Men's Tennis Earns Program Bests in Regional Rankings

SKILLMAN, N.J. – The Allegheny men's tennis program earned the best ranking in program history, picking up a No. 16 ranking in the most recent Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Division III Central Region rankings, announced by the ITA office on Mar. 27.

After picking up three wins during their spring break trip, including the first win over No. 17-ranked Carleton College in program history, the Gators head into the home stretch of conference and spring season play with a 7-4 record. In Hilton Head, S.C., the Gators swept Macalester and Ramapo, 9-0, on Mar. 16 and Mar. 19 respectively before rebounding from a 6-3 loss to nationally-ranked NAIA squad Pikeville with a 6-3 win over Carleton on Mar. 21.

Senior Patrick Cole, who earned North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Men's Tennis Player of the Week accolades on Monday, finished the spring training trip with a 4-0 mark in singles, moving up to No. 10 in the Division III Central Region singles rankings, the highest spot for an Allegheny player in program history. Cole closed out Allegheny's spring break trip by tying the program record in career singles victories, currently holding 74 individual wins and a 17-4 record this season.

In addition, Cole and sophomore doubles partner Tyler Triolo, who own a 16-5 mark after the spring training contests, remain in the rankings at No. 15.

The Gators' No. 16 ranking surpasses the previous program record of No. 18 set in the pre-season rankings released in October 2008. Allegheny will face a difficult spring schedule consisting of nine matches in 16 days, starting on Apr. 3 when the Gators open their spring season at the Robertson Complex against NCAC rival Kenyon at 5:30 p.m.

Pat Cole and Andrea Brush Featured on "This Week In The NCAC" Podcast!!

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Gator Tennis Sweeps NCAC Awards

NCAC Men's Tennis Release - Mar. 24, 2014

NCAC Women's Tennis Release - Mar. 24, 2014

CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Allegheny tennis program swept the weekly North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Player of the Week awards, as senior Patrick Cole and sophomore Andrea Brush were named the Male and Female Players of the Week by the conference office on Monday.

Cole finished the final three matches of the squad's annual spring training trip with a 5-1 record, earning an undefeated mark in singles to compliment a 2-1 record in doubles matches. Cole opened his week with a win over Ramapo on Mar. 19 before rattling off a 6-0, 6-3 win over Pikesville on Mar. 20. The senior closed out the week with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Carleton on Mar. 21, tying the program career singles victory record of 74 victories, set by David Howell, who played for the Blue and Gold from 1996-2000.

The senior added a pair of wins in doubles, starting the week off with an 8-1 win over Ramapo with sophomore partner Tyler Triolo. The two would then defeat Carleton, 8-3, helping lead the Gators past the Knights for the first time in program history.

Allegheny sophomore Andrea Brush earned the honor completing the Gators' undefeated spring break trip with a 6-0 overall record, but it was her dominant, 4-0 run over the final two matches that helped her pick up the first NCAC Player of the Week honor of her career. In singles play, the sophomore picked up a pair of strong wins at second-flight singles, picking up a 6-3, 6-1 win over Ramapo on Mar. 19 before a 6-4, 6-3 win over St. Norbert on Mar. 21.

In doubles, Brush was a mainstay in top-flight pairs matches, picking up wins with two different partners. Teaming with senior Laura Steele, Brush picked up an 8-5 win over the Roadrunners before winning an 8-4 decision with fellow second year Sun Mo Koo.

Now holding a 7-4 overall record, the Allegheny women's squad will battle Kenyon on Mar. 29 before traveling to Granville, Ohio for the Intercollegiate Tennis association (ITA) Central Region Shoot out on Apr. 5. The men's tennis team will take a week off before playing six matches in 10 days, starting with a home match against Kenyon on Apr. 3.

NCAC Interviews Pat Cole and Andrea Brush

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Spring Break Video 2014

Doubles Play Lifts Gators to Win in Hilton Head Finale

Hilton Head, SC - An emphatic sweep of doubles led the Allegheny Gators men's tennis team to a 6-3 victory over Carleton College at Hilton Head High School on Friday.

