The Hawk

Issue date: 10/24/07 Section: Sports

Kuhmerker's leadership has been key in late-season turnaround.

The Hawks women's tennis team completed its fall season turnaround last Saturday with a one-point win at home against Mount Saint Mary's. Saint Joseph's, which started the year 1-4 after struggling in the preseason Towson Tiger Fall Classic, won four of its last five matches to complete the fall campaign with a 5-5 record.

Head coach Al Laveson is pleased with how the team has come together this fall.

"I'm really proud of all of them," Laveson said. "They are starting to feel good about themselves and starting to think positively. Tennis is mental. They are playing better and stronger because they have confidence."

The Hawks had to dig deep to get their latest win-a common theme. Stephania Velazquez, '08, Margaret Mullaney, '11, and Lauren Kuhmerker, '08 all recorded victories in their singles matches. Velazquez breezed by Kaitlin Hallahan 6-0, 6-1, and Kuhmerker defeated Emma Haley 6-2, 6-2. Mullaney needed three sets to notch her win over Emily Bolchoz 6-1, 2-6, 6-4. The winning effort didn't go unnoticed.

"If a player wins a match 6-1, 6-0, it really just shows she is a superior player to the opponent," said Laveson. "When a player goes three sets and wins, it's really gutting out a win."

The Hawks also succeeded in their doubles matches. Velazquez and Kuhmerker teamed up to edge Hallahan and Haley by a score of 9-8 (7-3). Krysta Contino, '09, and Katy Borden, '11, won their match as well, beating Ashley Wentzel and Emily Grugen 8-6. The match was Contino's first of the fall; she had been recovering from a shoulder injury.

"This team has really stepped up this fall," Laveson said. "We lost two of our top players to injuries going into the fall season. Jennifer Kedzierski, '10, had an operation this summer for a foot injury she had played on for a few years, and Krysta Contino returned this weekend from a shoulder injury. Everyone had to step up. Velazquez has hung in there and Gina DiGiacomo [08] stepped up to the number two singles. The girls started to really want to learn and want to become better. They were bonding together and cheering for one another. It's really working."

During their late-season turnaround, the Hawks won matches by wide margins, such as 7-0 and 6-1. Going into their Oct. 7 match against Drexel, the Hawks were sitting at 3-7 and had taken back-to-back beatings from conference foes Rhode Island and Fordham. Then they pulled out a close win at Drexel, dropped a close match to Towson, and rebounded again by bludgeoning LaSalle and Lafayette before the finale against Mount Saint Mary's. Laveson hopes the recent run of success and rhythm will carry over into the spring season.

"I anticipate us to really step up this spring," he said. "We had to rely on freshmen a lot this fall, which is part of why we struggled early in the season. They have gained experience and with girls coming back from injuries, we will be ready. "We will have a solid team this spring. I think we will be able to step up to the Atlantic 10 Championship. We will be successful this spring and we will be ready to give a battle to the top flight teams in the conference."

The Hawks will take to the court again in March, where they'll begin their march toward the A-10 Championship. That tournament will be April 18-20 in Monroeville, Pa.

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools