Bucknell University Athletics
Patriot League Women's Tennis Preseason Poll Announced, Bison Picked Fifth
2/6/2004 7:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Feb. 6, 2004
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Patriot League coaches and sports information directors tabbed the Bison women's tennis team to finish fifth in the conference in 2004, despite returning five of six starters and making the Patriot League Tournament and posting its highest finish since 2000.
Bucknell had a perfect fall dual match season, knocking off St. Joseph's, St. Francis, and Delaware. The Bison have excellent players returning this season, headed by senior captain Samantha Berthod, who claimed the Bucknell record for career singles victories during the fall season with 51. The Bison starting six figures to be made up of Berthod, junior Tanya Sichko, sophomores Veronica Brown, Rheanna Gaskin, and Chelsea Mills, and junior Nadezda Curcic, with their precise order still to be determined.
Last season, the Bison won 16 dual matches for the third time in program history and the first time since 1998, earning a bid in the Patriot League Tournament for the first time in its two-year history. This season will be one of records falling, as Sichko stands one singles victory behind new record holder Berthod, with 50. Sichko's 39 doubles wins and 89 total victories are just two short of Kristina Lutter '94 on both counts. In addition to that duo, Brown, Gaskin, and Curcic all stand in the top 20 in singles victories and total wins. All of those players, with the exception of Gaskin, already stand in the top 20 in doubles, with Gaskin set to enter that group early this season.
The Bison will open their season at The College of New Jersey tournament, a three-day affair beginning on Friday, Feb. 13.
Team Points (1st) 2003 Record (Overall, League) Army 46 (8) 17-7, 5-0 Colgate 39 (2) 10-9, 4-1 American 37 (2) 9-9, 3-2 Lehigh 24 11-7, 1-4 Bucknell 23 16-6, 2-3 Lafayette 11 4-5, 0-5
