The Moravian College women’s tennis team continued to dominate opponents this past fall as the Greyhounds won their second straight Middle Atlantic Conference Championship, their fifth in the last six years and posted an undefeated mark at 16-0.  The perfect season was Moravian’s second in the last four years.

Head coach Dawn Benner, who finished her 15th season at the helm with a career record of 138-63, has led the Greyhounds to a mark of 117-11 since 1994.  Moravian has played in the MAC Championship match every since 1994 and won five MAC Commonwealth titles of as well.  Coach Benner was named the MAC Commonwealth Coach of the Year for the third straight season and she had the MAC Doubles Champions, two MAC Commonwealth All-Stars, the MAC Commonwealth Rookie of the Year and seven members of the MAC Fall All-Academic Team.

Senior Corinne Kleinsmith (Shillington, PA/Governor Mifflin HS) and junior Jen Genevese (Whitehall, PA/Whitehall HS) combined to win the 2001 MAC Doubles Championships a year after finishing as the runner-up.  The duo, who were also named MAC Commonwealth All-Stars this season, had a 15-2 doubles mark as the top doubles tandem on the team and won the title as the second seeded team in the tournament.  Kleinsmith posted a 6-7 record at first singles during the season while finishing her career with a 41-17 singles record.  Genevese, who earned a spot on the MAC Fall All-Academic Team, was undefeated in singles action with a 13-0 mark at second singles and she needs just 12 wins next year to reach 50.

Freshman Becky Deringer (Allentown, PA/Dieruff HS) completed her first season at Moravian with an undefeated regular record of 14-0, 13-0 at third singles.  She was the MAC Commonwealth Rookie of the Year and finished the year with a 15-1 record after falling in the quarterfinals of the MAC Individual Tournament.  Deringer only played in one doubles match this past fall and she won that match.

Senior Lacey Leverberg (East Stroudsburg, PA/Stroudsburg HS) had a 13-1 singles mark for the Greyhounds this season with a 12-1 slate at fifth singles.  Leverberg completed her collegiate career with a 49-7 record including a 12-1 slate at Lycoming College as a freshman.  Leverberg competed at second doubles with senior Katie Copf (Allentown, PA/Salisbury HS) and the duo had a 10-2 record.  Copf, who was on the MAC All-Academic Team, posted an 11-4 singles slate this season at fourth singles and she was 48-11 in her four years at Moravian.

The sister team of junior Jill Simms (Hampton, NJ/Voorhees HS) and senior Julie Simms (Hampton, NJ/Voorhees HS) was 8-2 at third doubles this past fall before Jill suffered an injury that ended her season.  Jill had also posted a 7-1 record at sixth singles.  Julie finished the doubles season with sophomore Lauren Castagna (Mt. Bethel, PA/Bangor HS) and the pair had a 3-0 record.  Castagna, a member of the MAC Fall-All-Academic Team, also played at sixth singles and had a 5-1 singles mark.

Junior Missy Graeff (Reading, PA/Schuylkill Valley HS) and freshman Jenn Keller (Downingtown, PA/Chesmont HS) were each undefeated in singles play with Keller winning four matches and Graeff capturing three contests. 

Sophomore Jaime Diken (Metuchen, NJ/Metuchen HS) had two singles wins.  Keller captured a pair of doubles victories with freshman Jill Iacovelli (Randolph, NJ/Randolph HS) while Graeff won two doubles contests while partnered with freshman Julie Anderson (Bethlehem, PA/Liberty HS).  Sophomore Petia Damianova (Haskovo, Bulgaria/ISM) and junior Karen Larsen (Commack, NY/Commack HS) each earned spots on the MAC Fall All-Academic Team.

Coach Benner does lose four main players out of her line-up for next season but 14 players are scheduled to return, as the Greyhounds will look to win their third consecutive MAC title in 2002 and the sixth in the last seven years.