The win was the first in program history for the Gators (7-4) over Carleton, which entered the match ranked 10th in the most recent Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Division III Central Region Rankings. It also avenged a heartbreaking 5-4 loss to Carleton in the 2012 campaign.

The match, which started with singles, was tied 3-3 after the completion of singles play. Allegheny was led by sophomore Tyler Triolo's 6-0, 6-4 win at second singles. Carleton then evened the score with the Gators at 1-1 with a win at sixth singles. Senior Patrick Cole put the Gators back ahead with a 6-4, 6-2 win at first singles. The win marked the 74th in Cole's singles career, tying the Allegheny school record held by David Howell.

Carleton, however, climbed back into the match with a win at the fifth singles position, but senior Charlie Murphy put the Gators back ahead with an exciting three-set victory, eventually prevailing 6-0, 4-6, 10-5 in the third set superbreaker. Carleton would even the match once again with a win at third singles, setting up a dramatic doubles portion of the match.

The Gators came out in the doubles competition firing on all cylinders to quickly take a lead on all three courts, and never looked back. Allegheny was led by the third doubles combo of juniors Sam Stephensonand Alexander Hurtuk, which took control early in their match and carried the momentum to an 8-1 victory.

After the number one duo of Cole and Triolo clinched the match for the Gators with an 8-3 win, the doubles sweep was completed by the number two team of junior Daniel Conroy and sophomore Thomas Manning, who finished off the Knights with an 8-5 victory, and leave Hilton Head undefeated in doubles with a 4-0 mark.

Allegheny (7-4) will now have a short break until their next match, when they take on the Lords of Kenyon College in Meadville on April 3rd at 5:30 p.m. The Lords will be the second straight ranked opponent the Gators will face, as they are currently ranked ninth in the ITA Division III National Rankings.

Gators Close Spring Break with Third Straight Win

Hilton Head, SC - A sweep of doubles led the way for the Allegheny women's tennis team as they wrapped up a 3-0 spring break trip with a 6-3 win over the Green Knights of St. Norbert College.

The Gators (7-4), who closed out their week going a perfect 3-0, started off the match like they had all spring break, sweeping doubles. Allegheny was led by the number one doubles team of sophomores Sun Mo Kooand Andrea Brush winning 8-4. The third doubles tandem of first years Haley Meekhof and Michaela Thompson won 8-2, while the sweep was completed by the second doubles team of senior Kathleen McBride and sophomore Mikaela Pope, as they won 8-5.

Allegheny extended their lead in the early portion of the singles matches, with Koo winning at first singles 6-4, 6-3. St. Norbert began to mount a comeback winning at fifth and sixth singles, but Brush stomped out the comeback bid at second singles, clinching the match by winning in straight sets 6-4, 6-3. Allegheny would add one more win when Pope came back from being down 5-1 in the first set to win 7-5, 7-6 (5). With the wins in both singles and doubles, Koo, Brush, and Pope all end their spring break with a perfect 6-0 record.

Allegheny now turns to the NCAC Conference schedule when they take on the Ladies of Kenyon College on March 29th in Meadville. The Ladies come to Meadville ranked eighth in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Central Region Rankings. First serve will take place at 2:00 p.m at the Robertson Athletic Complex.

Second Consecutive Win Earned in South Carolina

Hilton Head, S.C. - The Allegheny women's tennis team continued their winning ways on Wednesday morning as they beat the Ramapo College Roadrunners, 8-1, at Hilton Head High School.

The Gators started early, taking control of the match in doubles. The second doubles tandem of seniorKathleen McBride and sophomore Sun Mo Koo made quick work of their opponent and were off the court first with an 8-2 win. McBride and Koo were followed by the first doubles team of senior Laura Steele and sophomore Andrea Brush who took the match by an 8-5 score. This left the team of sophomore Mikaela Pope and first year Michaela Thompson to finish the sweep, and they did, beating their opponents 8-4.

