California and Kutztown Win PSAC Team Tennis Championships
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CHAMPIONSHIP INFORMATION
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PSAC Year-by-Year Women's Champions I
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PSAC MEN'S TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP
Saturday, April 20 (Semifinals)
(3) Mercyhurst 1
(2) Kutztown 5
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(4) Edinboro 5
(1) West Chester 3
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Sunday, April 21 (Championship)
Kutztown 5
Edinboro 2
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PSAC WOMEN'S TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP
Tuesday, April 16 (Quarterfinal)
(E3) Millersville 5
(E2) West Chester 4
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Wednesday, April 17 (Quarterfinal)
(W3) Mercyhurst 1
(W2) IUP 5
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Friday, April 19 (Semifinals)
(W1) California 5
Millersville 0
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IUP 5
(E1) Kutztown 0
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Saturday, April 20
Consolation
Kutztown 5
Millersville 3
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Sunday, April 21
Championship: 9:00 a.m.
California 5
IUP 0
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CALIFORNIA AND KUTZTOWN WIN PSAC TEAM TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS
Indiana, Pa. - The Vulcans of California were successful in their quest for the program's seventh consecutive PSAC Team Women's Tennis Championship, while the Kutztown men won it's 11th championship in program history.
WOMEN'S RECAP COURTESY OF CALIFORNIA
INDIANA, Pa. (April 21) – The No. 16 Vulcans captured their seventh-consecutive Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Championship by posting a 5-0 win over No. 44 IUP in the finals of the league tournament on Sunday morning.
With the victory, the California University of Pennsylvania tennis team improves to 14-9 this season. The Vulcans entered the weekend as the top seed in the Atlantic Region and will likely make their ninth-consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The NCAA Tournament Selection Show is scheduled to stream on NCAA.com at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, April 23.
The Vulcans took a quick 3-0 lead by sweeping doubles play for the fifth-straight match. The No. 13 tandem of junior Lucie Sipkova (Pardubice, Czech Republic/Gymnazium Pardubice Mozartova) and sophomore Lucie Rey (Geneva, Switzerland/Colombieres) opened the session with an 8-0 victory against the regionally-ranked duo of Erika Schnaas and Katie Eaton. Sophomore Ramona Czakon (Trier, Germany/Tampereen Lyseon Lukio) and freshman Alexandra Borgenhoff (Alingsas, Sweden/Katrinelund), who are No. 21 in the country, then posted an 8-5 win at second doubles over Emilia Osborne and Tanya Timko. Senior Jade Pondicas (Johannesburg, South Africa/British International Distance) and freshman Maxime Colen (Breda, Netherlands/Newman) closed doubles play with an 8-4 victory against Abby McCormick and Alanna McFail at the third slot.
Cal U clinched the match victory and the league title with a pair of victories in singles play, while also holding the lead in three of the four remaining unfinished singles matches. Rey cruised to her fifth-straight victory at the fourth position, blanking Osborne by a 6-0, 6-0 count. Sipkova, the No. 36 player in the country, sealed the match win by posting a 6-0, 6-0 win against regionally-ranked Eaton at first singles.
Following the championship match, Sipkova was named the PSAC Tournament Most Outstanding Player. She teamed with Rey for a pair of wins at first doubles over the weekend and collected the tournament-sealing victory at first singles against IUP.
Pondicas, the team's lone senior, became only the third player in program history to be a member of four-consecutive PSAC Championship teams.
Cal U ranks second in conference history with nine overall league titles (1991, 1993, 2007-13), as Bloomsburg holds the record at 10 championships with the last coming in 2006.
With the loss, the Crimson Hawks fall to 17-7 this season and will likely earn a berth to the NCAA Tournament after entering the weekend ranked second in the region.
MEN'S RECAP COURTESY OF KUTZTOWN
INDIANA, Pa. – The Kutztown University men's tennis team won the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) championship on Sunday afternoon with a 5-2 victory over Edinboro University at the Maple Street Courts on the campus of Indiana University (PA). It is the 11th title in school history.
Junior Rushi Amin (Allentown, PA/Lake Brantley) was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player. Amin went a combined 3-0 over the last two days including two victories in doubles play to get Kutztown off to hot starts.
“The guys were excited and also tense heading into the weekend with all the rain and delays,” head coach Suresh Ramamurthi said. “Once things got started, they were very confident and held a mental edge knowing they had defeated both Mercyhurst and Edinboro earlier this season. They were prepared for either team, focused, had a plan of attack, and followed it through very methodically.”
“Rushi works very hard and the entire team looks up to him for his mental toughness and his ability to create shots,” Ramamurthi continued. “He is a very quiet, but effective leader and has led our team by example. He is a very positive role model.”
Kutztown has won the PSAC championship in four of the last five years at the annual team championships. Kutztown has won 11 championships in program history and moved into second in most total championships in the PSAC.
The Golden Bears have competed in the championship match in 13 straight seasons dating back to the 2001 season when KU won its first-ever PSAC team title. Prior to 2001, the PSAC championships were based on individual performance.
With the title, Kutztown earns an automatic bid into the NCAA Atlantic Regional tournament to be held on a date and location to be determined during the NCAA Selection Show on Apr. 23 at 8:30 p.m. on ncaa.com. Kutztown was ranked fifth in the latest regional rankings released last on Apr. 17.
“On the first day of practice I asked the team where they wanted to be in May, and the response was a unanimous screaming that they wanted to go to nationals,” Ramamurthi said. “They have worked very hard both physically and mentally this year, and are ready to take on the next level of challenges.”
