Tennis Staff Attends ITA Coaches Convention

Coach Luteran and Coach Kreitzer attended the 27th annual Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Coaches Convention at the Naples Grande Beach Resort, Dec. 13-16, 2011. If you watch the video clip above you will see Gator Tennis alum, Evan Gordon, hitting some balls and chatting with Stan Smith and Malivai Washington. Evan currently teaches at the Naples Grande Resort through Peter Burwash International and he was called upon to hit in during most of the on court demonstrations. This was the 8th convention for Coach Luteran and the first time attending for Coach Kreitzer.

The ITA Coaches Convention is one of the best professional development opportunities for collegiate tennis coaches today, providing them with the opportunity to receive continuing education, participate in important association business meetings and serve as leaders in promoting the growth of varsity college tennis.

Hundreds of men's and women's college tennis coaches from all divisions gathered for this year's convention in Naples, where they were treated to workshops led by some of the biggest names in the sport. Among the featured clinic presenters at the 2011 ITA Coaches Convention were seven-time Grand Slam champion Stan Smith, who won three national titles at USC; 1996 Wimbledon finalist MaliVai Washington, a former ITA No. 1 at the University of Michigan; International Tennis Hall of Fame Class of 2012 nominee Nick Bollettieri; and 2011 Wilson/ITA National Division I Coaches of the Year Kenny Thorne (Georgia Tech University men) and Roland Thornqvist (University of Florida women).

In addition to offering clinics, panel discussions, an awards banquet, a trade show and a chance to exchange ideas, the ITA Coaches Convention is also the venue for the association’s annual meetings, which included ITA Operating Committee, Divisional Roundtable and General Membership sessions.

“The convention is always a very exciting time of the year for our coaches association,” said ITA Executive Director David Benjamin. “Besides being able to take in great clinics and workshops at a beautiful resort in a great city, the coaches also have a forum to meet and discuss the important issues within college tennis today.”

A highlight each year at the ITA Coaches Convention is the ITA Awards Banquet. On Dec. 15, Thorne, Thornqvist and their fellow Wilson/ITA Coach of the Year winners from Division II, Division III, NAIA and Junior Colleges were honored for their work during the 2010-11 season. In addition, Claire Pollard of Northwestern University received the USTA/ITA National Campus and Community Outreach Award and Matt Meredith of Slippery Rock University was recognized as the USTA/ITA National QuickStart Provider of the Year.

Washington served as the keynote speaker of the evening, courtesy of Wilson Sporting Goods. Before peaking at No. 11 in the world as a professional, Washington was a two-time ITA All-American and the 1989 ITA National Player of the Year as a member of the Wolverines. He defeated Big-Ten rival Todd Martin of Northwestern in the 1996 Wimbledon semifinals.
For more information about the ITA Coaches Convention and a full list of award winners, please visit www.ITAtennis.com.

Elyse Schmitt Returns from Germany with First Place Prize!

Elyse Schmitt recently attended the oikos Winter School for sustainable entrepreneurship in Berlin, Germany. In her travels, she met people from all around the world with business ideas contributing to sustainability. In her week, she attended leadership and business workshops as well as listened to lectures from entrepreneurs from around the world. The last few days consisted of business competitions in which the twenty-five students voted for six projects to be presented to a jury. Elyse was voted and competed against five others. The jury awarded her first place with a cash prize to invest in her community garden with aquaponics plan. She is continuing her research with her senior composition.

Coach Luteran Takes Trivia Champs Out To Lunch

Some Allegheny tennis players got a break from the hustle and bustle of life on the hill Wednesday as Coach Luteran took them out to lunch at a nearby local restaurant. Earlier in the year the men's and women's team divided up and competed in a trivia game regarding all things tennis related. The prize for the game was a lunch at Julian's Grill in Meadville. Alex Hurtuk, Janna Dickerson, Pat Cole, and Dan Conroy were the lucky winners!

Community Service Weekend!

Make A Difference Day
The Allegheny men’s and women’s tennis teams participated in the national “Make a Difference Day” by volunteering their time to help paint at the local Meadville Children’s Center on campus. For the past nine years the Allegheny tennis teams have participated in “Make a Difference Day” by volunteering at such places as Conneaut Lake Park, The Academy Theater, Roche Park, and Hog Heaven. This year members of both teams, along with the coaching staff, woke up early on Saturday October 22nd and painted at the Meadville Children's Center until the classrooms looked like new. The day served as a chance for the tennis teams and coaches to give back to the community and also to spend some time with one another.

Free Tennis Clinic for Kids
The Allegheny men's and women's tennis teams held their annual free tennis clinic for the youth of Meadville and surrounding areas on Sunday, October 23rd. Everyone ages 5-18 was invited to attend the event and a wide range of skill levels were present at the clinic. The Gators enjoyed an hour and a half of sharing their passion for the game of tennis with kids of all ages and abilities. The morning began with a warm-up led by the players, followed by drills, instruction, games, prizes, and of course a whole lot of fun.

Allegheny Tennis Travels to Buffalo To Watch Past Champions

Members of the Allegheny tennis team traveled to Buffalo this past weekend to watch several former American champions compete in the HSBC Tennis Cup. The event featured four tennis greats: John McEnroe, Jim Courier, Michael Chang, and Todd Martin. The semi-final match ups were McEnroe vs. Courier and Chang vs. Martin, with McEnroe and Martin both winning with relative ease. Courier seemed to be in high spirits after his match, as he signed autographs for two Allegheny players following his defeat. The final was an entertaining one, and the crowd got what they wanted when the New Yorker McEnroe defeated Todd Martin.

Women's Team Volunteers At Local Farm

The women's tennis team spent a wonderful sunny afternoon volunteering a few hours of their time at Fresh from the Vines, a local sustainable farm. Fresh from the Vines is supported largely by volunteers and the team provided welcome help with chores like raking the edge of the field, removing plant clips and splitting garlic to be planted. They were also able to enjoy the company of some of the farm's many dogs, donkeys, chickens and even the alpaca.

Allegheny Wins Nail Biter at Grove City

GROVE CITY, Pa. - The 24 time defending PAC champion Wolverines gave Allegheny everything it could handle, but the Gators came out victorious with a 5-4 win over Grove City.

Allegheny would get off to a solid start, getting victories from their number one and number three doubles, putting themselves up 2-1 going into singles play. However, when the first two results of singles play came in, Allegheny suddenly found them in a 3-2 hole.

The Gators would battle back, with thrilling three set victories from seniors Deborah Landau and Elyse Schmitt.

Allegheny finally clinched the match when sophomore Kathleen McBride defeated Emily Buurma 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 to improve the Gators to 2-2 on the 2011 season.

Allegheny will be off until mid-February when they will travel to Pennbriar Athletic Club in Erie, Pa. to battle non-conference foe John Carroll on February 12.

Allegheny 5, Grove City 4
Oct 05, 2011 at Grove City, Pa. (Grove City College Courts)

Singles competition
1. Stacy Moon (GRO) def. Carolyn Shetter (ALLW) 6-2, 6-3
2. Deborah Landau (ALLW) def. Megan Bennett (GRO) 4-6, 6-3, 6-2
3. Elyse Schmitt (ALLW) def. Christina Bedi (GRO) 6-3, 6-7, 6-3
4. Reena Barnett (GRO) def. Laura Steele (ALLW) 6-2, 6-3
5. Caroline McGuire (GRO) def. Janna Dickerson (ALLW) 6-2, 7-5
6. Kathleen McBride (ALLW) def. Emily Buurma (GRO) 4-6, 6-4, 6-4

Doubles competition
1. Carolyn Shetter/Deborah Landau (ALLW) def. Stacy Moon/Megan Bennett (GRO) 8-6
2. Reena Barnett/Caroline McGuire (GRO) def. Janna Dickerson/Elyse Schmitt (ALLW) 8-4
3. Laura Steele/Kathleen McBride (ALLW) def. Christina Bedi/Lauren Troxel (GRO) 8-3

Allegheny Cruises Past Grove City

GROVE CITY, Pa. - The Allegheny men's tennis team traveled to Grove City Wednesday night to take on the 21 time defending PAC champion Wolverines.

The Gators would jump out to a fast start, sweeping all three doubles competitions.

Allegheny would use their momentum from the doubles session, as they would take four of the six singles matches for the 7-2 victory.

Sophomore Patrick Cole had no trouble with Caleb Fuller 6-4, 6-1; while fellow sophomore Frank Mosconi played brilliantly, dropping just three combined games in doubles and singles play.

Freshmen Kevin Kacer and junior Mike Provenzano also had singles victories to improve Allegheny to 3-1 on the 2011 season.

The Gators will be off until mid-February when they will travel to Pennbriar Athletic Club in Erie, Pa. to battle non-conference foe John Carroll on February 12.

Allegheny 7, Grove City 2
Oct 05, 2011 at Grove City, Pa.

Singles competition
1. Patrick Cole (ALLM) def. Caleb Fuller (GRO) 6-4, 6-1
2. Peter Riley (GRO) def. Alex Hurtuk (ALLM) 6-4, 6-4
3. Mike Provenzano (ALLM) def. Anthony Rosselli (GRO) 6-3, 6-3
4. Kevin Kacer (ALLM) def. Scott Yanak (GRO) 3-6, 6-4, 1-0 (10-7)
5. Frank Mosconi (ALLM) def. Steve Harrison (GRO) 6-1, 6-0
6. Andrew Deckert (GRO) def. Danny Jacobs (ALLM) 6-3, 6-2

Doubles competition
1. Patrick Cole/Kevin Kacer (ALLM) def. Caleb Fuller/Anthony Rosselli (GRO) 8-6
2. Alex Hurtuk/Mike Provenzano (ALLM) def. Peter Riley/Andrew Deckert (GRO) 8-5
3. Frank Mosconi/Daniel Conroy (ALLM) def. Scott Yanak/Steve Harrison (GRO) 8-2

Gators End Well at ITA Tournament

KALAMAZOO, Mich. - Allegheny traveled to Kalamazoo, Michigan this weekend to compete in the ITA Regional Championships. The tournament was split into two draws; Carolyn Shetter, Elyse Schmitt, Laura Steele, and Debroah Landau were selected in the main draw, while Kathleen McBride was chosen in the Kalamazoo draw.

Day one, on Friday, September 30, was a tough start for Allegheny. Shetter would win her first singles match in the main draw, but that would be the only highlight of the day as the Gators struggled to get their footing.

Day two, on Saturday, saw Allegheny turn a complete 360. After dropping their first matches, the Gators were put in the consolation bracket of each draw respectively.

In the main draw singles consolation, Landau would defeat Whitney Lewis of Ozarks 6-0, 6-0, and Finley Gates of Oberlin 6-1, 4-6, 10-7, to advance to the quarter-final round. Landau would battle tough against Jordan Leslie of Ohio Wesleyan, but would fall just short 7-5, 2-6, 9-11.

In doubles consolation, the pairings of Schmitt/Steele and Landau/Shetter would both win their first round matches. While Schmitt and Steele were eliminated in the quarters, Landau and Shetter advanced all the way to the final, defeating Christie Gales and Michelle Tuma of Ohio Northern, 9-7, to take home the consolation doubles championship.

Meanwhile, in the Kalamazoo singles consolation, McBride would advance to the quarter-finals as well, defeating Becky Simon of Ohio Wesleyan, and Ellen Stein of Kenyon. Being the only Gator in the Kalamazoo draw, McBride was paired with Aarthi Kasilingam of Washington University for doubles play. After a tough loss on the first day, the pairing would get hot on day two, advancing all the way to the consolation final.

