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Patriot League Releases 2010 Women's Tennis Preseason Poll
Feb. 26, 2010
Center Valley, Pa. – With 71 points and 11 first-place votes, the United States Military Academy was chosen to repeat as Patriot League Tennis Champion in 2010, as determined by a vote from head coaches and sports information directors from around the League. Army welcomes back a host of award winners and All-Patriot League honorees from last season. Junior Annie Houghton became the first student-athlete ever to win back-to-back Player of the Year honors. Head coach Paul Peck is in his 15th season at West Point, amassing an incredible 47-3 record in Patriot League competition in his career. He has won five consecutive Coach of the Year awards and 10 overall since 1996. In addition, all four All-Patriot League selections from last season are back in an attempt to defend Army’s League crown. Bolstered by four seniors, Colgate received 60 points in the voting and finished second in the poll. One of those seniors is Elise DeRose, a two-time First-Team All-Patriot League selection. The Raiders finished 2-2 in the Patriot League last season and lost in the semifinals of the League Tournament. Bucknell finished third in the poll with 56 points and two first-place votes. Three-time First-Team All-Patriot League selection Paulina Gamboa graduated last spring, but the Bison will rely on sophomore Dumitrita Iepuras, the 2009 Rookie of the Year who made an appearance as a Second-Team All-Patriot League pick, as did junior teammate Lauren Lucido. Finishing fourth in the poll were Navy and Lehigh with 42 points apiece. 2010 marks the Midshipmen’s first as a member of the Patriot League, and they also took home a first-place vote in the poll. First-year head coach Keith Puryear came to the Naval Academy after a successful stint as both the men and women’s coach at UMBC, where he led the squads to five NCAA Tournaments each. He led both teams to a combined 443 victories from 1990-2008. Lehigh senior Julie Arthofer was the only Mountain Hawk to earn All-League honors last season, when she was named to the First Team. It was the third straight year she made the All-League team, as she was a Second-Team selection in 2007 and 2008. She was the first from Lehigh to make First Team since Gwen Dwyer in 2007. Head coach Dave Shook is in his 14th season with the Mountain Hawks, having accumulated a record of 117-99 during his first 13 season in Bethlehem. Lafayette and Holy Cross wrapped up the poll in sixth and seventh, respectively. The Leopards accumulated 21 points, while the Crusaders received 20. The Patriot League Championship is scheduled for Friday-Sunday, April 16-18, at Colgate University in Hamilton, N.Y. 2010 Patriot League Women’s Tennis Preseason Poll
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