The Yellow Jacket Women's Tennis Program is Among the Best in Division III
The 2010 OAC Champions
The Baldwin-Wallace College women's tennis program is one of the finest in both the Ohio Athletic Conference and in the Great Lakes Region of Division III. Every year, Head Coach Jack Bethlenfalvy's women's team is a contender for both an OAC title and a berth in the NCAA Division III National Tournament. The ultimate goal is to win a Division III National Championship.
"We feel that our women's tennis program is one of the best in the OAC and Central Region of the ITA (Intercollegiate Tennis Association)," said 26-year Head Coach Jack Bethlenfalvy, who is the winningest women's tennis coach in OAC history with 296 victories. "Our ultimate goal is to win a national title."
"Each year, we begin the season with goals of winning an OAC regular season title, then an OAC Tournament title and to go as far as possible in the national tournament. The past several years have been a great experience for our young women with three trips to the NCAA Championships in four seasons.
"In addition, we challenge each of our young women to do as well as possible in the classroom and to be active and effective leaders on our campus," said Bethlenfalvy. "We are proud of the fact that we have a significant amount of our players also earn Academic All-OAC honors each year."
The Yellow Jackets made their third NCAA Tournament
appearance in four seasons in 2010.
Three OAC Titles and NCAA Division III National Tournament Appearances in Four Seasons
In 2009-10, B-W compiled an 18-8 overall record with both an OAC regular season and OAC Tournament Championship. The Yellow Jackets also made their third trip to the NCAA Championship Tournament in four years and reeled off a school-record 15 straight wins entering the tournament.
The 2007-2008 squad compiled an 18-7 record and played the toughest overall schedule in Coach Bethlenfalvy's 26 years. The Yellow Jackets won their second straight OAC regular season title with a 9-0 record, captured their second consecutive OAC Tournament crown and extended their winning streak versus OAC opponents to 24 matches in a row and advanced to the NCAA Division III National Tournament for the second straight year.
In 2006-2007, the Yellow Jackets finished with a school-record 25 victories and had a 25-3 overall record. They won the OAC regular season title with a 9-0 record, captured the OAC Tournament crown and then advanced to their first-ever NCAA Division III National Tournament. At the NCAA tourney, B-W defeated Albion College of Michigan to mark the first-ever NCAA Tournament win by a women's team from the OAC.
"We were extremely proud to represent the OAC and win the first-ever match by an OAC school in the NCAA tourney," said Bethlenfalvy. "Then to lose our top two players off that team and come back to win the OAC titles again in 2007-08 was a true testament to our student-athletes."
During Bethlenfalvy's 26 years at the College, the women's tennis program has had 22 seasons with a .500 or better record and it has captured four OAC titles (1999, 2007, 2008 and 2010).
The 2008 OAC Champions
The Fall Season
The Yellow Jackets begin the season in the fall and traditionally travel to play in one invitational tournament and at the ITA Central Region Tournament. Occasionally, B-W will play one or more dual matches. Most of the time is spent in training and building team unity for the spring and OAC season.
The Winter Training and Spring Break Trip to Hilton Head, South Carolina
The winter season begins in February and is used to prepare the team for its annual Spring Break Trip to Hilton Head, South Carolina. In Hilton Head, Bethlenfalvy's team plays five-to-seven dual matches and he seeks to play the best possible opponents.
"We go to Hilton Head for three reasons," said Bethlenfalvy. "We utilize the experience to train, play good competition and have fun and continue to build team unity and cohesiveness. Our student-athletes need a break following the first half of winter semester and Hilton Head offers a laid-back atmosphere where we can play some good tennis and have a lot of fun. The kids really enjoy the trip."
The Northern Schedule, the OAC and the Division III National Tournament
The spring season begins as soon as the team returns from Hilton Head. The Northeastern Ohio weather doesn't always have to cooperate either.
B-W plays its matches at the "Pop" Collins Tennis Complex that is located on campus and named after former professor and coach Arthur "Pop" Collins (see more on the "Pop" Collins Courts on the Facilities page). If there is inclement weather, the Yellow Jackets have the option of playing matches indoors on campus at the outstanding and newly-renovated Lou Higgins Center or at any one of three racquet clubs on the west side of Cleveland.
"Our facilities are excellent," said Bethlenfalvy. "When you combine the "Pop" Collins Courts with the Higgins Center and the opportunity to play at a number of local racquet clubs, it gives our program a big advantage over many, many others. Plus, the support from our administration is among the best in Division III."
B-W plays in the prestigious 10-team Ohio Athletic Conference. Each OAC team plays the other nine and the team with the best regular season record is the OAC regular season champion and top seed in the OAC Tournament. The winner of the OAC Tournament receives an automatic berth in the Division III National Tournament.
The OAC Tournament at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio
The top eight teams during the OAC regular season qualify for the OAC Tournament. First round matches are played on campus sites with the top four seeds receiving a home court advantage.
The past few years, the OAC Tournament Final Four has been played at the nationally-renown Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio. The facility has 10 courts and a main center court that has been the site of numerous professional and amateur championship events.
"It is a great privilege for our student-athletes to have the opportunity to play in Mason and at the Lindner Family Tennis Center," said Bethlenfalvy. "Our young ladies have thrived there. Obviously they like the facility and the experience as we have won three OAC Tournament titles there. It is a great experience and certainly one that not every college tennis student-athlete gets the opportunity to have."