Monday, October 8, 2001

GREYHOUNDS TAKE AIM AT FIFTH MAC TITLE

BETHLEHEM, PA --- The Moravian College women's tennis team, owners of a 19-match winning streak and the defending Middle Atlantic Conference Champion, will begin its quest for a fifth MAC title in the last six years on Wednesday, October 10th when the top-seeded and undefeated Greyhounds host Lycoming College at 2:00 p.m. at Hoffman Courts in Bethlehem.

Moravian is 13-0 this season including a 7-0 slate in the MAC Commonwealth while Lycoming enters the match with a 9-1 overall record and a 5-1 slate in the MAC Freedom.  The Warriors are the number two seed from the MAC Freedom.  MAC Freedom regular season champion FDU-Madison is hosting MAC Commonwealth runner-up Susquehanna University in Wednesday's other semifinal match.  FDU-Madison will host the championship match on Saturday if it wins, if not, the title contest will be at the winner of the Moravian-Lycoming match.

The Greyhounds won the 2000, 1998, 1997 and 1996 MAC titles and have played in the MAC championship match every year since 1994.  Moravian has a record of 115-11 since the start of the 1994 season with an undefeated season of 16-0 in 1998.

Senior Corinne Kleinsmith (Shillington, PA/Governor Mifflin HS) anchors the Moravian lineup at number one singles.  Kleinsmith, a former MAC Doubles Champion, has a 6-5 singles mark this season and a 41-15 record in four seasons.  Junior Jenn Genevese (Whitehall, PA/Whitehall HS) plays at number two for the Greyhounds and she has an 11-0 record this fall.  Genevese has a career mark of 36-8.  Kleinsmith & Genevese has teamed up for a 10-1 record at first doubles this season.

Freshman Becky Deringer (Allentown, PA/Dieruff HS) has been playing number three singles for the Hounds and she is undefeated at 12-0 this season while senior Katie Copf (Allentown, PA/ Salisbury HS) is 9-2 at fourth singles.  Senior Lacey Leverberg (East Stroudsburg, PA/Stroudsburg HS) has posted a 10-1 mark at fifth singles.  Copf has a 46-9 career singles mark while Leverberg is 46-7.  The duo is 9-1 at second doubles for Moravian this season.

Junior Jill Simms (Hampton, NJ/Voorhees HS) was 7-1 at sixth singles and 8-2 at third doubles with her sister senior Julie Simms (Hampton, NJ/Voorhees HS) until she was sidelined with an injury.  Sophomore Lauren Castagna (Mt. Bethel, PA/Bangor HS) has stepped in her spot at sixth singles and has a 3-1 record.  Castagna and Julie Simms will likely compete at third doubles.

Lycoming enters the semifinal contest with a seven-match winning streak after falling to MAC Freedom top-seed FDU-Madison, 5-4, on September 22nd.  The Warriors also played Moravian in the MAC Semifinals last season when the Greyhounds won 5-4.

Junior Cricket Temple (Hughesville, PA) leads Lycoming at first singles with a season record of 6-2.  Junior Meredith Moerschbacher (Montoursville, PA) is 9-0 at second singles this year and has combined with Temple for an 8-1 mark at first doubles.

Junior Heidi von Schwedler (Tannersville, PA) has a 6-2 mark at third singles for the Warriors while Freshman Alissa Brown (Hughesville, PA) is 5-2 at fourth singles.  Freshman Pamela Zeger (Potomac, MD), who has a singles mark of 7-1 this season, should play at fifth singles while senior Sara Deardorff (North Wales, PA) is 5-3 in the sixth singles slot.  Schwedler and Zeger had a 6-0 record at second doubles while Brown and Deardorff are 4-1 at third doubles.