Jan. 15, 2009
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA. - The Penn State women's tennis team kicks off its spring season at home on Saturday, hosting the Bucknell Bison. The match will be played at 1 p.m. at the Indoor Tennis Center at Penn State. There is no cost for admission. This is the first match of the new year for the Nittany Lions, after wrapping up fall play at the Yale Invitational in November.
"The team has been working very hard to be `match ready' for this upcoming weekend," said head coach Dawna Prevette. "I am proud of their hard work. We are excited to start the spring season."
The Nittany Lion squad will be led by seniors Dorothy Dohanics (Pittsburgh, Pa.) and Leyla Morzan (Vancouver, British Columbia). Other veterans include juniors Sarah Lotto (Toronto, Ontario) and Lauren McCarthy (Danbury, Conn.) and sophomore Denisa Zobeideh (Weston, Fla.). Freshmen Allie Hefter (Longmont, Colo.), Monika Mical (Stalowa Wola, Poland), Maria Prishlyak (Kiev, Ukraine), Kristen Roth (Ardmore, Pa.) and Michaela Stracar (Jericho, N.Y.) round out the lineup.
Saturday's dual match is the first of the regular season for the Nittany Lions. The team compiled an 8-14 record last year, including a 5-6 record at home. This year's schedule includes six opponents currently ranked in the Top 40, five of which are Big Ten opponents. Bucknell finished second in the Patriot League Tournament last season. The match will be the Bison's first action as a team since the Bucknell Invitational in October.
Following Saturday's dual match, the Nittany Lions will be on the road for the next two weekends. The team will travel to Boise, Idaho to face Montana State Jan. 24 at noon and Boise State Jan. 25 at noon. The Lions will then travel to Huntington, W. Va. to face South Alabama Feb. 7 at 2 p.m. and Marshall Feb. 8 at 11 a.m.