Friday, April 19, 2002

GREYHOUND TENNIS TEAM PREPARES FOR MAC PLAYOFFS

BETHLEHEM, PA --- For the second straight season, the Moravian College men's tennis team has extended its season into the Middle Atlantic Conference Playoffs.  The Greyhounds, the second seed from the MAC Commonwealth will travel to MAC Freedom top-seed and defending MAC Champion Drew University on Saturday, April 20^th for a semifinal match beginning at 1:00 p.m.

Saturday's other semifinal has MAC Commonwealth leader Lebanon Valley College host MAC Freedom second seed King's College.  The winners of the semifinal contests will meet on Monday, April 22nd to determine the MAC Champion.

Moravian head coach Jim Walker has guided the Greyhounds to an 11-6 record this season.  It is the second consecutive season Moravian has won at least ten matches after posting a 10-4 mark last season.  Walker's team has already played Drew once this season, falling to the Rangers 6-1 in Bethlehem back on March 19th.

The Greyhounds have three singles players with 12 victories this season, led by junior David Kurvink (Bethlehem, PA/Liberty HS) at third singles.  Kurvink has a 12-4-1 mark and has won 33 matches in his career, the most by any player at Moravian since the 1960s.  Freshman Tasch Tinsley (Bangor, PA/Bangor HS) is also 12-4-1 this season and he has played at second singles for the Greyhounds in his debut season.  Sophomore Mike Helmuth (Bethlehem, PA/Harrisonburg {VA} HS) has a 12-5 mark while playing fifth singles.

Junior Todd Edwards (Conyngham, PA/Hazleton HS) has posted a 11-6 record at fourth singles this season while junior Dan Gorman (Saylorsburg, PA/Pleasant Valley HS) has a 10-6 mark at sixth singles.  Gorman will be unable to play at the MAC Semifinals do freshman Cody Hendershot (Bangor, PA/Bangor HS) will take his place.  Hendershot has played one singles match this year.  Sophomore Jason Toedter (Easton, PA/Easton HS) rounds out the Moravian line-up and he has a record of 9-8 at first singles this season.

Kurvink and Helmuth have combined for the Greyhounds top doubles mark of 12-5 this season.  The duo usually plays at second doubles but has played four contests in the top spot.  Toedter and Tinsley are Moravian's first doubles pair and they have a record of 10-5 this season while Tinsley has combined with Hendershot for a 1-1 record.  Edwards and Gorman are 9-7 at third doubles this year.