsville, OH/Edgewood), Stephanie Cattron (Greenville/Commodore Perry), Arica Christman (Sharon/Sharon), Leslie Durante (Fairview/Fairview), Megan Flinchbaugh (Edinboro/General McLane), Megan Noschese (Ellwood City/Riverside), Allison Quigley (Gibsonia/Hampton), and Jenna Sellito (Elma, NY/Iroquois) make up this talented group. Christman was voted the AMCC Player of the Year after a stellar first season at first singles. Cattron, Durante, and Quigley all picked up All-AMCC honors as rookies. Brem, Flinchbaugh, Noschese, and Sellitto all registered winning records last season and Buhite was tabbed as the program's most improved player.

Krystal Gage (Warren/Warren), Alexis Rowley (Erie/Central), and Mareesa Schepis (Moon/Moon) will become the newest additions to the program. "The new freshmen have good ability and could break into the line-up at some point," said Barger. "They all have worked hard and should see playing time this fall."

The 2009 fall season starts with a pair of home matches against Westminster and Mercyhurst before the blue and white hit the road for two. AMCC play opens against the La Roche Redhawks on September 8. Then on September 12, Behrend will strive to defend its championship in its annual invitational. Behrend also has matches scheduled against Bethany and Geneva before the finals. "This is always a good early season tournament," continued Barger. "There are several strong teams in our invitational and the Goucher event." Behrend will also head to Baltimore, Maryland, on October 3-4, to play in the Goucher Invitational.

Other home matches feature Penn State Altoona, La Roche, Pitt-Bradford, Grove City, and D'Youville traveling to Behrend, while road trips will take them to Maryland, New York, and throughout Pennsylvania. "We have scheduled good teams in non-conference action this fall," said Barger.  

The AMCC Championships are scheduled for October 17 and 18 at the Oxford Club, in Wexford, PA.  "We should continue to perform well against the league," continued Barger. "We hope to continue the winning, but the league teams will be prepared to play us, so we will see how it goes." Last season, the Behrend Lions swept the individual singles titles and won two of three doubles crowns en route to a convincing defense of their AMCC women's tennis title.  

The blue and white are fired up for the start of the season. September is demanding and features 12 matches to challenge the Behrend Lions. The blue and white expect to be at their best in October and will be striving to win another AMCC title and make a push into the NCAA tournament.