Bucknell University Athletics
Bison Women's Tennis Opens with Bucknell Invite Friday
9/15/2011 8:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Sept. 15, 2011
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Bucknell women's tennis is still months away from its championships season, but the Bison will finally kick off the fall action when they host Loyola (Md.), Saint Francis (Pa.), Mount St. Mary's and Villanova at the Bucknell Invitational this weekend. Play begins Friday and runs through Sunday at the Varsity Tennis Courts in the first event of the 2011-12 campaign.
Below is a more in-depth look at the 2011-12 Bucknell women's tennis season:
If ever there was a team that featured a new look, it would be Bucknell women's tennis. Nine of the 12 players on the Bison's 2011-12 roster are underclassmen. Lost to graduation is Lauren Lucido, who took over the program records in singles, doubles and combined victories last season. Despite having their work cut out for them in a competitive Patriot League, the Orange and Blue knows what it's like to be at the top of the standings and will look to that experience to keep them there.
Both of Bucknell's seniors - Courtney Casey and Dumitrita Iepuras - have already inked their names in the program's record books, and both will be relied on to continue their success while boosting up their teammates.
"Courtney Casey will step up to help lead this young group as the captain this year," said head coach Rebecca Helt, who is entering her 15th season at the helm for the Bison. "Both she and Demi Iepuras will most likely lead the lineup in singles and doubles after a successful winning season last year."
Casey finished her junior campaign with a 17-13 mark in singles, giving her a personal record for single-season victories. She ended the season on a high note by winning seven of her final 11 matches. The Rockville, Md., native also reached a milestone in doubles, achieving double-figure wins for the second consecutive year. At 11-16, she closed out the season at the No. 2 spot in the lineup with younger teammate Daria Tuzhikova.
Iepuras enters her final season as the Bison's winningest returning player and ranks eighth in program history in singles wins (61), 19th in doubles wins (35) and 10th in combined wins (96). Accustomed to being at the top of the lineup - she played at No. 2 singles exclusively and finished last year at No. 1 doubles with Lucido - she will look to be the fourth Bison in three years to surpass the 100-victory mark.
Bucknell will have to wait on its lone junior, Tuzhikova, who has made her mark in doubles since joining the team three years ago. Tuzhikova will spend the fall semester studying abroad in France, but the Bison expect her to work her way back into the lineup in the spring where she has already achieved a ranking of 20th on the career doubles wins list.
Although just sophomores, Elena Vidrascu and Elizabeth Morgan are both on their way up. Vidrascu made quite the splash in her debut campaign, finishing 15-12 in singles and 15-15 in doubles. Her season began with a flight title at the Bucknell Invitational and ended with victories in eight of 12 singles matches. The Bison are hoping for that trend to continue.
The greater part of Morgan's success so far has come during tournament action where she gathered all eight of her combined victories.
"Elena also has the talent to impact the top half of the singles and doubles lineup," Helt predicted. "Elizabeth Morgan will look to break into the starting lineup this spring. Both sophomores will see a lot of match play this fall.
"We're looking forward to a long fall season with four tournaments," said Helt. "The fall tournaments give coaches a chance to see most of the players in action and help establish future doubles teams and future lineups for the spring season."
Those fall tournaments will be especially valuable for the women's squad as it welcomes seven freshmen in Kristen Bishof, Lauren Boone, Jen Bush, Lydia Colvin, Alyssa McAndrew, Christie Schneider and Claudia Silvers. As a unit, the rookies combined for nearly a dozen all-conference honors and multiple all-state selections during their high school careers. Helt sees them as a solid group capable of pushing each other to success and is eager to see their contributions to the team as the season progresses.
