Tennis Team Under New Coach, Seeks More Players
Published 09.15.2005
The Pennsylvania College of Technology tennis team has a new coach this season and he's looking to build the program from the ground up. In fact, he's still looking for players.
"I'm trying to get the word out on campus that there is a tennis team and we need people," Davis Santucci said. "We need any and all men and women (students) who would like to come out for tennis."
So far this season, the Wildcats have lost both of their matches and Santucci attributes part of that to the fact that the team has been forced for forfeit points on the women's side of the net.
Holding down the No. 1 men's singles position for the team is senior Spyke Krepshaw (Elysburg). Derek Paulhamus, a senior from South Williamsport, is playing at No. 4, while freshmen Craig Collier (East Stroudsburg), Rob Hayward (Griswold, Conn.) and Adam Wilson (Kane) still are eliminating for the other men's singles positions.
In Penn State University Athletic Conference matches, four points are awarded in men's singles, two in men's doubles, two in women's singles and one in women's doubles. Teams play a best-of-nine point format.
The lone woman on the squad so far is Angela Charcas (Palisades, N.J.).
Santucci succeeds Charlie Baum as coach. In six seasons under Baum, the Wildcats went 29-17 and captured the Eastern Pennsylvania Collegiate Conference and Pennsylvania Collegiate Athletic Conference championships in the spring of 2004.
The new coach was the No. 1 singles player at Lock Haven and Central Mountain high schools, and was ranked as high as No. 2 in singles and doubles at NCAA Division II Edinboro before the university dropped its tennis program. While completing his degree in criminal justice, Santucci was an assistant coach for two seasons at Penn State Altoona.
Now, Santucci said, "I want to give back to the game."