BEREA, OHIO -- The 2010 Baldwin Wallace University women's tennis team returns five starters and four All-Ohio Athletic Conference players from a squad that placed second in both the OAC regular season and OAC Tournament last spring. Veteran Head Coach Jack Bethlenfalvy's Yellow Jackets will be looking to compete for the team's third OAC Championship and berth in the NCAA Division III National Tournament in four seasons.

Bethlenfalvy is in his 26th year at the helm of the Yellow Jackets and is the winningest coach in program history with a career mark of 278-186. He guided BW to an OAC title and NCAA Tournament appearance in both 2007 and 2008.

Despite an 0-3 start this season against some very difficult competition and a spring break trip (March 5-13) to Hilton Head, South Carolina, Bethlenfalvy is extremely upbeat about his team's chances this spring.

"We typically play a strong non-league schedule that aids us a great deal once we get into conference matches," said Bethlenfalvy. "The women enjoy playing against some excellent competition in the fall, during the winter and during our spring break trip."

"It really prepares us for the northern schdule and our OAC matches," said junior number four singles and No.2 doubles standout Emily Pelosi (Uniontown/ Lake).  "By playing good competition, it makes each of us better too. We'd really rather be challenged than not."

Last season, the Yellow Jackets returned from an extremely difficult slate of spring trip matches in Hilton Head, South Carolina and won 13-of-16 matches up north to finish 13-11 overall and 8-1 in the OAC.  In the OAC tourney, BW advanced to the OAC Championship Match for the third straight time.

"Our main goals are always to win the OAC regular season and OAC Tournament titles and advance to the NCAA Tournament," said Bethlenfalvy. "This year, we have four returning starters who have been part of an OAC Championship team, and that should really make a difference.  If we can stay healthy and play to the best of our ability, we should be right there in the hunt for another OAC title."

Bethlenfalvy returns four All-OAC players in senior No.5 singles player Andrea Essig (Conneaut/ Ashtabula Edgewood), junior No.1 player Caitlyn Pecinovsky (Whitehall/ Columbus Bishop Hartley), Pelosi and sophomore No.2 player Jenny Greene (Worthington/ Thomas Worthington). In addition, junior three-year starter and No.6 singles player Katy Marshall (Medina/ Senior) is back to add strength to the startinhg lineup and veteran leadership. Freshman Rebecca Mitler (Elyria/ Catholic) rounds out the starting lineup and plays third singles.

Pecinovsky was a first-team All-OAC selection last year after earning second-team honors as a freshman. She posted 13 wins, including 12 at number one singles as well as a 7-2 mark in the OAC. She also teamed with Marshall for a 15-9 mark at No. 1 doubles, including a 6-3 record in the OAC. As a freshman in 2007-2008, Pecinovsky posted a team-high 21 victories and enters the spring trip with a 34-27 career mark.

"Caitlyn is very solid at No.1 singles and doubles and is among the best, if not the best player in the conference," said Bethlenfalvy. "She battles every time she steps on the court. We feel very comfortable with Caitlyn as our No.1 player."

Greene had a strong freshman season in 2008-09 when she also earned second-team All-OAC honors with 13 singles wins, including eight at No. 2 and a 5-4 slate against OAC opponents. She also was a member of BW's No. 2 doubles team with graduated Academic All-OAC player Alyssa Trampert '09 that posted 12 victories.

"Jenny had a good first year and grew and matured as the season progressed," commented Bethlenfalvy. "She also is a solid No.2 player who we feel is going to have an excellent spring."

Mitler, who owns a 2-3 mark in her first five matches at the collegiate level, is an excellent addition to the Jacket lineup.

"Rebecca really makes us stronger in the middle of the lineup," said Bethlenfalvy. "I could really interchange her with either Emily or Andrea, so we essentially have three good No.3 players.  Rebecca has a fine career ahead of her at BW."

Pelosi, who earned second-team All-OAC status a year ago and was 16-11 overall, including a 13-8 mark at No. 4 singles, has 33 singles wins and a 33-22 career mark.

"We are really lucky to have a player the caliber of an Emily Pelosi at our fourth singles position," said Bethlenfalvy. "She is solid in every way."

Essig, an honorable-mention All-OAC pick, won 10 matches last season, including nine at No. 3 singles and has 29 career wins prior to the trip to Hilton Head. After compiling a 14-14 mark as a freshman when BW finished with a school-record 25 wins, had a 25-3 overall record and won the OAC's first-ever women's tennis match at the NCAA Tournamet, Essig played almost exclusively in doubles as a sophomore. This season, she is back to playing singles at No.5 and teams with Marshall at third doubles.

"Andrea is both a strong player and an even better team-leader," said Bethlenfalvy. "She is just one of two seniors on our roster and Andrea takes that role very seriously. If we can win the OAC titles and advance to the NCAA tourney again, it would be her third trip to the national tourney and a great way to end a very successful career both academically and athletically."

Marshall returns at No.6 singles after posting a 17-10 overall, 15-9 dual match and perfect 9-0 record versus the OAC last season. As a freshman, she played fourth singles, so much like Mittler at No.3, Pelosi at No.4 and Essig at No.5, Bethlenfalvy has another slid starter at No.6.

"I am really lucky in the fact that five-of-the-six singles players have a wealth of experience and are tournament-tested," said Bethlenfalvy. "Having that veteran leadership also will aid Rebecca as she has her first go-round down south and in the OAC. Katy, like the rest of the women in our program, excells in the clasroom and is a leader."

In addition to his top six players, Bethlenfalvy and the Yellow Jackets return senior Alisha Shivers (East Liverpool) and junior Nicole Fung (Strongsville) and have two other solid freshmen in Danielle Rueger (Ashland/ Senior) and Anna Callahan (Williamsville, N.Y./ Clarence Central) who will battle for court time.

"Overall, we have 10 student-athletes on our roster and all 10 are good students and good tennis players," said Bethlenfalvy. "They make it really easy for me to coach at Baldwin Wallace, and more importantly, make it a pleasure to coach them."

Following its annual spring break trip to Hilton Head, BW opens its home schedule with a doubleheader on Saturday, March 20 versus NCAA Division II Ashland University at 11:00 a.m. and its OAC schedule against Marietta College at 3:00 p.m. The 2010 OAC Tournament begins the first week of May with the Final Four taking place on May 7-8 at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio.  The winner of the OAC Tournament receives the conference's automatic berth into the NCAA Division III National Tournament.

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