BUCKNELL INVITATIONAL
Friday, Sept. 20 - Saturday, Sept. 21
Lewisburg, Pa. 

MOUNT UPDATE: After competing against Bucknell as part of the Mount St. Mary's Invitational, the Mount will head to the Bison's home courts to take part in the Bucknell Invitational Sept. 20-21. The Mount will be competing for the third time this fall with one more invitational and four matches still on the schedule.

INVITATIONAL FORMAT: The opening day on Friday, Sept. 20, will include two rounds of doubles and one round of singles play beginning at 3 p.m. Action will conclude on Saturday with the doubles finals as well as the semifinals and finals for singles.

COMPETING TEAMS: Mount St. Mary's, Bucknell, Villanova and Bloomsburg

LAST TIME OUT: The Mount turned in a successful home debut with the Mount St. Mary's Invitational last weekend. Sisters Kelly Smith and Jennifer Smith captured the consolation bracket for Flight A doubles with an 8-4 win over teammates Samantha Pinchoff and Erin Benefiel. Picking up singles consolation bracket wins in the finals of their respective flights were Kelly Smith (Flight B), Benefiel (Flight C), Taylor D'Agostino (Flight D) and Kayla Barrett (Flight E).

AT LAST YEAR'S EVENT:  Taylor D'Agostino put together a strong weekend at last fall's Bucknell Invitational with a second place finish in Flight C singles. In Flight A doubles, the tandem of Samantha Pinchoff and Kelly Conroy qualified for the semifinals, as did Liz Rossi and Carly Landini.

WELCOME BACK: Half of the team's starters for singles are back with another year of experience. Samantha Pinchoff, the Mount's No. 2 singles player from last season, is back for her senior season after winning 10 singles matches in 2012-13. No. 5 singles player Liz Rossi, who tied for second on the team with 17 singles wins and Jennifer Smith, the Mount's No. 6 singles player from last year, is also returning. The Mount will look to replace starters Kelly Conroy, Renee Deane and Carly Landini, who all graduated.

NEW TO THE MOUNT: Phil Hammond found talent from around the nation to complete this year's recruiting class. Four freshmen including Kelly Smith from Davenport, Wash., Elizabeth Milano from Marietta, Ga., Erin Benefiel from Lake Mary, Fla. and Kayla Barrett from Orange, Conn. made their collegiate debuts this fall.

COACHING STAFF: Head Coach Phil Hammond is entering his 10th season at the helm for the Mount. In his first nine seasons, Hammond has built both the men's and women's programs into perennial contenders in the Northeast Conference. On the women's side, Hammond's coaching record is 117-83, while putting together an 88-103 mark with the men's team.

UP NEXT: The Mount will play its first dual of the season on Wednesday, Sept. 25, when Shepherd makes the trip to Emmitsburg for a mid-week showdown. The first serve is slated for 3 p.m.