Allegheny continued their singles success from earlier in the week by taking five of six singles matches, all in straight sets. Steele led the way for the Gators, dropping only one game along the way to a 6-1, 6-0 win at third singles. Koo cruised to a 6-0 win in the first set, but Ramapo's Sara Luby would not go away easily, and pushed Koo in the second. Koo eventually prevailed, taking the second set 6-4, clinching the match for the Gators. Brush added a 6-3, 6-1 victory at second singles, upping her record for the year to 9-3. Pope took fifth singles with a score of 6-0, 6-1, improving to 3-1 during the young spring season. Freshman Haley Meekhof finished the match for the Gators with a 6-3, 6-4 win at fourth singles.

The Gators will look to add to their two match winning streak when they close out their trip to Hilton Head as they take on the Green Knights of St. Norbert College on Friday morning. First serve will take place at 9:30 a.m. at Hilton Head High School.

Gators Pick Up Second Straight Spring Break Sweep

Hilton Head, S.C. - The Allegheny men's tennis team continued their road trip to Hilton Head on Wednesday, sweeping Ramapo College, 9-0, at Hilton Head High School.

The Gators continued to find success during doubles, sweeping the competition in quick order.The Gators pushed by the Roadrunners as all three teams won by an identical 8-1 score. The team of senior Patrick Cole and sophomore Tyler Triolo were off the court first, upping their record to 15-4 on the year. They were followed by the third doubles tandem of junior Sam Stephenson and senior Frank Mosconi, and the second doubles team of junior Daniel Conroy and sophomore Thomas Manning. Conroy and Manning improved their record together on the year to 6-1.

The singles competition brought much of the same for the Gators, as they took all six positions. The Gators were led by Cole at first singles, who led 6-0, 2-2 when his opponent retired due to an injury. With the win in both singles and doubles, Cole moves to being four matches behind the Allegheny all-time wins record of 144, currently held by David Howell.

Much like Sunday's match against Macalester, Triolo added a three set victory winning in a third set superbreaker 6-1, 3-6, 10-4. Senior Charlie Murphy added a straight sets victory at third singles with a 6-2, 6-1 score, improving his record to 12-7 on the year. Junior Alexander Hurtuk added a 6-3, 6-3 win at fourth singles, as Conroy chipped in a 6-1, 6-2 win at fifth singles. Sophomore Andreas Landgrebe made his debut for the Gators this spring, winning at sixth singles 6-3, 6-0.

With the win, the Gators improve to 6-3 on the year and will look to continue their two match win streak against NAIA school, the University of Pikeville Bears. First serve will be at 8:30 a.m. at Van Der Meer Shipyard Racquet Club.

Gators on the Beach at Hilton Head!

Women's Tennis Wins Big in Hilton Head

Hilton Head, S.C. - The Allegheny women's tennis team carried a sweep of doubles to a 8-1 victory on Sunday morning against the Scots of Macalester College at the Van Der Meer Tennis Center.

The Gators started strong in doubles with an 8-5, top-flight win by the team of Laura Steele and Andrea Brush. Sophomore Sun Mo Koo and senior Kathleen McBride continued the Allegheny success at second flight doubles with an 8-2 win. The third flight doubles of team of sophomore Mikaela Pope and first-year Haley Meekhof won with a score of 8-2.

Allegheny continued its strong play through the singles competition, winning five of six. Sun Mo Koo won a close 7-6 (9-7), 6-3 win at first flight singles. Sophomore Andrea Brush won at second singles 7-6 (8-6), 6-4, improving her record on the year to 8-3. The Gators swept fourth, fifth, and sixth singles by straight sets. Haley Meekhof won 6-0, 7-6 (9-7) at the fourth flight, Mikaela Pope 6-2, 6-3 at fifth flight, and Michaela Thompson won 6-3, 6-2 at the sixth flight.

