Kutztown University Tennis

THU 5/5 10 am Bryant vs. Queens (NY)
1 pm Kutztown vs. Stonehill

FRI 5/6 12pm Championship Match

KUTZTOWN, PA – The Kutztown University men’s tennis team will host an NCAA Division II East Region first- and second-round tournament on Thursday and Friday, May 5-6 at Keystone Courts.

There are 16 women’s first- and second-round tournaments in the eight regions, two each per region, throughout the country. Bloomsburg will host the other NCAA East Regional. The winner of each tournament advances to the finals in Altamonte Springs, Fla., with the Central Florida Sports Commission and Sunshine State Conference serving as co-hosts, May 11-14.

Bryant (21-1) will face Queens (13-3) at 10:00 AM on Thursday. Kutztown (12-2) will take on Stonehill (13-2) at 1:00 PM. The winners meet in the second round on Friday at noon.

The KU women are in search of their first regional title after making their first East Regional appearance last season. The Kutztown women are 12-2 this season, the second most wins in school history.

Four of Kutztown’s six singles plays have two or fewer losses this season. Kerstin Kloeffer (so. Ludwigs Hafen, GERMANY) will play first singles and is 9-1 on the year. KU’s No. two singles player, Amy Withers (fr. Essondon, AUSTRALIA), is 8-2 in singles matches. Priya Pachkawde (so. Nasik, INDIA) will play at third singles and enters the PSAC Championships at 11-6. At fourth singles is Jharna Nansi (so. Maharashtra, INDIA), who is 8-3. Lauren Losoncy (jr. Shillington/Governor Mifflin) gets the start at fifth singles. The transfer is 12-1 since joining the team for the spring season. Bianca Blatz (fr. Ludwigs Hafen, GERMANY) completes the Kutztown lineup at No. 6 singles. She has missed much of the year with injury and is 3-3 in singles play.

The doubles lineup for the Golden Bear women features Kloeffer and Pachkawde at first doubles. That duo is 5-0 this season. At second doubles, Nansi and Withers are 2-0 this season. Third doubles has Losoncy and Blatz, who are 3-3 in doubles play.

Bryant enters the tournament at 21-1 overall, including 12-0 in the Northeast-10. Like Kutztown, the Bulldogs made their first trip to the NCAA Regional a year ago. Bryant has won 12 straight matches.

Queens (NY) is making its fourth straight appearance and fifth overall in the regional tournament. The Knights are 13-3 overall and 7-0 in the New York Collegiate Athletic Conference.

Stonehill is in its second trip to the NCAA East Regional, appearing for the first time in 2003. The Chieftains are 13-2 in 2004-05 and were 11-1 in the NE-10.

KUTZTOWN, PA - Bryant defeated Queens (NY) 5-2 in the first round of the NCAA Division II East Regionals at Kutztown University Thursday afternoon.

Bryant (22-1) won two of three doubles points and three of four completed singles matches to record the victory. Alanna Santanello and Alex Spence won 8-2 at second dpubles, while Lauren Mullen and Michelle Burke dispatched their third doubles opponents 8-6. Queens' Dominika Bajuk and Karen Chang took first doubles, 8-5.

In singles, Annette Jervasi and Santanella picked up quick straight-set wins at third and fifth singles. For the Knights (13-4), Corinna Popescu was a winner at fourth singles. Lauren Mullen ended the match with a 6-2, 6-2 win at sixth singles. The first and second singles matches were not completed.

The Bulldogs advance to face the winner of Thursday's other first-round match between Kutztown and Stonehill on Friday at noon.

Doubles
1. Dominika Bajuk/Karen Chang (Q) def. Sacha Solomon/Annette Jervasi (B) 8-5
2. Alanna Santanello/Alex Spence (B) def. Tina Shmulevich/Corrina Popescu (Q) 8-2
3. Lauren Mullen/Michelle Burke (B) def. Andrea Condur/Lavinia Voicu-Sprincenatu (Q) 8-6

Singles
1. Sacha Solomon (B) vs. Dominika Bajuk (Q) 6-0, 2-6, 4-1 (did not finish)
2. Alex Spence (B) vs. Karen Chang (Q) 6-4, 3-5 (did not finish)
3. Annette Jervasi (B) def. Tina Shmulevich (Q) 6-0, 6-2
4. Corrina Popescu (Q) def. Michelle Burke (B) 6-3, 6-1
5. Alanna Santanello (B) def. Andrea Condur (Q) 6-3, 6-1
6. Lauren Mullen (B) def. Lavinia Voicu-Sprincenatu (Q) 6-2, 6-2

KUTZTOWN, PA - Kutztown won all five completed matches for the 5-0 victory over Stonehill in the first round of the NCAA East Regional at Kutztown on Thursday afternoon.

