ANNVILLE, Pa. – After delivering standout seasons last year, All-Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Freedom honorees Catherine Stone and Katie Berra will aim to continue their success and lead the Lebanon Valley College women's tennis team back to the playoffs. LVC returns nine players who guided the team to last year's conference title match, while five newcomers will make their collegiate debuts this fall.
The Flying Dutchmen concluded a strong 2025-26 campaign with a 15-5 overall record and a 5-1 mark against MAC Freedom opponents. The squad reached the MAC Freedom Championship match against Stevens Institute of Technology for a second consecutive year and will seek a third appearance this season.
"I think we're going to be solid," Head Coach Noëlle Vahanian said. "We still aspire to be very competitive and have a great season. We have a few new players coming on, and I think multiple will stack up nicely against some of the players we already have to boost our lineup."
Stone, a senior and two-time All-MAC Freedom selection, led the Dutchmen in singles wins with a 13-4 overall record, and she tied for second in doubles victories by going 14-8. Berra, a junior and another two-time All-Conference honoree, will also be a key contributor, looking to build on a year in which she went 12-3 overall in singles competition (second-most singles wins on the team) and 13-4 overall in doubles play.
Lebanon Valley will also depend on graduate student Nikki Denbowski (led LVC with 16 doubles victories), juniors Erika Badner (tied for the second-most doubles wins on the team with 14) and Laken Kelly (third-most singles wins on the squad with 11), and senior Megan Martin. Additionally, the Dutchmen are eager to see what their first-year class brings to the table.
The Flying Dutchmen will start the campaign on Thursday, Sept. 17, at 4 p.m., at Bryn Mawr College. Lebanon Valley will then host Southern Virginia University on Saturday, Sept. 19, at 10 a.m., for its home opener at the Shankroff Tennis Center. Later that day at 3 p.m., LVC will host Susquehanna University.
The Dutchmen will close out their fall schedule on Saturday, Oct. 10, at 11 a.m., against Neumann University for a Homecoming matchup at the Shankroff Tennis Center. LVC will return to competition in the spring, as the squad works toward reaching the MAC Freedom Championship again. Lebanon Valley's schedule can be found here.
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