Women's Tennis News Releases

Abeyta enters fall season with 93 career wins

MOUNT VERNON - Cornell College's women's tennis team has a tall task at hand to match the school-record 20 victories it set last season. And the Rams have big shoes to fill at the top of the lineup left by Pavla Brachova, the school's all-time wins leader.

But third-year head coach Patrick Cote is optimistic his 2009 squad can again compete at a high level.

"I think our team can be as strong as we were last year, although our schedule is tougher," said Cote, whose team took fourth at the 2008 IIAC Team Championships. "My goal is to finish in the top three in the conference."

The Rams will be extremely young with only one upperclassman on the eight-player roster in senior Caryl Abeyta (Eaton, Colo./Eaton). Abeyta, a three-year letterwinner, is coming off a strong 2008-09 campaign in which she finished 40-17, including a 20-9 mark in singles play. She owns a 93-53 career record, ranking 12th on Cornell's wins list. Abeyta earned all-conference doubles honors in 2007.

Cornell brings back three sophomore letterwinners in Kirsten Lasley (St. Paul, Minn./Saddlebrook), Amanda Johnson (North Branch, Minn./North Branch Area) and Devin Harmon (Metamora, Ill./Metamora Township). Lasley teamed with Brachova for a 17-2 record at No. 1 doubles a year ago. She finished 14-12 in singles, primarily at the No. 3 spot in the lineup. Johnson went 10-5 in singles last season.

Joining the team this fall are promising freshmen Samantha De Gannes (Diego Martin, Trinidad/International School Port of Spain), Alyssa Zavislak (Lombard, Ill./Glenbard South), Kara Middleton (Wausau, Wis./Wausau West) and Kathleen Ellis (Fitchburg, Wis./Verona Area).

"I think the freshmen will make a big difference," Cote said. "They are all showing great promise."

The Rams open the fall season Sept. 1 with an IIAC dual against Central at 4 p.m. in Mount Vernon. Cornell also has upcoming home matches this month against Grinnell Sept. 6 and UW-Stevens Point Sept. 11.