Kutztown (13-2) won all three doubles matches and then notched victories at first and fifth singles. Kerstin Kloeffer and Priya Pachkawde were behind early, but rebounded for an 8-4 win at first doubles. Amy Withers and Jharna Nansi won 8-3 at second doubles and the duo of Lauren Losoncy and Bianca Blatz completed the doubles sweep for the Golden Bears with an 8-5 victory at third doubles.

Kloeffer made short work of her opponent at first singles, 6-0, 6-0, to give KU a 4-0 lead in the match. Losoncy clinched the victory with a 6-0, 6-1 win at fifth singles.

The Golden Bears advance to face the Bulldogs of Bryant on Friday at noon in the regional final.

Doubles
1. Kerstin Kloeffer/Priya Pachkawde (K) def. Karen McAuley/Jennifer Arcabascio (S) 8-4
2. Amy Withers/Jharna Nansi (K) def. Ashley Todd/Danielle Granato (S) 8-3
3. Lauren Losoncy/Bianca Blatz (K) def. Susan Noblin/Elise Clark (S) 8-5

Singles
1. Kerstin Kloeffer (K) def. Karen McAuley (S) 6-0, 6-0
2. Amy Withers (K) vs. Ashley Todd (S) 6-2, 4-0 (did not finish)
3. Priya Pachkawde (K) vs. Jennifer Arcabascio (S) 6-2, 2-0 (did not finish)
4. Jharna Nansi (K) vs. Anna Walsh (S) 6-2, 0-1 (did not finish)
5. Lauren Losoncy (K) def. Susan Noblin (S) 6-0, 6-1
6. Bianca Blatz (K) vs. Danielle Granato (S) 2-6, 1-1 (did not finish)

NCAA Division II East Regional Women's Tennis
Championship Match
Friday, May 7, 2005

KUTZTOWN, PA - Kutztown defeated Bryant 5-1 for its first NCAA East Regional Championship and a trip to NCAA finals.

The Golden Bears (14-2) won two of the three doubles matches, and came close to sweeping all three points. Kerstin Kloeffer and Priya Pachkawde won 8-5 at first doubles and Amy Withers and Jharna Nansi followed suit with an 8-4 win at second doubles. At third doubles, Bryant's Lauren Mullen and Michelle Burke held off a comeback bid by KU's Bianca Blatz and Lauren Losoncy for a 9-7 win for the Bulldogs (22-2).

All three completed singles matches went in favor of Kutztown in straight sets. Each KU player dropped only a single game in their victories. Kloeffer won 6-1, 6-0 at first singles and Nansi took a 6-0, 6-1 score at fourth singles as the Golden Bears went ahead, 4-1. Withers then sealed the match with a 6-0, 6-1 win at second singles.

The loss was just the second for Bryant in 24 matches this season and snapped a 13-match win streak.

Kutztown will now advance to the final 16 in Altamonte Springs, Fla., with the Central Florida Sports Commission and Sunshine State Conference serving as co-hosts, May 11-14.

Doubles
1. Kerstin Kloeffer/Priya Pachkawde (K) def. Sacha Solomon/Annette Jervasi (B) 8-5
2. Amy Withers/Jharna Nansi (K) def. Alex Spence/Alanna Santanello (B) 8-4
3. Lauren Mullen/Michelle Burke (B) def. Bianca Blatz/Lauren Losoncy (K) 9-7

Singles
1. Kerstin Kloeffer (K) def. Sacha Solomon (B) 6-1, 6-0
2. Amy Withers (K) def. Alex Spence (B) 6-0, 6-1
3. Priya Pachkawde (K) vs. Annette Jervasi (B) 6-3, 1-0 (did not finish)
4. Jharna Nansi (K) def. Michelle Burke (B) 6-0, 6-1
5. Lauren Losoncy (K) vs. Alanna Santanello (B) 6-3, 4-1 (did not finish)
6. Bianca Blatz (K) vs. Lauren Mullen (B) 6-2, 0-3 (did not finish)