BEREA, OHIO -- The Baldwin Wallace University women's tennis team has been one of the most successful in the Ohio Athletic Conference during the last decade or more. This fall and into the spring, veteran Head Coach Jack Bethlenfalvy hopes to continue rebuilding his team into a championship caliber program.
Bethlenfalvy, who owns a 352-249 career record and .586 winning percentage in 30 seasons with four OAC regular season titles, four OAC Tournament crowns and four berths in the NCAA Division III National Tournament (2007, 2008, 2010 and 2011), welcomes back six veterans and four starters to a team that finished 7-16 overall.
Returning to lead the way are returning starters in juniors Kelsey Blatt (Tallmadge), Mackenzie Donalson (Hilliard/ Davidson) and Mackenzi Baker (Vermilion/ Elyria Catholic) and sophomore Claire Watts (Medina/ Highland).
Blatt has earned second-team All-OAC honors in each of her first two seasons and earned Academic All-OAC accolades last spring as the number one singles player. She had a 14-11 record at No.2 as a freshman and posted a 7-19 slate at No.1 a year ago. She and graduate Morgan Baker '14 (Mackenzi's sister) had a 10-16 as the No.1 doubles team.
Watts started at No.3 singles as a freshman and had an 11-17 slate. She also combined with graduate Whitney Yoder '14 at No.3 doubles to fashion an 11-16 mark. Look for Watts to possibly move up to No.2 singles this season.
Donalson has started at No.4 singles the past two campaigns. She was 11-15 as a freshman and 4-19 last year. She combined with Mackenzi Baker for an 8-8 mark at No.2 doubles last year. Mackenzi Baker started at No.5 singles and was 3-15 last season.
In addition to the four returnees, Bethlenfalvy also will welcome back junior Hayley Peterson (Tulsa, Okla.) and sophomore Anastasia Koval (Seven Hills/ Parma/ Normandy). Both saw limited action last season with Koval having a 3-5 singles mark and Peterson was 2-3 overall.
"We return four starters and six veterans," said Bethlenfalvy, the winningest women's tennis coach in the OAC and Ohio collegiate tennis. "Having Kelsey Blatt back at No.1 will help us at the top. We also return our No.3, No.4 and No.5 singles players. The key will be making sure everyone improves throughout the season, we find solid candidates for the other two singles spots and to see who will play well together in doubles."
Bethlenfalvy also has three incoming freshmen who he feels can compete for spots on the roster and in the starting lineup. They are Kayla Eeg (Edinboro, Pa./ General McLane), Shannon Finkenthal (Beachwood) and Kaylee Lewis (Bucyrus).
"Every year our goal is to work hard, have fun, produce a winning record, win an OAC title and a berth in the NCAA Tournament," said Bethlenfalvy. "We play a top-knotch schedule in the fall, during our spring trip and in the OAC. We feel that it prepares us for the OAC Tournament. We look forward to the challenges both this fall and spring."
The Yellow Jackets open their 2014 fall schedule on Saturday, September 6 when they travel to Meadville, Pennsylvania to compete in the Allegheny College Nancy J. Heath Tournament. During its fall schedule, BW also will play at the Oberlin Invitational (Sept. 12-14) and the ITA (Intercollegiate Tennis Association) Central Regional Tournament at Kalamazoo, Mich. College (Sept. 19-21). Following the Winter Break, BW begins its spring season indoors, then travels to Hilton Head, South Carolina for Spring Break. The OAC schedule takes place in March and April with the OAC tourney taking place the last week of April.
