BETHLEHEM, Pa – The Moravian College women's tennis team is on a mission to take back what it truly believes is theirs.
The Greyhounds fought through a long and arduous season in 2012-13, which ended in Moravian missing the Landmark Conference playoffs by the slimmest of margins in a tiebreak scenario. Head Coach Dawn Ketterman-Benner begins her 28th season on a hunt to reclaim the championship hardware.
"Their goal is to win back the Landmark Championship," said Ketterman-Benner, who last hoisted the conference trophy in 2011. "We're all on the same page. It's been two years and that's too long. We're getting it back and this is a very committed group with a lot of determination and hard work."
Ketterman-Benner's squad battled through a tough 2012-13 campaign that ended in a 10-3 record. The Greyhounds dealt with unfavorable weather conditions, player departures and generally low numbers. The head coach said players would sometimes compete despite being sick because of the thin roster.
Thankfully in 2013-14, Moravian will have strength in numbers, both in their returning leadership and an influx of highly-touted freshman.
"I consider this the beginning of an era," Ketterman-Benner said. "We have recruited a good group of newcomers. Combined with the returning leaders, we will be very competitive. You can tell they have played during the summer because they look fit and ready to go."
Senior Katie Zien will be the team's captain this year while seniors Erica Venuti and Olivia Sonnabend and junior Melissa Follett will all serve as co-captains for the Greyhounds during the 2013-14 fall/spring campaign. Follett is the favorite to reprise her role in the No. 1 singles spot, where she went 7-2 during an 11-5 rookie season and earned Landmark All-Conference First Team honors in singles and doubles. She also had a 15-4 overall mark in doubles play.
Zien boasted matching 6-3 records in both singles, where she occupied the No. 2 position, and on doubles teams. Her efforts earned her All-Conference Second Team recognition despite missing the fall season while studying abroad.
Venuti was named to the 2013 Landmark All-Conference First Team in doubles as she posted a 9-3 record, including a 7-2 run paired with Follett as Moravian's top doubles team. She will challenge to maintain the third singles spot after going 10-9 overall in solo play.
Sonnabend finished last season with a combined 11-5 doubles record and a 5-6 record at sixth singles.
Also returning to the Greyhounds is sophomore Brittany Hodge, who ended an excellent rookie year with a 13-3 overall singles record and an 11-2 mark at fourth singles. Sophomores Courtnie Lambert and Celia Hernandez gained valuable experience last season and return to Moravian in good shape.
The future looks bright for the program as Ketterman-Benner welcomes a strong freshman class for the 2013-14 season. Brittney Eady will be looked to in singles and doubles and has kept sharp in summer tournaments. Selina Ocasio has a ton of natural talent coming from the Philadelphia area. Julia Atiyeh and Roberta Scantlebury will team up on doubles and hope to make an immediate impact.
Freshmen Katarina Sevastakis, Cristina Cardinale and Noel Ferraro have all made significant early strides for Moravian.
"Everyone shows a lot of promise and potential," Ketterman-Benner said. "I hope they take advantage of the leadership from these seniors, who will mentor them and show them the way about the work ethic that we expect here at Moravian."
Ketterman-Benner also welcomes back Associate Head Coach Jason Toedter, who handles a large portion of the technical aspect of the women's game.
A major focus for the Greyhounds this season will be mental toughness. Often times in an individual sport, the player's result can tilt the scales for the whole team. That kind of pressure is not easy, according to the Moravian head coach.
"Tennis is 90-percent mental," Ketterman-Benner said. "There's a huge individual aspect out there. I'm always emphasizing the team aspect. That's the real trick in tennis; you have to wear two hats, the team and the individual."
The team opens the fall season on Saturday, August 31 when they host the Moravian Team Tournament. The Greyhounds take on Rutgers-Camden in the first round at 9 a.m. on the Hoffman Courts.