Men Have Strong Showing at Oberlin Invite

The men competed in the third annual Oberlin Invitational and once again there was a lot of rain (3 straight years!). The first day was moved inside on just four courts and it made for a very long 13 hour day. The guys got some studying done when they weren't dominating on the tennis courts. They finished with 23 total singles and doubles wins and only 12 losses.

Click here for full article.

Men and Women Battle Div I Robert Morris

The men and women had a hard fought match against Division I Robert Morris on Tuesday.

Click here to see the men's article and box score.
Click here to see the women's article and box score.

Men's ITA Championships at St. Louis, MO

Mike Provenzano and Patrick Cole had a good showing at the ITA Championships at Washington University in St. Louis, MO. Cole was the 7th seed and he won his first two rounds, beating players from Kalamazoo and Kenyon, before falling in the third round to a player from Case Western University. Provenzano won his first round beating a player from Transylvania, before falling to the #1 seed from Kenyon.

Provenzano and Cole won their first round in doubles against a team from Earlham before falling to Case Western in the second round. To see the tournament website click here. To see the final story on the Allegheny sports site, click here.

Allegheny Tennis Supports Swimming and Diving Program at 5 Mile Run/Walk Event

Members of the Allegheny College Tennis Team's met up early this morning to participate in a run/walk event where the proceeds went to the Allegheny Swimming and Diving Program. Many students, faculty members, and other Allegheny Swimming and Diving supporters showed up for the 5 mile run/walk. Times were recorded and prizes were given out to many different participants.

Gators Fare Well Against Nations Best at Oberlin Invitational

9/19/2011 11:02:00 AM
Final Results from Oberlin InvitationalOberlin Invitational Box ScoreOBERLIN, Ohio - The Allegheny women's tennis squad traveled to Oberlin this past weekend, to take part in the Oberlin Invitational presented my Marriot. With an impressive field that featured two nationally ranked division III teams from a year ago (Denison; Washington and Lee), and one nationally ranked division II team from last year (California University of Pennsylvania), the Gators would look to defeat some of the best talent in the country. The opening day would set a good tone for the weekend as Allegheny would win four of its six singles matches, with victories by Carolyn Shetter, Janna Dickerson, Elyse Schmitt, and Laura Steele. The Gators would not fare as well in doubles on Friday, with its only victory coming from the pair of Dickerson and Schmitt. Allegheny ended day one 5-4 overall, with two of the four losses coming to previously mentioned Cal U. Day two was a reversal of fortunes for the Gators, as Laura Steele picked up Allegheny's only singles victory of the day in straight sets. Deborah Landau and Kathleen McBride would both take their matches the distance, with each falling 6-2 in the third set. Two of the other three singles matches would see Elyse Schmitt and Carolyn Shetter facing tough opponents from Denison and Cal U respectively. Doubles brought a bright end to the second day of competition, as Allegheny would go 4-2, with victories coming from the pairings of Shetter/Landau, Dickerson/Schmitt, and two from Steele/McBride. The third and final day saw Allegheny participating in only singles matches, as they would bounce back and end the weekend like they started, going 4-2 with impressive victories from Dickerson, Schmitt, Steele, and McBride. All four won their matches in straight sets and no set would get closer than 6-4. The Gators would end the weekend with an overall record of 14-13, going 9-9 in singles play and 5-4 in doubles competition. Steele would lead the way for Allegheny, going undefeated (3-0) in singles play, and 2-1 with her doubles partner McBride. Not far behind were Schmitt and Dickerson who both went 2-1 in singles, and combined to go 2-1 in doubles play. The Gators will get a week break from competition, as they will travel to face division I Robert Morris on Tuesday, September 27.

Men's Tennis Stays Unbeaten on Wet and Wild Day

MEADVILLE, Pa. - The men's tennis squad defeated Division II Mercyhurst, for the fourth season in a row, 5-0 Tuesday night at the Tennis Complex at Robertson. The win came just before the rain started to fall, as four singles matches were decided to stay unfinished.

Freshman Alex Hurtuk would lead the Gators, coming out victorious in both singles and doubles play. Hurtuk would take number three singles 6-1, 6-1 and paired up with Mike Provenzano to win number two doubles 8-3. Sophomore Charlie Murphy would come close to joining Hurtuk in winning both matches, however his number five singles match would remain unfinished at 6-1, 5-0. Murphy would get one victory though, pairing up with Frank Mosconi to claim number three doubles.

The men will have the next eight days off from competition until they travel to St. Louis for the ITA National Tournament from September 22-26.

Allegheny 5, Mercyhurst 0
Sep 13, 2011 at Meadville, Pa. (Robertson Complex)

Singles competition

1. Patrick Cole (ALL) vs. Keith Whittingham (MERC) 2-6, 3-1, unfinished

2. Mike Provenzano (ALL) vs. Jorn van der Veer (MERC) 2-6, 1-0, unfinished

3. Alex Hurtuk (ALL) def. Spencer Kilpatrick (MERC) 6-1, 6-1

4. Kevin Kacer (ALL) vs. Eric Drusko (MERC) 6-2, 3-0, unfinished

5. Charlie Murphy (ALL) vs. Mike Vinopal (MERC) 6-1, 5-0, unfinished

6. Frank Mosconi (ALL) def. Marucio Diaz (MERC), by default

Order of finish: 6, 3

Doubles competition

1. Patrick Cole/Kevin Kacer (ALL) def. Keith Whittingham/Jorn van der Veer (MERC) 8-5

2. Mike Provenzano/Alex Hurtuk (ALL) def. Eric Drusko/Spencer Kilpatrick (MERC) 8-3

3. Charlie Murphy/Frank Mosconi (ALL) def. Mike Vinopal/Marucio Diaz (MERC), by default

Order of finish: 3, 2, 1

Allegheny Handles Penn State-Behrend on Rain Shortened Day

MEADVILLE, Pa. - The Allegheny women's tennis squad swept the Lions of Penn State-Behrend 9-0 on a rain shortened day inside the Wise Center. What was supposed to be the first match of the Nancy J. Heath Invitational ended up being the only match each team would play, as the impending threat of rain forced Baldwin-Wallace and Wlash to back out.

