Women's Tennis Season Preview

Introduction
The College of Saint Rose comes into the 2007-08 season looking to begin its rise through the Northeast-10 Conference. Three returning letterwinners are joined by one of the most promising recruiting classes in program history. Despite employing a squad that has only one senior in the lineup, sixth-year head coach Jeff Bloomberg believes that the newcomers will allow Saint Rose tennis to climb through the ranks of the NE-10 in a short period of time. Last year’s squad had a good showing at the ITA Regionals in September, despite finishing 11th in the NE-10 with a 2-10 mark and a 2-13 overall record.

Returnees (3)
One senior and a pair of sophomores will try to make an impression on the incoming class by providing sound leadership and game day experience. Senior captain Katelyn Mockry (Plattsburgh, NY/Seton Catholic) will be a large part of that as she is the lone four-year member of the squad. Last season she played primarily at first doubles and held down the second singles spot. Mockry produced a 6-11 overall mark and went 5-7 in NE-10 doubles action, which tied for the team lead in wins.

Sophomores Rachael O’Brien (Lowville, NY/Lowville) and Jennifer Garrison (Rochester, NY/Brockport) gained valuable experience during their rookie campaigns. O’Brien went 5-9 in singles play and registered a 4-7 mark against conference opponents. She also recorded six victories in doubles competition despite playing with five different teammates throughout the season. Meanwhile, Garrison took both doubles matches she participated in and finished 1-4 in limited singles play.

Newcomers (7)
Six freshmen and a sophomore transfer are expected to play major roles in their young careers. Rebecca Moon (Rancho Mirage, CA/Aquinas) is arguably the top newcomer and has played her way into the number one singles spot in the lineup. Moon is a smart player and her experience goes well beyond her years. She is a championship doubles player after coming off a standout high school career where she made appearances in the California State Tennis Championships.

Moon is expected to team up at first doubles with classmate Stephanie Paine (Northford, CT/Mercy), who will spend time playing fourth singles as well. Paine was an All-Conference pick and competed in the Connecticut State Tournament. A consistent server, she has been well trained over the years and is a highly skilled net player.

Freshman Melissa Leighton (Shokan, NY/Onteora) will play second singles and is currently paired with Mockry at second doubles. A hard hitter with a big serve, Leighton garnered All-MHAL honors at Onteora and is coming off an undefeated regular season in singles play a year ago. Rachel Knight (Oswego, NY/Oswego) is another rookie that earned a spot at sixth singles and will play third doubles with O’Brien. Knight is a feisty player who is a student of the game. She was an All-Conference performer in doubles play and chalked up a 15-1 overall record during her senior campaign.

Kimberly Schacher (Cobleskill, NY/Cobleskill-Richmondville) and Christy Verzulli (Schenectady, NY/Schalmont) complete the freshman class while sophomore transfer Irene Carcache (San Salvador, El Salvador/Albany) is also in the fold. Schacher won a section II title, while Verzulli was named Team MVP as a senior at Schalmont. Carcache comes to the Golden Knights via Hudson Valley Community College and provides speed and quickness on the baseline.

Schedule
Saint Rose opens its 2007-08 slate with an NE-10 match at Bryant University on Sunday, September 16. The Golden Knights will spend the following weekend (9/21-9/23) at the ITA Regionals in Bloomsburg, PA. The fall portion of the schedule caps off with three straight league matches versus Saint Michael’s, Le Moyne and at Bentley. Spring matches will tentatively commence on Tuesday, March 11 when American International visits Saint Rose for the first of eight consecutive NE-10 matches. All roads lead to April 23rd when the NE-10 Championships get underway as the top eight squads compete for a trip to the NCAA Tournament.

Summation
With an influx of new talent on this year’s roster, the future of Saint Rose tennis should remain bright for years to come. The club has the potential to weave its way through the league ranks and the 2007-08 campaign could foreshadow the expected rise to prominence. A top-10 league finish would be a solid building block for this young squad. It should be noted that the loss of top singles player Lana Lamesic from last year’s team is a definite setback regarding immediate success. However, a season of experience in the NE-10 should pay dividends in the not so distant future.