Saturday, October 22, 2011

ERIE, Pa.  - For a sixth consecutive year, the Westminster College women's tennis team finished in second place in the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) after the Titans posted a runner-up finish to 25-time champion Grove City at the 10-team PAC Championships held Friday and Saturday at the Pennbriar Athletic Club in Erie.

The Titans produced two PAC singles champions while amassing 37 points. Grove City had 48 points.

Junior Alex Bailey (Murrysville, Pa./Franklin Regional) was crowned the PAC champion at No. 2 singles and senior Dana Griesmer (Canfield, Ohio/Canfield) won at No. 6 singles. This is the first time since 2004 that Westminster won two PAC titles in the same season and this is also the third straight year that Westminster won at No. 2 singles, all by three different players.

Bailey won her first two matches at No. 2 singles by identical straight-sets scores of 6-1, 6-0 before beating Grove City's Megan Bennett, 5-7, 6-4, 6-3, in the championship match.

Griesmer, the second seed in the No. 6 singles bracket, won two matches before upsetting top seed Emily Buurma, 6-2, 6-1, in the finals.

Westminster posted second-place finishes in all three doubles flights along with sophomore Heather Santa (Butler, Pa./Butler) at No. 5 singles before losing to Grove City's Caroline McGuire in the finals, 6-1, 6-2.

Bailey and sophomore Caitlin Hosler (Lititz, Pa./Manheim Central) and Santa and freshman Lauren Fling (Norton, Ohio/Norton) were the top seeds at No. 1 and 3 doubles but they were upset and finished in second after losing to second-seeded teams from Grove City.

Westminster (15-0 in dual matches this year) is eligible for an at-large berth in the NCAA Division III Championships in the spring. The Titans will also compete in three matches in March in Hilton Head Island, S.C.

About Westminster College...
Founded in 1852 and related to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Westminster College ranks first in the nation as "Best College for Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math," according to Forbes.com. Westminster, a top-tier liberal arts college, ranks third in graduation rate performance, according to U.S. News Best Colleges guide. Westminster ranked 6th among liberal arts colleges in social mobility, according to the Washington Monthly College Guide, and is one of the most affordable national liberal arts colleges in Pennsylvania. Westminster is also honored as one of "The Best 376 Colleges" by The Princeton Review, and is named to the President's Honor Roll for excellence in service learning.

Nearly 1,600 undergraduate and graduate students benefit from individualized attention from dedicated faculty while choosing from 42 majors and nearly 100 organizations on the New Wilmington, Pa., campus. Visit www.westminster.edu/advantage to view "Advantage: Westminster" A Strategic Plan 2010-2020.