By Matt Mascolo
Coming off a down-to-the-wire home victory against Case Western on Wednesday, the Allegheny women’s tennis squad is heading into the weekend on a high note as they will play their first three conference matches of the spring.
Junior Janna Dickerson’s 6-1, 7-5 win gave Allegheny the 5-4 edge in the last singles match of the contest. Wednesday’s win should give the Gators a boost, according to head coach Jared Luteran, as they head into three matches in two days against Kenyon, Denison and Ohio Wesleyan.
Though all three matchups are important, the Gators have Denison circled on their calendar.
Denison has won the last nine NCAC championships, and is currently ranked sixth nationally. Their record stands at 11-4 and they have one of the best No. 1 singles players in the region in All-American senior Kristen Cobb. Carolyn Shetter ’14, is Allegheny’s top singles player, and welcomes the challenge she faces this weekend.
“I am always excited to face tough opponents, especially ranked ones. It puts pressure on them,” said Shetter. “This weekend all I can really ask of myself is to focus on my game and the way I know how to play.”
Shetter has been producing all year, as she is 10-4 with 8 wins in her last 9 matches. Luteran has full confidence in his freshman, who has been the clear No. 1 since the beginning of the fall.
“She’s very dedicated, very accepting of our coaching and it shows on the court, in her demeanor and her play,” Luteran said.
Luteran also credits Shetter’s commitment to mentally progressing.
“She’s always here checking out mental toughness books and applying it to the way she handles herself on the court,” said Luteran. “We also have good upper-class leadership around, which has been helpful for her.”
The Gators will need more than one match win to take down Denison. Juniors Deborah Landau and Elyse Schmidt have been solid all spring, winning their last four matches at third doubles. Schmidt has also won her last four of six singles matches out of the four spot for the Gators.
Seniors Sara Longo and Lauren Kristofco have continued to build on already solid careers, especially in doubles. The two seniors are 5-2 in the spring as partners and Longo, an NCAC honorable mention singles player last year, is 6-3 in her last nine at the three spot.
Allegheny faces Kenyon tomorrow at 4:30 p.m., and will then travel to Granville, Ohio to face Denison at 10 a.m. Sunday and then Ohio Wesleyan at 2:30 p.m.