The change did not seem to affect the Gators as Carolyn Shetter, Deb Landau, Elyse Schmitt, Janna Dickerson, Laura Steele, and Kathleen McBride all won their singles matches quite handley. Allegheny also breezed through their doubles matches, only dropping a combined four games in the three matches.

The win gives the Gators a 1-0 start, as they will have to wait until Tuesday to play again against Mercyhurst at the Robertson Complex. Allegheny was scheduled to play John Carroll tomorrow, but the forecast has forced that match to be postponed for later in the season. Stay tuned to alleghenysports.com for the latest on all the postponed matches from this weekend.

Allegheny 9, Penn State Behrend 0
Sep 10, 2011 at Meadville, Pa. (Wise Center)

Singles competition

1. Carolyn Shetter (ALL) def. Arica Christman (BEHW) 6-0, 6-4

2. Deborah Landau (ALL) def. Leslie Durante (BEHW) 6-1, 7-5

3. Elyse Schmitt (ALL) def. Allison Quigley (BEHW) 6-1, 6-3

4. Janna Dickerson (ALL) def. Jade Buhite (BEHW) 6-1, 6-0

5. Laura Steele (ALL) def. Rachel Harris (BEHW) 6-1, 6-3

6. Kathleen McBride (ALL) def. Megan Nochese (BEHW) 6-1, 6-2

Doubles competition

1. Carolyn Shetter/Deborah Landau (ALL) def. Arica Christman/Leslie Durante (BEHW) 8-2

2. Elyse Schmitt/Janna Dickerson (ALL) def. Jade Buhite/Allison Quigley (BEHW) 8-1

3. Laura Steele/Kathleen McBride (ALL) def. Megan Nochese/Rachel Harris (BEHW) 8-1

Match Notes

Penn State Behrend 3-1

Allegheny 1-0

Gators Sweep Lions during Rain Shortened Day

MEADVILLE, Pa. - The Allegheny men's tennis squad swept the Penn State-Behrend Lions for the second year in a row, as they won their first match of the season on a rain shortened day. Originally scheduled to be match one of the Nancy J. Heath Invitational, the Gators and Lions played their only matches of the day in the Wise Center instead of at the tennis courts within the Robertson Complex.

Patrick Cole, Alex Hurtuk, Kevin Kacer, Daniel Conory, Danny Jacobs, and Tyler Miller all won their singles matches with relative ease. In doubles competition, the Gators won all but three games; going 8-2 in #1 doubles, 8-1 in #2 doubles, and 8-0 in #3 doubles.

The win moves Allegheny to 1-0 on the young season. The Gators will take to the court next on Tuesday, against Mercyhurst College. Allegheny was scheduled to host John Carroll tomorrow, but impending rain has forced both teams to postpone the contest until later this season. Stay tuned to alleghenysports.com for information on all of this weekend's postponed matches.

Allegheny 9, Penn State Behrend 0
Sep 10, 2011 at Meadville, Pa. (Wise Center)

Singles competition

1. Patrick Cole (ALL) def. Taimi Ando (BEHM) 6-1, 6-1

2. Alex Hurtuk (ALL) def. Chris Galvin (BEHM) 6-1, 6-1

3. Kevin Kacer (ALL) def. Imade Osifo (BEHM) 6-0, 6-2

4. Daniel Conroy (ALL) def. Carson Emili (BEHM) 6-3, 6-0

5. Danny Jacobs (ALL) def. H. Mert Ozcan (BEHM) 6-3, 6-2

6. Tyler Miller (ALL) def. Dominick Rodriquez (BEHM) 6-0, 6-3

Doubles competition

1. Patrick Cole/Kevin Kacer (ALL) def. Taimi Ando/Chris Galvin (BEHM) 8-2

2. Mike Provenzano/Alex Hurtuk (ALL) def. Imade Osifo/Carson Emili (BEHM) 8-1

3. Charlie Murphy/Frank Mosconi (ALL) def. H. Mert Ozcan/Dominick Rodriquez (BEHM) 8-0

Match Notes

Penn State Behrend 0-1

Allegheny 1-0

Gator Tennis Teambuilding

The night before our season opener against PS-Behrend, the men's and women's teams decided to participate in some team-building activities so that they could better get to know one another. In addition to playing the human knot (pictured above) both teams played a version of charades where each team had to decipher what professional tennis player or Allegheny tennis player their teammates were imitating.

Four Gators Earn ITA Scholar Athlete Award

MEADVILLE, Pa. - Yesterday, the Intercollegiate Tennis Association released their list of 2011 Scholar Athletes. Allegheny Tennis was well represented as Lauren Kristofco ('10), senior Janna Dickerson, junior Amy Ochsenreiter, and sophomore Patrick Cole all earned the rights to be named ITA Scholar Athletes. "It is an impressive achievement to make the ITA Scholar Athlete list while competing in a varsity sport with two seasons at a school as academically rigorous as Allegheny College," said head coach Jared Luteran. In order to earn such distinction, an athlete must letter in his or her sport, have a grade point average of at least 3.50, and must have been enrolled in their present school for at least two semesters. To view the complete list of men's ITA Scholar Athletes, click here.To view the complete list of women's ITA Scholar Athletes, click here.