Amin and his teammate Varun Desai (Bombay, INDIA/K.C. College) opened the day and gave Kutztown a 1-0 lead at No. 1 doubles with an 8-0 sweep. The duo improved to 7-0 on the season.
Edinboro tied the match at 1-1 with a win at No. 2 doubles, but Kutztown's Matthew Maguire (Centurion, SOUTH AFRICA/Tuks Sports School) and Kenny Beebe(Landenburg, PA/Kennett) picked up a clutch 9-8 win to give KU the advantage heading into singles play.
Amin made quick work of his opponent at No. 1 singles with a straight-set sweep at 6-0, 6-0. He improved his winning streak to seven matches and holds an impressive 14-1 record in singles play this season.
Edinboro brought the match to 3-2 with a win at No. 4 singles, but Kutztown won the next two matches to seal the victory. Ben Nace (Spring Grove, PA/Delone Catholic) came away with a 6-5, 6-4 win at No. 6 singles, followed by a three-set victory by Maguire to clinch Kutztown's 11th title in school history. Both players hold a 10-3 record this season.
PSAC TEAM TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHES SET
Indiana, Pa. - The PSAC Team Tennis Championship semifinals and women's consolation match concluded on Saturday, resulting in a men's tennis Kutztown vs. Edinboro championship match and California and IUP vying for the women's gold.
The Vulcans are going up against IUP, who downed Kutztown's women's team 5-0 after leading 3-0 following doubles on Friday and resuming play on Saturday due to a rain delay. A Cal and IUP final is a familiar one, as the two teams have squared-off in the finals for the past two seasons. The Vulcans have taken the victory on both occasions and the team is on the hunt for their seventh consecutive conference title.
IUP story Kutztown story
California previously beat Millersville in the semifinals to send the Marauders to the consolation match against Kutztown. The Golden Bears handed the Marauders a 5-3 loss to place third at the PSAC Team Tennis Championship. Kutztown story Millersville story – coming soon
In the men's competition, Kutztown downed Mercyhurst 5-1 in Saturday's first men's semifinal. The Golden Bears are making their 13th consecutive appearance in the PSAC Championship match.
Kutztown story Mercyhurst story
Edinboro then defeated West Chester 5-3 to advance to the title match. Kutztown and Edinboro are scheduled to square-off at 1:00 p.m. tomorrow in Indiana, Pa. Previously this season, Kutztown defeated the Fighting Scots 8-1.
Edinboro story West Chester story
CALIFORNIA TO PLAY FOR CHAMPIONSHIP; RAIN PUSHES MATCHES TO SATURDAY
Indiana, Pa. - California defeated Millersville 5-0 in the PSAC Women's Team Tennis Championship Semifinals to advance to the finals to be played on Sunday, April 21. The remaining matches scheduled for Friday were rescheduled due to rain.
California Story
Millersville Story
Boxscore
The rainy weather forced IUP and Kutztown to push back their match following doubles competition. IUP is currently leading 3-0 and the squads will resume play at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 20.
In the men's competition, the championship's semifinals were pushed back to Saturday as well. Mercyhurst and Kutztown will play at 10:00 a.m., with Edinboro and West Chester scheduled for 12:00 p.m.
The PSAC Team Tennis Championship matches will be played on Sunday, April 21.
IUP DEFEATS MERCYHURST IN QUARTERFINALS
Indiana, Pa. - The Crimson Hawks of IUP defeated Mercyhurst 5-1 in the PSAC Team Tennis Championship Quarterfinals in order to advance to the semifinals on Wednesday afternoon in Indiana, Pa.
IUP will now play Kutztown, the No. 1 seed of the Eastern Division in the semifinals on Friday morning at 11:00 a.m. Kutztown earned a quarterfinal bye for earning the program's first-ever divisional title.
IUP improved to 16-6 with the win, marking the team's 13th straight victory, while the Lakers dropped to 14-4.
IUP story
Mercyhurst story
Boxscore
MILLERSVILLE WOMEN ADVANCE TO PSAC TEAM TENNIS SEMIFINALS
West Chester, Pa. - The Millersville Marauders took away a 5-4 road win the the 2013 PSAC Team Tennis Championship Quarterfinal on Tuesday afternoon.
Millersville will now advance to play against California in the semifinals hosted by IUP on Friday at 9:00 a.m. The Vulcans earned a first seed bye into the semifinals with a perfect 5-0 conference record.
In the singles competition, Millersville won at No. 1, 4 and 5 singles, while also winning at No. 1 and 3 doubles.
The postseason win marks the Marauder's first conference tournament victory since the 2002-03 season. Millersville improved to 8-11 on the season, while the Golden Rams fell to 13-9.
Boxscore
Millersville story
West Chester story
CHAMPIONSHIP ANNOUNCEMENT
Lock Haven, Pa. - The fields have been set for the PSAC team tennis championships, which will be contested this week. The women's tournament begins on Tuesday with a pair of quarterfinal matches on campus sites. Both the men's and women's semifinals will be held on Friday, April 19, at IUP, while the championship matches will be on Saturday, April 20, at IUP.
In the men's tournament, No. 1 West Chester will battle No. 4 Edinboro, while in the other semifinal No. 2 Kutztown will face No. 3 Mercyhurst.
In the women's tournament, No. 1 seeds California and Kutztown each received a bye into the semifinals as divisional champions. Kutztown clinched the program’s first-ever divisional title, while the Vulcans earned the team’s ninth consecutive West title. No. 2 IUP and will host No. 3 Mercyhurst in one quarterfinal out of the Western Division while No. 2 West Chester will host No. 3 Millersville in the other quarterfinal out of the Eastern Division.