Bloomsburg, Pa. - For the third time in a row, the Lakers head to Bloomsburg with their trip this time around being for the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Singles/Doubles Tournament. Mercyhurst begins their run in the event on Saturday, October 8th, and play through the 10th.
1. Finishing Strong
The tournament allows the Lakers to see the fall portion of their schedule end on a high note as they have only one other tournament scheduled before turning their attention to the spring. Despite the PSAC Single/Doubles Tournament not counting toward the team's regular season record, Mercyhurst searches for a strong finish to 2022 in hopes of carrying that momentum into next year and beyond.
2. Dominant Dean
In the previous Women's Tennis event, Kayla Dean made a deep run that saw her finish runner-up. The Lakers competed in the ITA Atlantic Regional Tournament in Bloomsburg in the middle of September with Dean going farther than any Mercyhurst competitor. The native of Port St. Lucie, Fl. Finished 1-1 in doubles play while going 5-1 when solo on her way to a match in the tournament finale. She and the rest of her team seek similar results this time around as they try to begin the new month with a bang.
3. Similar Success
Mercyhurst hopes to have a run in the tournament this time around that looks an awful lot like last season. In the fall of 2021, the Lakers had several individuals make it to the later stages of the tournament with David Akinpetide on the men's side and Dean and Naomi Jahr for the women. Dean made it to the quarterfinals with a pair of wins and looks for an even better showing this time around with one more year under her belt.
4. Leadership Shining Through
Both the men and the women turn to their more experienced players to help them establish deep runs in the tournament. Both teams have six returners on their rosters with several of them seeing time in the PSAC Singles/Doubles Tournament before which could be key in helping the Lakers. For the men, Hristo Plasheski makes his return to the tournament while Dean and Nadja Ostojic use their experience from last season to help the team once again.
5. What's Next
The Lakers wrap up their fall schedule soon after their run in the PSAC Singles/Doubles Tournament as they compete in the ITA Cup days later. The teams travel to Rome, Ga. for the event with things set to begin on Wednesday, October 12th, and wrap up on the 16th.