Greg Kreitzer Joins Allegheny Staff

8/18/2011 10:26:00 AM
MEADVILLE, Pa - Greg Kreitzer was announced Thursday as the new Allegheny assistant tennis coach by Head Coach Jared Luteran. Kreitzer is beginning his first coaching stint after graduating from Hamilton College in May.
A two-time captain for the Hamilton tennis team, Kreitzer competed in the NESCAC (New England Small College Athletic Conference), one of the toughest conferences in the country. In 2010-11, Kreitzer was selected as part of both the NESCAC All-Academic and All-Sportsmanship teams, as well as being selected an ITA Scholar Athlete. In addition, Kreitzer was also a two-time recipient of the Hamilton Scholar Athlete Award, given to an athlete who has worked to excel in the classroom while contributing significantly to the Hamilton Athletics Program.
“We are very excited with the addition of Coach Kreitzer to the Gator Tennis family,” said Luteran. “His background, having played in the NESCAC for four years, one of the toughest tennis conferences in the country makes him well prepared for the competition in the NCAC.”
In addition to his success on the court, Kreitzer has also been a role model off it, leading his team in numerous off-court events such as Race for the Cure and Relay for Life. He has also served the last five summers as a Camp Counselor and Unit Head at Camp Seneca Lake, located in Penn Yan, N.Y.
Kreitzer earned a Bachelors of Arts degree from Hamilton College, with concentrations in Economics and Communications.

Recruiting at Donovan Showcase 2011

It was a fantastic week of recruiting at the Donovan Showcase last week in New Haven, CT. There were 160 high school boys and girls from all over the world. Other than a brief 5 minute rain shower, the weather was beautiful and there was some great tennis being played on the Yale courts. Tim Donovan always does a stellar job running the showcase and I look forward to being back next year!

~Coach Luteran

Pat Cole Caps Rookie Season With Regional Ranking

6/30/2011 11:00:22 AM
2010-11 Campbell/ITA Central Region Rankings

MEADVILLE, Pa. – Adding to a list of outstanding accomplishments, rising tennis star Patrick Cole is listed in the final 2010-11 Campbell/ITA Regional College men's tennis rankings, ranking No. 22 in the Central Region as announced by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. The recently-crowned NCAC Newcomer of the Year, Cole's awards-filled rookie campaign marked the most decorated freshman season in program history.

"I just can't say enough good things about Pat.,” remarked head coach Jared Luteran. “He deserves every accolade that he receives and we couldn't ask for a better person to represent what Allegheny tennis is all about."

Cole finished the year with an 18-4 record in singles play en route to NCAC First Team All-Conference honors. He became just the third player in team history to earn first team plaudits from the league, while also netting All-Conference accolades in doubles the same year. A two-time NCAC Player of the Week selection, Cole finished the slate three wins shy of the Gators' single-season record.

2011 Seniors Graduate

May 14, 2011

Senior tennis players Nick Darrow, Margaret Hodgkiss-Lilly, Lauren Kristofco, and Sara Longo graduated on Saturday with the rest of the class of 2011 in the Wise Center. Congrats seniors and good luck!!!

Five Women's Tennis Players Net All-NCAC Honors

5/10/2011

Conference Release

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Posting the highest single-season winning percentage (.591) since the 2001-02 season, the Allegheny women's tennis team enjoyed an eight-win turnaround from a year ago, a third-place finish in the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) for the first time since the 1998-99 season, and earned their first regional ranking under head coach Jared Luteran. In light of the successful year, a program-first came out of the selection of All-NCAC teams as five women's tennis players earned All-NCAC recognition.

Three players, headlined by rookie Carolyn Shetter, were named to All-NCAC teams as singles players, while a pair of doubles teams garnered All-NCAC selections, including first-time doubles recipients Deborah Landau and Elyse Schmitt.

Shetter, who played at flight one singles throughout the entire fall and spring seasons, was selected to the All-NCAC First Team, and becomes the sixth women's tennis player to make the First Team. On the year, Shetter finished 12-10 in singles play with a 10-10 mark in dual matches, and was a perfect 2-0 in tournament play.

Senior Lauren Kristofco earned her fourth All-NCAC honor as a singles player, making her the first four-time All-NCAC singles performer in Allegheny women's tennis history. This year, Kristofco was named to the All-NCAC Second Team after finishing 5-7 in flight two singles play, and was 2-3 in conference play as well.

Rounding out singles honors is senior Sara Longo. Longo makes her second consecutive All-NCAC Honorable Mention Team after playing most of the year at flight three singles, and posting an overall record of 11-11. In her time at flight three singles, Longo compiled a record of 8-6, and ended the season on a four-match winning streak.

For the third time in the past four years, Kristofco and Longo earn all-conference recognition as a doubles paring. In 07-08, and 08-09, the pair landed on the All-NCAC Doubles Second Team. This season, the final one at Allegheny for both, they were named to the All-NCAC Doubles First Team. Paired up the entire spring season at flight one doubles, Kristofco and Longo tallied a doubles record of 11-5 overall, and were 4-2 in conference play.

Landau and Schmitt were named to the All-NCAC Doubles Second Team for the first time as a pairing after they competed across flights two and three in doubles play this season, and put together an impressive 10-3 overall mark. Like Kristofco and Longo, Landau and Schmitt were 4-2 in conference play.

Rookie Patrick Cole Named NCAC Men's Tennis Newcomer of the Year; Headlines Trio of All-NCAC Honorees

5/10/2011

Conference Release

CLEVLAND, Ohio – Allegheny rookie men's tennis player Patrick Cole turned in one of the best single-season efforts in team history, and his banner first-year was rewarded in a major way by the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) as he became the first Allegheny player, male or female, to also be named the NCAC Newcomer of the Year, and in the process was also named to the All-NCAC First Team. It is the fourth consecutive year that a Gator has made the First Team.

