Denenberg Keys Diplomats to 5-4 Win over Elizabethtown in Women's Tennis

by Sports Information
9/19/05

LANCASTER, PA – Lizzy Denenberg (Sr., Wilmington, DE/Sanford School) defeated Stacy Shapiro 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 at #2 singles to give the Franklin & Marshall College women’s tennis team a 5-3 lead as the Diplomats defeated Elizabethtown College 5-4 in non-conference action in the final match on the F&M tennis courts.

The win avenges a 5-4 loss by F&M (2-0, 0-0 Centennial Conference) at Elizabethtown (4-2, 2-1 Middle Atlantic Commonwealth Conference) on September 5, 2004. The loss marked the first victory by a Blue Jays team in women's tennis over Franklin & Marshall since a 6-3 victory on April 3, 1984.

Historically, Franklin & Marshall now leads the all-time series with Elizabethtown 22-7 and is 15-1 in the last 16 meetings between the two programs.

The Diplomats jumped out to an early lead on the Blue Jays as Barbara Bee (Jr., Millersville, PA/Penn Manor) and Denenberg combined to fell Shapiro and Laurelyn Foderaro 8-5 at #1 doubles before Kate Gaskins (Jr., Richmond, VA/Mills Goodwin) and Dani Barish (Fr., Brooklandville, MD/St. Paul’s School for Girls) defeated Emma Smith and Kristy Trimbey 8-4 at #2. Elizabethtown halved the lead as Alice Yu and Heather Lander defeated Christy Henkel (So., Hatboro, PA/Hatboro-Horsham) and Julia Lange (Fr., Rochester, NY/School of the Arts) 8-0 at #3 doubles.

In singles, Gaskins dominated Smith 6-2, 6-1 at #1 and Jenna Ishkanian (So., Wyckoff, NJ/Ramapo) upended Trimbey 6-2, 6-3 at #6 to put the Diplomats in front 4-1 before Yu downed Barish 6-2, 6-0 at #4 and Lander defeated Margaret Seaman (Fr., Syracuse, NY) at #5 to pull the Blue Jays to within one match of tying F&M.

Due to darkness, the match was then moved to Lancaster Country Club as Denenberg wrapped up the victory by defeating Shapiro 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 for the deciding fifth match victory to hand Franklin & Marshall the win. Elizabethtown finished off the match as Foderaro held off Bee 7-6 (8-6), 4-6, 6-2 at #3 singles.

The match marked the final home contest for Franklin & Marshall on its current tennis courts, as the facility will be demolished to make way for the College’s new Science Center. Presently, new courts are being constructed on ground along Harrisburg Pike next to the Franklin & Marshall Alumni Sports & Fitness Center with an anticipated completion date prior to the team’s spring season.

Franklin & Marshall will continue the season on September 24-25 at the ITA Regional at the University of Mary Washington.

F&M 5, Elizabethtown 4
Doubles
(1) Bee & Denenberg (F&M) def. Shapiro & Foderaro (E), 8-5
(2) Barish & Gaskins (F&M) def. Smith & Trimbey (E), 8-4
(3) Yu & Lander (E) def. Henkel & Julia Lange (F&M), 8-0

Singles
(1) Katie Gaskins (F&M) def. Emma Smith (E), 6-2, 6-1
(2) Lizzy Denenberg (F&M) def. Stacy Shapiro (E), 6-4, 2-6, 6-2
(3) Laurelyn Foderaro (E) def. Barbara Bee (F&M), 7-6, 4-6, 6-2
(4) Alice Yu (E) def. Danielle Barish (F&M), 6-2, 6-0
(5) Heather Lander (E) def. Margaret Seaman (F&M), 6-0, 6-0
(6) Jenna Ishkanian (F&M) def. Kristy Trimbey (E), 6-2, 6-3