BEREA, Ohio – The Baldwin Wallace University women's tennis team will look to a youth movement in 2016-17 as it looks to recapture an Ohio Athletic Conference Championship.
Veteran Head Coach Jack Bethlenfalvy returns six letterwinners and four singles starters and four of its six doubles starters from last year's squad that posted an overall record 14-10, a mark of 5-3 in OAC play and advanced to the OAC Tournament semifinals. Bethlenfalvy welcomes six first-year student-athletes and expects that three will be thrust into the starting lineup.
"We have a young and talented team this season," stated Bethelnfalvy. "With three starting freshman, I will count on our veterans to lead the team early on until we gain more experience. I expect to have a great season and that we will be one of the top teams in the OAC."
The returners are headlined by sophomore All-OAC player Imani Robinson (Cincinnati/School for Creative & Performing Arts). Robinson, a second-team pick at second singles and first doubles, won a team-best 17 matches at both singles and doubles. Senior All-OAC and two-time Academic All-OAC player Claire Watts (Medina/Highland), who has been a three-year starter in both singles and doubles, had a career year in 2015-16 as she won a career-high 13 singles matches and a career-best 12 doubles matches. Juniors Shannon Finkenthal (Beachwood) and Kelly Peskura (Strongsville) return as starters. Finkenthal, who is a two-year starter, posted a career-high of 12 victories in both singles and doubles a season ago. Peskura, who transferred to BW last spring, won 12 singles matches, including 10 at fifth singles. Sophomore Kathleen Moser (Strongsville) rounds out the returning starters as she won 13 doubles matches and picked up six wins in limited time in singles play.
Seniors Hailey Geronimo (Erie, Pa./Villa Maria Academy) and Anastasiya Koval (Seven Hills/Normandy) and junior Kayla Eeg (Waterford, Pa./General McLane) will provide added leadership and experience to the clay this season.
In addition to the veterans, Bethlenfalvy welcomes newcomers Sydney Bergman (North Canton/Hoover), Emily Dahnert (Charlottesville, Va./The Covenant School), Hailey Kaylor (Medina) and Liz Radkiewicz (Powell/Olentangy Liberty).
The collegiate tennis season is divided into a fall and spring schedule and the Yellow Jackets open the 2016-17 campaign on Saturday, September 3 when they travel to Meadville, Pennsylvania to compete in the Nancy J. Heath Invitational hosted by Allegheny College inside the Robertson Tennis Complex. BW will first play host Allegheny at 8:30 am and will either play Grove City (Pa.) College or Westminster (Pa.) College at 1:30 p.m.
The 2017 OAC Women's Tennis Championship will be contested in late April and early May at the Linder Family Tennis Center in Mason.