Cole, who assumed the role of the flight one singles player in the spring, came on with an absolute fury, going 10-2 in dual match flight one singles play. Coupled with his 4-1 singles record from the fall when he competed in flight four, Cole ended his rookie campaign with an impressive total record (including tournament play) of 18-4. His 18 wins as a singles competitor are three shy of the single-season record for wins. During the course of the spring, the Livonia, Mich. native also became the first player, male or female, to be named NCAC Player of the Week; he did so twice.

Earning All-NCAC Honorable Mention recognition were senior Jacob Allmaras and sophomore Mike Provenzano. For Allmaras, a senior captain, it is the first all-conference honor in his career as he set a career-high with 12 singles wins across flights two, three, and five.

An All-NCAC Honorable Mention selection a year ago as a rookie, Provenzano lands on the Honorable Mention Team for the second consecutive season. Playing at flight two singles this spring, Provenzano notched a 6-5 overall record, and was 2-1 in conference play.

Allmaras and Cole also hauled in All-NCAC Second Team honors in doubles play. The duo competed in flight one doubles and came away with an 8-5 record, including a 2-1 mark in conference play.

Women's Tennis Outlasts Oberlin for Third-Place in Epic Duel of NCAC Tournament

5/2/2011

Box Scores: Denison -- Oberlin

OBERLIN, Ohio – For the first time since the 1998-99 season, the Allegheny women's tennis team earned a third-place finish at the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Tournament. A victory in their opening match against Wittenberg University on Saturday ensured that the Gators (13-9, 2-4 NCAC) would finish in the top-four for the fourth consecutive year. On Sunday, the Gators dropped their first match of the day to nationally-ranked Denison University, 5-0, placing them in the third-place match against a familiar foe in Oberlin College for the fourth consecutive year as well.

The match against Oberlin for third-place in the conference began just after 5:00 p.m., and it was not until nearly five full hours until the match was decided.

Playing doubles on outdoor courts, the Gators jumped out to a big lead through the opening doubles play as they swept all three matches. Needing just two wins out of the remaining six singles matches, rain forced the completion of the match to be moved indoors.

The change of venue for singles play would be when Oberlin would make their run as they rattled off four straight-sets wins to eventually knot the match at four-all, and set up the thrilling decisive match.

Prior to the final match, at flight three singles, Sara Longo notched one of the two victories the Gators needed to clinch the match. Longo's win was a complete role reversal after she lost in straight sets, 6-0, 6-1, to the same opponent, Preeya Shah, a little over a week ago. This time, Longo endured a tough set one loss that had to be decided in a tie-breaker, 6-7 (11-13), but rallied to take the second and third sets with relative ease, 6-2, 6-0 for the win.

Charged with the enormity of the situation, and having to battle the home-court advantage in favor of Oberlin, the fate of the match would come down to junior Elyse Schmitt at flight five singles. Despite it all, Schmitt was not rattled by the situation from the outset. She took a closely contested first set 6-4, but fell in the possible close-out second set 1-6, pushing not only the singles match, but the entire team match to the brink.

In that decisive third set, Schmitt found herself down at one point 5-3, and in danger of losing the match. Determined not to let that happen, Schmitt upped her level of play, roaring back in the third set to take the next four games to win the third set, 7-5, and clinch the match for the Gators.

The win itself, but particularly against Oberlin, is a monumental one in the growth of the up and coming women's tennis program. This year alone, they have had an eight-win turnaround from a year ago, and for the first time in the past three years, the Gators came out on top of Oberlin in the NCAC Tournament.

Solid Start to NCAC Tournament for Women's Tennis

4/30/2011

Box Score

OBERLIN, Ohio – Saturday afternoon marked the first day of the 2011 NCAC Women's Tennis Tournament held at Oberlin College, and the Allegheny women's tennis team got off to a great start with a 5-1 win over Wittenberg University, ensuring themselves a finish in the top-four of the conference by tournament's end.

The win for the Gators (12-8, 2-4 NCAC) avenged a close late-season loss to the hands of the Tigers (18-6, 3-3 NCAC).

To start the match, the Gators got out to a quick 2-0 lead as they picked up consecutive wins at flights three and one doubles. A closely contested flight two doubles finish would go the way of the Tigers for their first point of the match.

The Gators wasted no time in taking total control of the match, and eventually putting it away, once singles play got under way. Sara Longo made quick work of her opponent at flight three, 6-0, 6-2. Janna Dickerson followed Longo's win with one of her own at flight six, 6-3, 6-2, and put the Gators to within a point to seal the match.

With three other singles matches still being played on court, Deborah Landau clinched the match with her win at flight four, 6-1, 6-4. All three of the Gators singles wins came in straight sets, showing a display of dominance. Further proof of the dominant effort was, at the time of Landau's clincher, the remaining three matches on court had Allegheny players out in front of their respective matches.

The Gators will now have a chance to play their way into the conference finals as they are slated to take on the #1 seed Denison University on Sunday, May 1st. That match is set to begin at 11:00 a.m.

Men's Tennis Ends 2011NCAC Tournament with Fourth-Place Finish

4/30/2011

Box Score

OBERLIN, Ohio – After winning their opening round match a day ago at the 2011 NCAC Tournament against Wittenberg, and losing to Denison a few hours later, the Gators (12-6, 2-1 NCAC East) entered the final day of the tournament matched up against Wabash College to determine who would earn a third-place finish in the tournament. The two teams battled one another closely, particularly in singles play, but Wabash was able to capitalize on an early 3-0 lead though doubles play to take the decision, 5-3, with one match remaining on court.

The Little Giants (18-10, 2-1 NCAC East) were very impressive to start the match as they were able to sweep the three doubles matches with relative ease, pacing them to the big early lead. After taking the first singles decision at flight five, the Little Giants jumped to within a point of taking the match, 4-0.

