Bucknell University Athletics
Bison Men's Tennis Adds Bucknell Invitational to Lead Off Fall Season
9/15/2011 8:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
Sept. 15, 2011
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Flooding turned the Bucknell men's tennis schedule on its side, and the Bison will now open its 2011-12 season with the Bucknell Invitational this Friday through Sunday at the Varsity Tennis Courts. The event is a late addition to the slate and will feature players from Loyola (Md.), Mount St. Mary's and Saint Francis (Pa.).
Below is a more in-depth look at the 2011-12 Bucknell men's tennis season:
Bucknell men's tennis has been picking up steam lately, and people finally started to take notice last year when the Bison worked their way into the top half of the Patriot League standings. The 2011-12 season looks to have more of the same as the Orange and Blue vie for a league championship in April.
Bucknell handled Lehigh in Lewisburg before putting up some of its closest results against Army and Navy in recent years. Bison head coach Rebecca Helt was not surprised by her team's performance last season. The factors that allowed them to contend a year ago - high playing level, strong physical ability and roster depth - will carry on, but it's the mental toughness and the ability to come through in big moments at the end of matches that Helt sees as the final hurdle to her team's postseason success.
Contributing to that success will undoubtedly be senior and 2011 First Team All-Patriot League selection Gregg Cohenca.
"The men are returning another strong, competitive squad from top to bottom," said Helt, who is entering her 10th season as the men's squad's head coach. "Gregg Cohenca is returning after a very successful campaign at the top spot last year. We'll look for him to make another big impact on the lineup in both singles and doubles as well as lead the team as one of three captains this year."
The team's winningest returning player, Cohenca moved into the No. 1 spot in the singles lineup last year, ultimately finishing with a 13-13 mark. The Bison hope a three-set victory over Army in the Patriot League Tournament semifinals was a sign of things to come. On the doubles court, Cohenca teamed up with recent graduate Mark Malloy for a 16-10 record, giving them more wins than any other Bison duo last year. Cohenca enters the new year ranked in the program's top 15 in both doubles (12th, 44) and combined (15th, 80) victories.
Cohenca's classmate and a fellow captain, Gregory Maxson will be playing for his fourth consecutive season with double-digit singles victories. After winning his flight with a three-set victory in the final at the Bucknell Invitational in the fall, he spent most of his spring playing at the No. 6 position. The Orange and Blue will continue to rely on his consistency throughout his final season.
"Greg Maxson will be pushing the entire team with his work ethic on and off the court," predicted Helt. "He has been part of this team's strong depth and will be looking for a starting position in the spring."
Rounding out the group of three captains is junior Evan Zimmer. He emerged as one of the squad's top players last season when he became the only student-athlete to be named to both the All-Patriot League and Academic All-Patriot League teams. By going 17-10 in singles, he more than doubled his career wins totals and went 4-1 against league foes in the regular season. Zimmer also moved into the No. 1 slot in doubles with Anton Kovic, going 8-7 overall together and undefeated in the Patriot League Tournament.
"Evan Zimmer was undoubtedly one of our most improved players last year in both singles and doubles. He had a tough task last year moving from the bottom of the lineup to the top last year, playing in the top three singles positions and at the No. 1 doubles position," said Helt. "We'll look to Evan to help advance the younger players over the course of the year.
"Our other two juniors, Josh Katten and Kelly Morque have also made big impacts on our lineup the last two years and are expected to return to the starting lineup this year," Helt continued. "The two made up one of our most successful doubles teams last year."
Together, Katten and Morque were 10-6 in doubles, putting them second on the team in wins only to Cohenca and Malloy. In singles, Katten registered his second straight campaign at .500 or better with a 14-14 record. He enters the year ranked 21st in doubles wins (33) and 28th in combined wins (64).
Morque got off to a hot start with a 12-0 singles mark and titles at the Northeast Intercollegiate, UConn Invitational and Bucknell Invitational. He then played just three more singles matches all year but finished 13-12 in doubles, including 4-1 during the Patriot League regular season.
Making up the sophomore class will be Kyle Rosen, Scott Bernstein and Chris Tortora. Rosen broke into the lineup last spring, eventually going 12-4 on the year. He teamed up exclusively with Bernstein in doubles, and the duo went 9-4, including two finals appearances and a title in the first tournaments of their career. Bernstein also made a pair of singles finals in his debut, winning the Northeast Intercollegiate. Tortora did most of his damage during the fall season, finishing 7-5 in singles.
"Kyle Rosen got to experience just how intense and exciting the Patriot League season can be. He settled into the No. 6 position last year where he dominated against Patriot League competition.
"Chris Tortora and Scott Bernstein will be looking to get some playing time in the starting lineup this spring," Helt continued. "Both are expected to have a strong fall tournament schedule."
Bucknell will also benefit from newcomers sophomore Aidan Lynch and freshmen Roy Skinner and Octavio Canibe, particularly as they grow and mature into more experienced college players.
