2006 Women’s Tennis Preview
EAGLE NETTERS EXCITED ABOUT SPRING 2006
SIX PLAYERS RETURN FROM 5-3 FALL SEASON
Coming into the Spring 2006 season ranked eighth in the region, Clarion’s Women’s Tennis team is looking forward to the spring season. “Last year four PSAC teams made it to the regionals which shows how strong the conference is,” said Head Coach Lori Sabatose.
This year Clarion added three matches against teams that also appeared in the regional tournament last year. “We are playing all the right teams,” said Sabatose, “it’s just a matter of how we fair against PSAC teams.”
Clarion has a Spring trip planned for March 12-18 to Hilton Head, South Carolina. “We are looking forward to the spring season,” says Head Coach Lori Sabatose. “We will play 12 matches in March and April and we have added a spring break trip which will give us more time to play outdoors before our first season match.”
The Eagles will be playing four matches on their spring break trip. Their first match will be against Tiffin on March 13th. They will face Nazareth on the 14th, Limestone on the 15th and St. Michael’s on the 16th.
The first PSAC-West match is scheduled for Saturday, April 8th when the Golden Eagles host California at 11am at Campbell Courts. Cal won the Western Division last year and the opener will give the team a great opportunity. The team championships are set for April 21-22 at Shippensburg, and the individual championships are scheduled for April 28-29 at Bloomsburg.
SABATOSE ENTERS HER 6TH SEASON
Head Coach Lori Sabatose enters her 6th season as the Eagles tennis coach. In the fall of 2005 Clarion finished the season 5-3 overall. Last year her team finished with a record of 10-4 and 4th in the PSAC West with a record of 1-3.
Sabatose herself was a four-year starter for the Eagles from 1988-91, posted a career singles slate of 51-7, was 53-11 in doubles and won 4 PSAC individual titles. She helped the Golden Eagles to a 47-2 dual meet record and Clarion won 3 PSAC team titles during her career.
Clarion was 10-10 in duals and fourth in the PSAC-West in the 2003-04 season, while the 2002-2003 season saw the Golden Eagles post a 9-6 dual meet record, a 7-3 mark in the Spring and finished fifth as a team at the PSAC’s.
ROMBACH AND JACK RETURN AS CO-CAPTAINS
Returning for their second year as team co-captains are Corin Rombach (Prattsburgh, NY) and Kristen Jack (Lower Burrell). “Corin and Kristen have outstanding leadership qualities on and off the court and the other players respond well to them,” says Sabatose. Rombach returns after an outstanding inaugural season last spring. She was the 2005 PSAC West Rookie of the Year and was named to the PSAC All- Conference team. Once again this year she will play at the #1 singles and double positions. After suffering from a shoulder injury this fall she finished the season with a record of 4-1 at # 1 singles and 5-2 at # 1 doubles. “Cori had a rough fall season,” says Sabatose, “she fought her way back by serving most of the season underhand.” Her best match of her career was when she defeated Niagara’s Danielle Grenier 1-6, 7-5, 7-5. “She lost the first match but she came back strong in the second and third.”
Kristen Jack will fill the # 4 singles position and the # 1 doubles position. “With her good hands at the net she makes for a great doubles player and compliments Rombach at one doubles,” says Sabatose. Jack finished the fall season 3-5 at the #2 and 4 singles position after moving up the lineup after Rombach was injured and 5-3 # 1 doubles.
BERRY, BAUMGARTNER, A. ROBERTSON & M. ROBERTSON
ANCHOR TEAM LINEUP GOLDEN EAGLE LINEUP
Filling the rest of the line up are Emily Berry (Struthers, OH), Lisa Baumgartner (West Middlesex), Amy and Megan Robertson (York). “Unlike last year, the lineup is set, no one will be wondering where they will be playing from match to match. This will give the girls more time to concentrate on the game and not where in the lineup they will be playing,” says Sabatose.
Also being named to the All-Conference team last spring was Lisa Baumgartner. “Lisa is an unbelievable player, she rises to the occasion and is a lot of fun to coach,” said Sabatose. Baumgartner finished the fall season 3-5 #2, 3, and 4 singles and 6-2 at #2 doubles. “Lisa is a great athlete with tremendous consistency and we look for her to have a very good season.” Lisa has a college career record of 14-4 singles and 20-3 doubles.
Berry finished the fall season 5-4 at #1, 2, and 3 singles and 6-2 at # 2 doubles. “Emily made some great strides this fall season, she was able to improve her strength and started hitting her forehand hard,” says Sabatose. Last spring she played at # 5 and 6 singles and finished with a record of 8-1.
Amy Robertson finished out her fall season 4-6 at # 4 and 5 singles and 9-3 at #3 doubles. “Amy has shown great improvement since last year and is more mature. She is a stronger doubles player and her record reflects that,” says Sabatose.
Megan Robertson finishes out the line up at the # 6 position. She finished the fall season 4-6 at #5 and 6 singles and 9-3 and #3 doubles. “Megan has had a lot of close matches this season and her record doesn’t reflect how well she has played this year,” says Sabatose. “She is one of the most improved players I have seen this year.”
FORBES AND HOGUE BATTLING FOR TIME
Battling for spots on the lineup are freshmen Anna Forbes (Warren) and junior Jessica Hogue (Hermitage). “Both girls are aware of their spots and are working hard at improving to crack the lineup,” says Sabatose. Forbes was 0-1 at the # 6 position. She had her first chance to play at the collegic level against St. Vincent. “It was a tough opponent but she never gave up,” says Sabatose. “Jessica has not yet had a chance to play but she is very patient and is working hard to find her place.”
FRANK AND NEDLEY RETURN TO TEAM
Returning to the team after taking last year off are juniors Mel Frank (DuBois) and Nicole Nedley (Greensburg). Frank finished the 2003-04 season with a singles record of 8-11 at the # 2 through 5 positions and a doubles record of 2-14 at the # 1 position. Nedley finished her 2003-04 season with a singles record of 2-3 at #6 and a doubles record of 0-2 at # 3. “Having Mel and Nicole rejoining the team has really helped push the bottom of the line-up and has given us four strong doubles teams and different options,” said Sabatose.
CLARION SEEKS PSAC “FINAL FOUR” FINISH
With two All Conference players returning the Eagle’s have a strong team with hopes of the “PSAC Final Four”. “We added some Division I teams in our fall season and a spring trip in the spring season to give us more of a challenge so we will be ready for teams like California, Slippery Rock and IUP,” says Sabatose. California and IUP were the number one and two teams in the PSAC West last season.
By: Erin Dugan