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

Click here to listen to Pat's interview

Click Here to listen to Andrea's interview

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.