2011 Tennis Preview

The 2011 Geneseo women's tennis team enters the season trying to reclaim the SUNYAC title after finishing second to New Paltz in 2010. Ninth year head coach Jim Chen (Harvard, Ph.D. '69) guided the Blue Knights to a record of 11-3 last season and has a blend of experienced veterans and talented newcomers poised to reclaim the conference crown that they held in 2008 and 2009.

Senior Monica Vieth (Williamsville/Williamsville East) leads a group of four returning starters after posting a 13-4 mark at first singles on her way to second team All-SUNYAC honors. Vieth holds down the first singles spot and teams with classmate Julia Passik (Holliswood/Benjamin Cardozo) in doubles action. The duo posted a 9-3 record at first doubles last season, but gives a glimpse into the strength of the team by moving to second doubles for 2011.

Junior Sarah Shields (Long Valley, NJ/West Morris) posted a combined record of 25-6 and is the lone returning member of the Knights that earned a spot on the 2010 All-SUNYAC first team. Shields won the fifth singles title last season and moves back to sixth singles, where she won the conference title in 2009. At third doubles, Shields teams with senior Lauren Johnson (Dix Hills/Half Hollow Hills East), who returns from injury after going 26-1 in 2009 with a SUNYAC title at second doubles.

Junior Katie Talbot (Endwell, Maine-Endwell) begins the season at fourth singles after falling in the sixth singles conference finals a year ago to earn second team All-SUNYAC.

First year Shiho Sato (Harrison/Keio Academy) will begin the season at third singles and teams with twin sister Kaho Sato (Harrison/Keio Academy) to form a potent first doubles team.

Chen features two other newcomers to the singles slate as first year Dexuan Yuan (Flushing/Benjamin Cardozo) begins the year at second singles and first year Amanda Rosati (Albany/Academy of Holy Names) fills out the fifth singles slot.

First year Minxuan Yuan (Flushing/Benjamin Cardozo) joins her sister as a potential doubles team, while Passik, senior Reggie Connelly (Bloomfield/Mercy) and first year Zakiyyah Abdus-Salaam (Mt. Vernon/The Ursuline School) battle for a spot in the singles rotation.

First years Alex Filey (Buffalo/Kenmore West), Beryl Guterman (Amherst) and Courtney Sokol (Floral Park) complete the Blue Knights roster.

The team begins their season on Thursday, September 1 by hosting the Nazareth College Golden Flyers at 3:30 p.m.