The Gators, however, showed a lot of resolve, and battled back strong as they rattled off three consecutive singles wins at flights one, four, and six. The first two winning matches for the Gators came in dominating fashion as Patrick Cole at flight one, and Charlie Murphy at flight four, won their respective matches in straight sets. Cole, the reigning NCAC Player of the Week dropped only one game in his singles match.

With the team match at 4-3 in favor of Wabash, the remaining two matches, flights two and three, came down to the wire. Unfortunately for the Gators, Jacob Allmaras' impressive, in-progress match at flight three singles went unfinished as Mike Provenzano's match at flight two reached a decision in favor of the Little Giants, giving them the match-clinching point, and putting a halt to the team match.

The loss ends the Gators season with a fourth-place finish in the NCAC Tournament.

Men's Tennis Positions Themselves in Top of NCAC; Luteran Notches Milestone Win

4/29/2011

Box Scores: Wittenberg -- Denison

OBERLIN, Ohio – Day one of the North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament produced mixed results for the Allegheny men's tennis team as they came away with head coach, Jared Luteran's 200th career victory in a 5-3 win over Wittenberg in their first match, but were unable to record a decision against Denison in the nightcap on Friday at Oberlin College, the host of the NCAC Tournament. The win, however, in their first match, ensured the Gators (12-5, 2-1 NCAC East) would finish in the top-four of the conference by tournament's end.

The first match of the day for the Gators against Wittenberg was a thrilling match that was not decided until the tail end of the match. With wins at flights one and three doubles, the Gators took a 2-1 lead heading into singles play. Given the tournament atmosphere, the match was played to decision, so the Gators needed three singles wins out of the six potential matches to record the win.

The Tigers would make the match interesting picking up wins in flights three and four to keep themselves within a reasonable distance to try and take away the win and advance in the upper portion of the tournament bracket.

A dominating win by Patrick Cole at flight one , and a big win at flight five by Max Sosa, 6-3, 6-2, put the Gators ahead in the match 4-2 with two matches remaining on court. Flight two singles would be the deciding match. Playing at flight two for the Gators, sophomore Mike Provenzano, dropped a close first set 4-6, but forced a third set with a win in the second set, 6-3. In the decisive third set, Provenzano and his opponent Sergio Fishkin played each other really close, and took that set past the usual six-game decision. Provenzano would come away on top in the match, however, by winning the third set 7-5.

One match, flight six singles, was left on court at the time the Gators wrapped up the team match. The win in their opening match was huge for the Gators as it assured them a top-four finish in the conference tournament. Also noteworthy in the win was the career milestone achieved by head coach Jared Luteran, as he notched his 200th career victory as a head coach.

A 5-0 loss to the hands of Denison in their second match of the day put the Gators in the third-place match against Wabash College on Saturday, April 29th. That match is set to be played at 11:00 a.m.

Cole Serves Up NCAC Player of the Week Honors for Second Time

4/26/2011

Conference Release

CLEVELAND, Ohio – For the second time this season, Allegheny men's tennis rookie Patrick Cole was named the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Player of the Week, this time for the week-ending April 24, 2011, as it was announced by the NCAC's sports information director Bret Billhardt on Monday afternoon.

Cole gets the league's weekly honor for the second time this season after he went undefeated at flight one singles and flight one doubles over the Gators' two conference matches, both wins, against Oberlin and Wooster.

This spring, Cole has stepped into the number one role for singles and doubles play, and has strung together tremendous success at the top of the Gators' lineup going 8-2 in flight one singles play, and 7-3 in flight one doubles play. Through the fall and spring seasons, Cole has notched a 16-4 singles record and a 14-5 doubles record.

Women's Tennis Handles Wooster; Takes Wittenberg to the Brink for Conference Split

4/23/2011

Box Scores: Wittenberg -- Wooster

OBERLIN, Ohio – The Allegheny women's tennis team picked up a split on Saturday afternoon in NCAC play with a nail-biting 5-4 loss to Wittenberg University, but came back in the nightcap to beat the College of Wooster 8-1. Both matches were played at the facilities of Oberlin College.

The first match of the day for the Gators (11-8, 2-4 NCAC) was against Wittenberg, and the team match would come down the final match on court, flight one singles. Coming out of doubles play, the Gators trailed in the match 2-1, but picked up a decision at flight one doubles as Lauren Kristofco and Sara Longo won their match handily, 8-1.

Two of the first three singles matches that were completed went the way of the Tigers, putting them one decision away from the team win. Back-to-back singles wins at flights four and three by Schmitt and Sara Longo knotted the match at four-all, and set up the decisive match remaining on court.

That final match on court was at flight one singles. The Gators Carolyn Shetter had dropped the first set 4-6, but came back in the second set 6-3. With the team match in the balance, Wittenberg's number one Leah Ann Miller bested Shetter in the decisive third set, 6-2, to give the team match to the Tigers.

The women would bounce back in a big way following their disappointing loss to Wittenberg, and took out their frustrations on Wooster to the tune of an 8-1 decision. The lone tally for Wooster came in flight six with the match already decided. In a rarity, the doubles and singles matches all finished in succession according to flight.

The Gators have wrapped up their conference schedule in the regular season and will turn their attention to the NCAC Tournament at the end of the following week. The tournament will be hosted by Oberlin College and is slated to start on April 29th. Before the tournament, however, the women have one more non-conference match scheduled against Grove City College on Tuesday, April 26th. The match, to be held at Grove City will start at 3:30 p.m.

Provenzano Clinches Win over Oberlin

4/23/2011

Box Score

OBERLIN, Ohio – Forced indoors due to the rainy weather throughout the day, the Allegheny men's tennis team clashed with conference foe Oberlin in a four and a half hour marathon match in which the Gators (10-4, 1-1 NCAC East) bested the Yeoman (6-15, 1-2 NCAC East), 7-2 on the road.