The Gators continue their spring training trip on Monday when they take on the St. Mary's College of Maryland Seahawks. The match, which will be at Van Der Meer Tennis Center, will start at 8:00 am.

Spring Training Starts With Sweep

HILTON HEAD, S.C. - The Allegheny men's tennis team swept past the Macalester College Scots 9-0 to open up their spring training trip in Hilton Head Island on Sunday.

The men were quick to take charge of the match, winning all three doubles matches. The Gators' no. 2 doubles team of junior Daniel Conroy and sophomore Thomas Manning continued their hot start to the year with an 8-2 win. With the victory, Conroy and Manning improve their record to 5-1. Both Allegheny's third-flight doubles team of junior Sam Stephenson and senior Frank Mosconi along with the No. 1 team of senior Patrick Cole and sophomore Tyler Triolo won by identical 8-1 scores. Cole and Triolo, ranked 10th in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Division III Central Region rankings, improve to 14-4 on the year.

The Gators carried their doubles momentum into singles competition. Manning was first off of the court with a 6-0, 6-3 win, followed closely by Conroy at sixth flight singles with a 6-0, 6-1 victory. Senior Charlie Murphy defeated his opponent with a 6-1, 6-1 scoreline, and junior Alexander Hurtuk won at fifth flight singles 6-1, 6-0. Cole, currently ranked 18th in the ITA Division III Central Region rankings, improved his record to 14-4 on the year with a 6-1, 6-4 win. Triolo tacked on a dramatic, come-from-behind victory at second singles with a 3-6, 6-2, 10-8 score.

The Gators continue their spring training trip tomorrow when they take on the St. Mary's College of Maryland Seahawks. The match, which will be at Van Der Meer Tennis Center, will start at 8:00 a.m

Team Barbecue at Hilton Head!

Allegheny Men Receive ITA National Team Sportsmanship Award

SKILLMAN, NJ (March 12) - The Allegheny College men's and University of Oklahoma women's tennis teams have been honored as the recipients of the 2014 Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) National Team Sportsmanship Award for the month of March.

The ITA National Team Sportsmanship Award is a monthly award that goes to one men's and one women's team that has exemplified outstanding sportsmanship, character and ethical conduct in the true spirit of competition and collegiate tennis. The winners are selected by the ITA Ethics and Infractions Committee from nominations received from all ITA member institutions (NCAA Divisions I, II and III, NAIA and Junior/Community Colleges). This monthly award began in 2004.

The Allegheny Gators, a Division III program, are coached by Jared Luteran. Luteran is in his 11th season as the head coach of the Gators men's program.

"It is a tremendous honor for our players and our program as a whole to receive the ITA National Team Sportsmanship Award," Luteran said. "We are very appreciative of the ITA for sponsoring such an important award. Class, pride, and heart are three of the main pillars of our team philosophy statement and our players hold each other accountable to those principles on and off the court."

The Gators recently lost a 5-4 heartbreaker to Denison and the Allegheny sixth singles player had six match points to win the match. Denison is one of the top teams in the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC), and a win for the Gators would have been their first over the Big Red in 10 years. Despite the devastating loss, the team handled the situation with class and respect.

The Oklahoma Sooners, a Division I school, are led by head coach David Mullins. This is Mullins' sixth year at the helm of the Sooners women's program.

When hosting a recent match against the University of Memphis, the Tigers were stuck at a hotel because of snowy conditions. Mullins and his assistant coach offered to come pick up the Memphis squad since they were unfamiliar driving in snow. At the end of a very competitive match, the Sooners overruled their own player that would have given them an individual and team match point. There was a chair umpire, but the Sooner coaches demanded Memphis get the point.

"This award is a really nice acknowledgement for this special group of student athletes," Mullins said. "It has been a fun process to watch them do all the right things and carry out the philosophy of this program while winning at a high level all season long."

Gator Tennis Supports Gator Lacrosse!

Allegheny Men Beat Wabash 8-1 on March 1, 2014