Titans’ Scudere sets record

How do you become a good women’s intercollegiate tennis player as a freshman, and then improve every year to become even better?

According to April Scudere, a junior on the Westminster College team from Brookfield High and Fowler, a player has to know or learn her opponents’ strengths and weaknesses, and be able to adjust strategy and tactics during the course of a match.

For example, last Saturday when Scudere was playing Tamara Nations (the top player in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference last season from perennial tournament champion Grove City College), she remembered why she lost to her last year in the PAC finals in two sets, and so devised a strategy against her.

“I had a plan [but] I had to adjust it halfway through the match, but then she changed her strategy and I had to adjust mine,” recalled Scudere, who rallied to upend Nations — the 2007 PAC Player of the Year and No. 1 singles champion — 6-4, 0-6, 6-2, to emerge as Westminster’s only winner in an 8-1 loss to the Wolverines.

“It’s a mental game” and “it’s a chess game.” And, “When you are not on, you stay in the game and adjust your game to beat them. When they are beating you, you don’t get down. You adjust your game. It is a work-in-progress.”

Scudere should know. Not only did she beat the best in the PAC, but she has become the best in the PAC and in the process a career record-holder at Westminster.

Scudere’s 39 career singles wins — 16-4 as a freshman, 10-11 as a sophomore and 13-4 so far this season entering the PAC championship meet this week Friday and Saturday — are the most in the 33-year history of women’s tennis at Westminster.

In addition, Scudere’s 16 wins as a freshman in 2006 are tied for the school record with junior teammate Hilary Newman, who went 16-5 in 2007. Newman has a team-best 14-3 record this year so far.

Westminster’s 12 wins establish school record

Scudere also has helped the Titans set a school record this year for most wins in one season (12) since tennis began at the school in 1976. The previous most wins were 10.

She was named PAC Player of the Week in Westminster’s 9-0 win over Waynesburg on Oct. 10 that tied the school record for most season wins with 10 .

Scudere was recognized for losing just one game en route to a perfect 6-0, 6-0 win in singles and 8-1 victory at doubles.

On Oct. 14, she won at both No. 1 singles and doubles as Westminster blanked Indiana (Pa.), 9-0, to set the school record with 11 wins.

This past Tuesday, Scudere won by shutouts at both singles and doubles as Westminster won its 12th match to end its regular season with an 8-1 win over Bethany.

Titans challenge Grove City again in PAC tournament

Westminster, coached by Scott Renninger, now will try to expand its record in the PAC championship meet slated today and Saturday at the Pennbriar Athletic Club in Erie, Pa., as Grove city (12-2 and 6-0 PAC) seeks its 22nd PAC title in a row.

The Titans were runners-up to Grove City the past two years in the PAC finals under Renninger, who was named PAC Men’s Tennis Coach of the Year both seasons.

Scudere, the daughter of Anthony and Barbara Scudere, is majoring in mathematics and minoring in secondary education with a 3.8-plus grade-point average.

Two other area players are on the Westminster team.

Dana Griesmer, a freshman from Canfield High, also won at both singles and doubles in the Titans’ record-breaking win over Indiana, and now has a 13-3 record at No. 4 singles.

Natalie Hruska, a sophomore from Hickory High and Hermitage, is 11-3 at No. 5 singles.

XJohn Kovach writes about college athletes for The Vindicator. Write him at kovach@vindy.com.