Women's Tennis Cruises to AMCC Conference Tournament Title
The Behrend Lions women's tennis team rolled to the 2004 AMCC Conference Tournament title on Saturday racking up victories in all sixth singles flights and two of three doubles flights. This marked the fourth league championship in eight years of conference competition for the Behrend Lions. Behrend won the first four AMCC championships in 1997, 1998, 1999, and 2000.
Behrend's season was very impressive and dominant in the fall of 2004. They secured the AMCC Regular-Season championship with a perfect 6-0 league mark and did not lose a point all conference season.
"We set out to get into every final," said head coach Jeff Barger. "We achieved our goal by succeeding in eight of nine finals flights."
On Saturday, the blue and white posted 17 points to two-time defending champion Penn State Altoona's 10. Chatham and Frostburg did not earn any points. Allison Mudrey (Hermitage/Hickory) won at first-flight singles, Mindy Calvert (Warren/Warren) captured the individual title at second-flight singles, Katie Ranalli (Fairview/Fairview) won third-flight singles, Christie Leininger (Pittsburgh/North Hills) won fourth-singles, Jenna Yankowski (Bethel Park/Bethel Park) won fifth-singles, and Shelley Goodpastor (Sharon/Sharon) earned the win at sixth-singles. All six players were named first-team all-conference for their efforts.
In doubles play, Ranalli and Goodpastor were named all-conference after winning at second doubles as were Leininger and Yankowski at third doubles. Mudrey and Calvert were named to the second-team all-conference for finishing as runners-up in first doubles.
The blue and white currently finished the year with an impressive 14-3 record and a pair of league titles. With the tennis team winning the conference title, the Behrend Lions are now atop the league's President's Cup standings with 14 points. The men's golf team won the league title by a stroke over Penn State Altoona who remain in second place in the President Cup standings.