March 11, 2001

BOCA RATON, Fla. (www.lafayette.edu) - Freshman Monika Serrano (Caracas, Venezuela/Wallenpaupak) registered the lone singles win for Lafayette as the women's tennis team fell to Rutgers, 5-2, in its spring season opener. The Leopards' meeting with the Scarlet Knights was the first of three contests scheduled during Lafayette's Spring Break trip to Boca Raton, Fla.

Serrano, who won the Patriot League No. 5 seed title in October, beat Andrea Wechstein of Rutgers, 6-2, 6-4 in No. 5 singles while teaming with Ali Kelley (Little Silver, N.J./Red Bank Catholic) to defeat Jennifer Hellier and Kaitlin Link, 9-7, in No. 3 doubles.

The loss drops Lafayette to 7-2 on the 2000-01 season and keeps head coach Barbara Young one win shy of her 300th career victory with the program.

The Leopards jump back into action on Tuesday vs. Seton Hall and wrap up their trip with a match against Northwood University on Wednesday.

Singles Results
#1 Carissh Sommerlad (RU) def. Meghan Rowe (LC) 6-2, 6-2
#2 Jennifer Hellier (RU) def. Lily Fardshisheh (LC) 6-2, 6-3
#3 Kristin Shaughnessey (RU) def. Shannon Rowe (LC) 7-6 (7-4), 6-2
#4 Amanda Travlos (RU) def. Felicia Turturiello (LC) 6-2, 6-2
#5 Monika Serrano (LC) def. Andrea Wechstein (RU) 6-2, 6-4
#6 Kaitlin Link (RU) def. Ali Kelley (LC) 4-6, 6-2, 6-0

Doubles Results
#1 Shaughnessey/Travlos (RU) def. Fardshisheh/S. Rowe (LC) 8-2
#2 Sommerlad/Wechstein (RU) def. M.Rowe/Turturiello (LC) 8-4
#3 Serrano/Kelley (LC) def. Hellier/Link (RU) 9-7