Sept. 10, 2010
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Penn State senior Eddie Bourchier (Hobart, Australia) will enter the 2011 season ranked No. 74 in the ITA singles rankings. The rankings were released on Friday. The preseason ranking is the highest for a player in the program since Michael James entered the 2008 season ranked No. 51.
Bourchier, who earned All-Big Ten honors last season, had a stellar year playing primarily in the No. 1 bout for the Nittany Lions. Finishing ranked 102nd in the ITA National Singles Rankings, the then junior went an impressive 15-7 last year, including 11-7 in the No. 1 spot. Bourchier faced-off with nine ranked opponents last season and went 5-4 against those foes. The Australian native holds a 58-37 career record with the Nittany Lions.
Bourchier also put together a stellar season in doubles action as well. He teamed up with Guillaume St-Maurice last year as they finished the season 4-4 as a team with two big doubles victories over ranked opponents, earning them a No. 58 national ranking.
Penn State will open the fall with a three-day tournament at the Princeton Invitational from Sept. 17-19. Penn State will return the following week to the USTA Invitational at Flushing Meadows, N.Y. from Sept. 24-26. The Nittany Lions will then have nearly a month off before heading to the ITA Regional Championships on Oct. 14-18 in Charlottesville, Va. The squad will close the fall season at the Big Ten Singles tournament from Oct. 28-Nov. 1.
Penn State finished last season 15-11, the programs eighth consecutive winning season. Head coach Todd Doebler carries a 61-43 record as head coach of the Nittany Lions.