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ALTOONA -- A new season means another opportunity to reach the AMCC tournament in women's tennis for Penn State Altoona.
The Lady Lions are led once again by head coach Mark Sapita, who is in his second year with the program.
"The Penn State Altoona women’s tennis team is looking to build on a solid '23-'24 campaign. We will once again be looking to be in the mix for an AMCC tournament berth as we seek to improve on last year’s three-seed spot," Sapita explained.
He noted that there are a few different ways the Lions can improve in 2024 after going 6-6 last season.
"Two keys to our improvement this year will be the development of more consistent play from our veterans and the pace at which our newcomers become acclimated to the collegiate game," Sapita said.
Penn State Altoona will deal with some tough foes this year, including two D-II teams.
"We have made a concerted effort to enhance our schedule this season in order to better prepare for conference play. Two Division II teams, Lock Haven and Clarion, will be two of our highlighted matches along with multiple traditionally strong fellow Division III teams," Sapita added.
The Lions will rely on their entire team to be leaders this season with seven of nine tennis players being new to the program.
What can fans expect from Penn State Altoona this season?
"We hope to continue to develop an aggressive style of tennis, while recognizing the need to adapt situationally in every match," Sapita said.
Underclassmen will take the reins for PSU-A this year and their lineup is likely to mix it up throughout their time on the court.
"With no seniors on our team, our underclassmen will lead the way from the top to the bottom of our lineup. Additionally, we have added depth to this year’s team and our lineup is likely to change throughout the season," Sapita highlighted.
"With seven newcomers and a lot of parity throughout our lineup, this will truly be a season where any given match could see someone new playing the critical role in the result. We are extremely excited about the commitment that our team has shown to the program and will work every day to push ourselves to reach our team’s potential."
Penn State Altoona opens their season on Saturday at 1 p.m. versus Carlow.