Unlike the women's match that took place prior, the men's match was played through to completion. After falling behind in the match 2-1 through doubles play, the Gators rallied with an overwhelmingly strong showing in singles play. By match end, the Gators had taken all six singles matches.

The team match was clinched by sophomore Mike Provenzano at flight two singles. Provenzano dropped the first set 4-6, but forced a decisive third set by winning the second set 7-6. In the tie-breaking third set, Provenzano blanked his opponent for the win and, in turn, clinched the Gators victory with two matched remaining on court.

After the lengthy match against Oberlin, the men will take to the bus once again and travel a short ways to Wooster to take on the Fighting Scots in the final regular season match of the year. The match is scheduled to start at 4:00 p.m.

Women's Tennis Splits NCAC Matches

4/16/2011

Box Scores: Denison Box -- Ohio Wesleyan Box

GRANVILLE, Ohio – The Allegheny women's tennis team took part in a pair of NCAC matches on Saturday afternoon, and came away with a 1-1 mark dropping their first match against nationally-ranked no. 6 Denison University 8-1, and beating Ohio Wesleyan in the nightcap by the same margin.

The Big Red (13-4, 5-0 NCAC) looked strong as they won all six singles matches in straight sets. Deborah Landau and Elyse Schmitt provided the lone blemish for the Big Red as the pair won at flight three doubles 8-5.

Not long after the match against Denison was over, the Gators got back out on the court to take on Ohio Wesleyan. With rain in the area, the OWU match, like Denison earlier in the day, was played indoors. After doubles play, however, the weather broke, and the courts dried up enough to move the match outdoors for singles play and its conclusion.

The Gators were in control against the Battling Bishops (4-7, 1-3 NCAC) from the outset sweeping all three doubles matches and taking a commanding 3-0 lead in the team match. Not much changed in singles play. Despite the dreary conditions outside, the Gators won five of the six singles matches en route to an 8-1 win.

Against the Bishops, Lauren Kristofco, Landau, and Janna Dickerson all won their singles matches in straight sets and only dropped a single game.

The Gators will wrap up their regular season on the road next weekend with three conference matches on the slate. The first match will be against Oberlin College on Friday, April 22nd starting at 4:30 p.m. The team will remain in Oberlin, Ohio for a pair of matches the following day, Saturday, April 23rd, against Wittenberg University at 10:00 a.m. and the College of Wooster at 2:30 p.m.

Women's Tennis Stuns Case Western with Thrilling Win

4/13/2011

Box Score

MEADVILLE, Pa. – It would take over four hours, and come down to the final match on the courts before a winner emerged from the non-conference clash between Allegheny College and Case Western Reserve University on Wednesday afternoon inside the David V. Wise Center. As the final match on court, Janna Dickerson, at flight six singles, sent the home crowd home happy winning her singles match, 6-1, 7-5, and giving the Gators (9-5, 0-0 NCAC) the upset win over the Spartans (7-6).

Through doubles play to start the team match, the Spartans took a 2-1 lead with wins in flights one and two doubles. Elyse Schmitt and Deborah Landau, in flight three doubles, came away with an 8-4 win.

Singles play was played very close between the two teams as three of the six singles matches went to the decisive 10-point super breakers. Carrying over her momentum from the doubles win, Schmitt, at flight four singles, dropped the first set 3-6, but bounced back for the win in the second set 6-4, and overcame a 7-3 deficit in the 10-point super breaker to win it 10-8, giving the Gators the first win of singles play, and knotting the match two-all.

Back-to-back winning finishes at flights three and two pushed the Spartans back in front 4-2 and put the Gators in must-wins in the remaining matches on court. Faced with a tough test in the regionally-ranked no. 6 singles player Erika Lim, Allegheny rookie Carolyn Shetter, at flight one singles, staved off elimination for the Gators with a straight sets win, 6-4, 7-6(3). It is Shetter's first career win over a regionally-ranked opponent.

A super breaker win by Deborah Landau at flight five singles, 6-4, 6-7(1), 10-7 knotted the match four-all and set up the winner-take all scenario for the final match on court.

With the match in the balance, Dickerson had taken the first set with relative ease 6-1, but the match got very close in the second set. With Dickerson up 5-4 in the second set, and serving at 40-15 for the match, the Spartans' Evelyn Qi rallied to break Dickerson's serve to level the set at 5-5. Dickerson would answer back, breaking Qi's serve to push the match 6-5 in her favor. Dickerson would hold serve and ended the marathon match with her win in flight six singles, 6-1, 7-5.

The Gators will look to ride the momentum of their upset win into the stretch run of their schedule, with the remainder of their scheduled matches all against NCAC opponents. First up in that pivotal stretch is a meeting with Kenyon College on the road this Friday, April 12th. The match is scheduled to start at 4:30 p.m.

Kristofco/Schmitt Excelling Off the Court!

Lauren Kristofco and Elyse Schmitt are not only having successful careers on the tennis court, but they are also having some unique success in their academic ventures. Lauren was recently chosen to present at the ASLO (American Society of Limnology and Oceanography) Aquatic Sciences meeting in San Juan, Puerto Rico. It was an all expense paid trip to present her research that she did over the summer at the University of Rhode Island's Graduate School of Oceanography (URI GSO) under Dr. Lucie Maranda. Although it was difficult to give up the beautiful snow in Meadville for a whole week in February, Lauren made some valuable connections with several prominent educators in her field of research.

Elyse Schmitt recently competed in the Gator Innovation Challenge which was hosted by Chris Allison in the Allegheny College Economics department. The competition encouraged students to create a product and write a business plan as well as present their ideas to a panel of judges. Schmitt’s business, Unsoiled Agriculture (name will be changed), took home first place which included a $1,000 cash reward. She then competed in the Northwest PA Business plan competition held in Erie, PA on April 7th. Elyse and her partner competed against 53 other applicants and took home third place and another cash reward to be used as grant money to do more research for her company.