Allegheny Tennis Starts Spring Break Trip with Wins

3/20/2011

HILTON HEAD, S.C. – The Allegheny men's and women's tennis teams headed south for their spring break and landed in a familiar destination, Hilton Head, South Carolina., to play four matches over the next five days. First up on the slate of matches for both teams was NAIA-affiliated Nebraska Wesleyan. The Gator men (6-1) were able to edge the Prairie Wolves 5-4, while the Gator women (5-3) took their match 6-3.Both matches were played simultaneously across nine courts.

The men kicked off their match with the traditional three doubles matches, and came away with two match wins. The duos of Pat Cole/Jacob Allmaras and Frank Mosconi/Charlie Murphy had the wins as Cole/Allmaras took down Jamie Holmes and Nate Hoppe, 8-4, and Mosconi/Murphy defeated Ryan McCarty and Seth Shimerda, 8-2, to give the Gators a 2-1 advantage heading into singles play.

In singles play, the men were able to nail down the three match wins to record the team win. Singles winners included Cole in flight one (6-4, 6-1), Murphy in flight four (6-3, 6-4), and Mosconi (6-4, 6-3). Mosconi was first to pick up a win, followed by Cole, and Murphy picked up the clinching win.

On the women's side, they began their match with singles play first. The Gators were able to nearly clinch the match in singles play as they picked up four wins. Among the winners were Carolyn Shetter in flight one (3-6, 6-1, 10-8), Sara Longo in flight three (6-3, 6-0), Elyse Schmitt in flight four (6-4, 7-5), and Deb Landau in flight six (6-0, 6-4).

With a 4-2 advantage heading into double's play, the Gators needed to win one of the three doubles matches to clinch the team win. The duos of Lauren Kristofco/Longo, and Janna Dickerson/Shetter picked up wins. Kristofco/Longo had the match-clinching win for the fifth point.

Both the men and women return to action tomorrow with matches against the men's and women's teams of Carlton College. Each match is scheduled to start at 12:00 p.m.

Women's Tennis Blanks Penn State Behrend, 9-0

2/27/2011 12:08:01 PM

Box Score

ERIE, Pa. – In their first match of the spring season, the Allegheny women's tennis team picked up a huge non-conference win over Penn State Behrend, 9-0, on Saturday afternoon at the Westwood Racquet Club in Erie, Pa. For the Gators (4-3), it is their second consecutive dual match, dating back to the fall season, in which they earned a clean sweep of their opponent.

The win over the Lions could very well be a catalyst of success for the Gators moving forward in the spring. The Lions are the defending Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) champions for the past six years, and last year, they received an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament

All six singles matches were won by straight sets by the Gators. Rookie Laura Steele made her collegiate debut in a dual match format. She picked up a straight sets win in flight six, 6-0, 6-2.

Men's Tennis Sweeps Away Penn State Behrend, 9-0

2/27/2011

Box Score

ERIE, Pa. – The men's tennis team kick-started their spring season of competition with a bang taking all nine matches from Penn State Behrend on Saturday afternoon at the indoor tennis facilities of the Westwood Racquet Club in Erie, Pa.

The non-conference win is significant given that the Lions are the defending conference champions for the last three years in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC), and it also keeps the momentum started by the Gators (5-1) from their strong fall season as they went 4-1 earlier in the 2010-11 season.

Singles play was impressive for the men with four matches being won in straight sets and three of those without dropping a single game. Sophomore Max Sosa made his collegiate debut in a dual match format playing in flight six and knocked off Behrend's John Michalko in straight sets, 6-0, 6-1. Rookie Charlie Murphy also made his collegiate debut as a Gator and won his flight four singles match 6-0, 6-0 and paired with freshman Frank Mosconi took the flight three doubles match 8-4.

Doubles action saw the flight one pairing of rookie Patrick Cole and senior Jacob Allmaras battle back from a 3 games to none hole and come away with an 8-5 win over the no. one pairing of the Lions, Elliot Blackstone and Chris Galvin.

Gator Tennis Wins All-Athlete Talent Show!!!

A performance for the ages.

The most talented team!

Coach Luteran and son Lucas rocking out.

February 17, 2011

The Gator Tennis team took home the championship at the 2011 All-Athlete Talent Show. Their performance titled, "The Evolution of Dance", can be seen in its entirety in the video above.

All members of the team participated. Each was responsible for choreographing and learning their piece of the performance. Even though all this was put together and practiced by the players of the team, Coach Luteran, his son Lucas, and Coach Riskie all made special guest appearances.

Practice is in Full Swing

The spring season has started! The Gators have taken to the courts, weight room, and pool in an effort to be quicker, faster, better, stronger than the competition.

Rigorous off court strength, plyometric, and pool workouts, along with on court practices will leave us feeling confident when matches start. Our goals are set and we are determined to push our limits to maximize performance when we are competing.