Lady Barons Finish Second in First AMCC Championship

WEXFORD, Pa.—Lady Baron tennis team earned runner up at the team's first Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference championship. Battling out their conference foes on Saturday and Sunday, the Lady Barons finished second to Penn State Behrend; an impressive feat, considering this is just the second season Franciscan University of Steubenville has had a women's tennis program.

"The girls played with incredible intensity," said first-year head coach Jenna Lynch, "they pulled together everything we've worked on throughout the season. I'm proud of the heart my team played with."

Senior caption Jen Winkle and her partner, Alanna Murray, entered the field as the second overall seed and earned a bye to the second round, defeating La Roche College's Victoria Shields and Alea Marks, 8-6. Winkle and Murray came in second in the AMCC after a Penn State Behrend defeat, 8-0.

Junior captain Leann Roggensack and partner Mary O'Brien entered the championship as No. 2 doubles seed, quickly defeating D'Youville College, 8-2. The fourth-ranked Lady Baron duo lost in the second round, 5-8, to the top-ranked twosome, Behrend's Allison Quigley and Leslie Durante.

"The team will definitely miss Jen Winkle next season, but I know I'll see great things from Leann Roggensack and Alanna Murray," Lynch said. "They know—with new, talented recruits and a title to earn—that they'll need to work hard before the next season."

Fifth ranked and No. 3 doubles seed Kristina and Kaylene Godnick prevailed over Penn State Altoona, 8-1. The duo was defeated in the second round, 8-6, by the seed's top-ranked team, Behrend's Jade Buhite and Rachel Harris.

"The doubles teams played the best I've ever seen them play," Lynch noted.

Freshmen Hannah Pettit—who was undefeated in regular season AMCC play—was ranked as the second-best No. 6 singles player in the AMCC to earn a bye for round one. She used a 6-1, 6-2 victory over Altoona's Kathryn Dudley to advance to the championship round. Facing the seed's top-ranked contender, Behrend's Rachel Harris, Pettit became the AMCC No. 6 singles champion with a 7-5, 6-2, victory over Harris.

"Hannah came on strong and remained consistent, despite several shots that were difficult to return," Lynch said. "She's a competitor, and she has the mental toughness to stay on top of her game under pressure."

Winkle was ranked the fifth-best No. 1 singles player in the conference, defeating University of Pittsburgh at Bradford opponent Stephanie Krall to advance into the second round. In round two, Winkle lost to Arica Christman, 6-3, 6-0. This marks the fourth consecutive year Christman has been the AMCC No. 1 singles champion.

Murray, ranked the second-best No. 2 singles player in the conference, earned a bye into the second round; she defeated Jessica Lampka from D'Youville, 6-1, 6-0. Murray took second place in the conference, losing 6-1, 6-1, to the seed's top-ranked contender, Behrend's Stephanie Cattron.

Roggensack advanced with a three-set win over Altoona's Alex Grund, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3. In the second round she was defeated by Behrend's Leslie Durante, 6-1, 6-1.

Ranked the second-best contender in No. 4 singles, Kristina Godnick earned a bye into the second round; she was defeated by Behrend's Kayla Branch, 7-5, 6-4.

Mary O'Brien entered singles play as fifth-ranked and fifth-seeded player; she advanced over Behrend's Jamie Van Alstine in a near shutout, 6-1, 6-0. In the second round, O'Brien squared off against La Roche's Lynka Ineza and took her to three sets after a slow start, eventually losing 0-6, 6-3, 6-4.

By Sunday's end, the Lady Barons finished in second place with 13 points, Behrend finished in first with 26 points, and La Roche finished in third with 10 points. This is the seventh consecutive—and twelfth overall—AMCC title for Behrend.

Lynch noted the talent of Behrend, but believes that her Lady Barons will be up to the challenge the next time they meet.

"I explained that I'll be expecting even more from them next year. They proved a lot this season," she said, "and I know that they'll work hard and continue to improve in the offseason. My goal for next year is to earn the AMCC championship title and get a bid to the NCAA Division III tournament."

The Lady Barons will return to the courts at Steubenville's Belleview Park next August for their third season. Lynch will be there, coaching them in her quiet way and utilizing what she's learned about her players and the AMCC to push her athletes harder and farther.

The Franciscan University women's tennis program is young, but it spent the 2011 season making consistent progress. With Lynch at the lead and most of the team returning next season, the future of Lady Baron tennis is bright.