Bucknell Women's Tennis Looks to Keep Streaks Alive vs. Hofstra, Colgate

March 30, 2010

LEWISBURG, Pa. – Bucknell women's tennis is looking to build on its four-match winning streak with a pair of home matches this week. The Bison (6-5, 1-0) will host Hofstra at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, followed by a morning match against Colgate at the Bucknell Varsity Tennis Courts on Saturday. Action against the Raiders is slated for a 10 a.m. start.

ABOUT THE BISON

Bucknell brought its winning streak to four matches with the help of a pair of victories last week, first with a 5-2 decision over Mount St. Mary's, followed by a 6-1 win over Navy in the Mids' first ever Patriot League match. It has not been long since Bucknell has had a similar winning stretch. Last year's Bison won five in a row from March 21 to April 4.

Helping to create the team winning streak is a number of individual successful stretches. Tania Varela (Quito, Ecuador/Alliance Academy) and Lauren Lucido (Woodstock, Md./St. Paul's School for Girls) have tied their career records with 10 consecutive doubles wins. The streak is a high for the duo when playing together, however. Varela went 10-0 with former Bison Ashley Globerman in the fall of her freshman season, while Lucido reached 10 straight wins with Paulina Gamboa last year.

Varela is nursing a nine-game winning streak in singles as well. That also ties a career high set during her freshman campaign. Lucido, Dumitrita Iepuras (Chisinau, Moldova/Germantown Friends School) and Lauren Rottkamp (Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y./Cold Spring Harbor) have four-match singles streaks. Iepuras' streak has come as part of quite a turn-around. The sophomore started the spring 0-6 and has since won six of her last seven matches.

Varela became the first Bison to 20 singles wins with her pair of victories last week. Her 2009-10 record is now 21-6. Next in line are Lucido at 19-6 and Iepuras at 17-9.

Carlin Calcaterra (Hinsdale, Ill./Hinsdale Central) and Courtney Casey (Rockville, Md./Georgetown Visitation) have won their last four doubles matches together. The duo was not always as successful together as it started the season 0-4.

Several Bison continue to climb the record lists. Iepuras is now tied for 15th at Bucknell in singles victories with a 40-14 record and Calcaterra is 8th in doubles victories at 48-57. Varela will have the opportunity this week to move into a tie for fourth with Gamboa in all-time combined victories. The current Bison is 130-55 in her career, while Gamboa closed out her time in the Orange and Blue with a 133-117 record.

ABOUT HOFSTRA

Hofstra is 6-5 this season. The Pride was working a three-match winning streak that included wins over Queens College, Towson and Marist before being swept by Massachusetts last week. Like Bucknell, Hofstra has come on strong lately, winning five of its last seven.

The Pride was 9-11 a year ago and fell 4-0 to Drexel in the first round of the Colonial Athletic Association tournament.

Bucknell is undefeated against Hofstra in the all-time series at 5-0. The Bison swept the Pride last year, but results from 2009 fall tournaments were more mixed. Hofstra made the trip to both Bucknell invitationals and went 3-4 against the Bison.

ABOUT COLGATE

Colgate is 6-5 overall and 1-1 in the Patriot League this season. The Raiders opened league play with a 6-1 win over Lafayette before falling 7-0 to Army to even their record. Colgate has faced some of the same opponents as Bucknell this year, winning over St. Bonaventure (6-1) and Niagara (7-0), and losing to Syracuse (7-0).

The Raiders finished the 2008-09 campaign at 11-9 overall and 2-2 in the league, and they return first team all-league selection Elise DeRose for her senior season.

Colgate has a narrow 19-13 lead over Bucknell in the all-time series, but the Bison got the final word last season with a 6-1 win. Gamboa and Lucido won at first doubles, while Varela and Calcaterra won at the No. 3 spot. The Bison then first through fourth singles, and Rottkamp capped off the scoring with a victory at No. 6.

The Bison and the Raiders faced off several times at October's Bucknell Invitational. The Bison won four of six matches, including two of three singles contests.

LOOKING AHEAD
Bucknell will have one final Patriot League match at home, taking on Lehigh on Thursday, April 8 on its home court. The Bison will then close out their league slate with Army and Lafayette on the road before heading to Colgate for the Patriot League Tournament April 16-18.

Bucknell University Athletics

Bucknell Women's Tennis Looks to Keep Streaks Alive vs. Hofstra, Colgate

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