Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Army
Women's Tennis Celebrates Senior Day vs. Army Saturday, Hosts Lehigh Sunday
4/3/2024 1:43:00 PM | Women's Tennis
Bucknell (8-10, 0-3 PL) vs. Army (15-8, 3-1 PL)
When: Saturday, April 6 – 1 p.m.
Where: Central PA Tennis Center – South Williamsport, Pa.
Bucknell (8-10, 0-3 PL) vs. Lehigh (11-5, 2-2 PL)
When: Sunday, April 7 – 1 p.m.
Where: Varsity Tennis Courts – Lewisburg, Pa.
Bucknell at a Glance
• Bucknell plays host to Army and Lehigh for its final home competitions of the season this weekend. The Bison are looking to bounce back from a narrow 4-3 loss to Colgate at home last Saturday and snap a three-dual losing skid.
• The Bison will recognize graduating seniors Tyne Miller, Kate Novak and Madi Sebulsky for Senior Day prior to Saturday's dual against the Black Knights. The trio has been part of 38 Bucknell victories, including a pair of Patriot League Tournament wins.
• Bucknell sits at 4-3 in home duals and is looking to secure a fifth-consecutive winning record at home under head coach Tammy Cecchini. The Bison are 20-9 in home duals since the Cecchini era began in 2019.
• Last time out, Bucknell jumped out to a 2-0 lead over the visiting Raiders, and the two teams sat even at 3-3, but the Raiders picked up the final singles win to clinch the dual. Bucknell claimed the doubles point with wins at second doubles by Sebulsky and Caroline Marcus and at third doubles by Anna Lajos and Mirra Manolov. Whitney King and Abby Platt both picked up singles wins. Four of the six singles matches went three sets in the narrow loss.
• Bucknell's top doubles team of King and Platt are an outstanding 20-5 in doubles play this season, including an 11-5 mark in dual doubles. The pair is 35-9 over the last two seasons and went undefeated against Patriot League teams a year ago. Both are two doubles wins away from tying for 10th in program history for single-season doubles wins, a mark which King reached in 2021-22. King is currently 10th in program history with 60 career doubles wins.
• King and Platt are also tied for the team lead in singles wins with 16 each. Anna Lajos (13), Miller (12) and Tori Allen (12) have also eclipsed double-digit singles wins this season.
• Bucknell finished the 2022-23 campaign 13-13 (4-3 PL) and reached the Patriot League semifinal round for a second time under Cecchini. The Bison defeated Colgate 4-0 in the quarterfinals for the program's 500th all-time victory in what was the 50th season of Bucknell women's tennis. At the end of the year, King was named to the All-Patriot League First Team and the Academic All-Patriot League Team.
• Bucknell returned all eight members of last spring's roster and added two newcomers: Allen and Jaycie Mair. The roster is comprised of three seniors, three juniors, two sophomores and the two rookies.
• Seniors Miller, Novak and Sebulsky are serving as team captains this season.
• Cecchini is in her fifth year leading the Bison. She owns a 44-41 record since arriving in Lewisburg.
Category Leaders
• Overall Singles Wins: King/Platt (16)
• Dual Match Singles: Whitney King (10)
• PL Dual Match Singles Wins: Four tied (1)
• Overall Doubles Wins: King and Platt (20)
• Dual Match Doubles Wins: King and Platt (11)
• PL Dual Match Doubles Wins: Six tied (1)
Scouting Army
• The Black Knights suffered their first Patriot League loss last Saturday to Navy, moving to 15-8 (3-1 PL) on the season. Army has Patriot League wins over Holy Cross, Loyola and Lafayette, sweeping all three teams 4-0. Army has posted 4-0 sweeps in 12 of its 15 victories this season.
• Army returned 2023 First Team All-Patriot League selection Cooper Jackson. Jackson was also half of the 2023 Patriot League Doubles Team of the Year, along with returner Paige Herremans.
• Army sophomore Ylan Duong has put together a standout sophomore season and earned Patriot League Player of the Week honors earlier in the year.
• Army went 22-9 (5-2 PL) during the 2022-23 campaign and reached the Patriot League Championship match before falling 4-0 to Boston U.
• The Bison and Black Knights last met in April of 2023, with the Black Knights posting a 4-0 win in West Point. Bucknell's Whitney King and Abby Platt defeated the eventual Doubles Team of the Year, 6-4, to maintain a perfect PL record.
Scouting Lehigh
• Lehigh sits at 11-5 (2-2 PL) and will face Lafayette on Thursday before visiting the Bison on Sunday. Lehigh most recently fell 4-3 to Loyola on the road last Friday. The Mountain Hawks have a 6-1 win over Colgate, a 6-1 loss to Navy and a 4-0 win over Holy Cross in PL action.
• Megha Dania and Maggie Forkner are tied for the team lead in singles wins with 10. Hamsa Javagal has played the bulk of Lehigh's duals at first singles and is 7-6 in that spot, including a win there last weekend at Loyola. Javagal is Lehigh's lone All-Patriot League returner from the 2023 campaign.
• Lehigh's top doubles team of Allyca Gaborik and Forkner are 8-6 at first doubles.
• Lehigh went 6-11 (2-5 PL) in 2022-23 and lost to Army in the quarterfinal round of the Patriot League Championships.
• Bucknell won 4-3 in the most recent meeting with the Mountain Hawks, which took place in Bethlehem last April. Anna Lajos, Abby Platt and Caroline Marcus took singles wins, and the Bison won the doubles point with wins at first and second doubles. Lehigh last won against the Bison in 2021.
A Look Ahead
• Bucknell faces its last two opponents of the regular season on the road next week. The Bison travel to Lafayette on Thursday, April 11 and then face Loyola on Saturday, April 13.
Players Mentioned
