GAME PROGRAM INFO
Slippery Rock has moved away from printed game programs for all sports in 2023-24. This page will serve as the "Digital Game Program" for this week's game. To navigate to all gameday info for any SRU home events this year, simply visit rockathletics.com/gameday or scan the QR code on the "Gameday Info" posters hanging in each facility.
 

Slippery Rock vs. Mercyhurst
The Rock (9-6, 2-1)	Mercyhurst (12-4, 2-1)
Roster	Roster
Schedule	Schedule
Statistics	Statistics
Coach Matt Meredith	Coach Jerome Simon
Program Records	-
PSAC Standings
PSAC Schedule
SRU Tennis Courts

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. - In the penultimate week of its 2024 regular season, the Slippery Rock University women's tennis team will play an important Atlantic Region match 4 p.m. Tuesday against Mercyhurst University at the SRU Tennis Courts.
 
LIVE COVERAGE
In-match results for the Mercyhurst match will be provided by the SRU Women's Tennis program.
 
MATCH 16 DETAILS
Opponent: Mercyhurst
Date: Tuesday – 4 p.m.
Location: SRU Tennis Courts
Live Results: Link
All-Time Series: SRU leads 20-14
Last Played: April 20, 2023 (W, 4-3)
 
SERIES HISTORY
Two of the elite programs in the Atlantic Region, The Rock and Lakers have met in the postseason four times over the last six years. All told, Slippery Rock has won four straight matches against Mercyhurst to improve its record in the series to 20-14.
 
A year ago, The Rock earned a 5-2 victory in the regular season meeting with Mercyhurst followed by a tight 4-3 triumph against MU in the quarterfinals of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division Tournament.
 
Individually, Gabriela del Val del Toro has performed near flawlessly over her career against Mercyhurst athletes as she is 6-1 all-time when facing her Mercyhurst counterparts including wins against active Lakers Roisin Murphy (2-1) and Valentine Budin (1-0).
 
Tina Slovak is also 2-1 against present day members of the Mercyhurst roster with a win over Budin and a 1-1 mark against Kiersten Brown.
 
BALAGUER BRAU EARNS WEEKLY HONOR
For the second time this season, Balaguer Brau earned PSAC West Athlete of the Week accolades, the league office announced Monday.
 
Balaguer Brau earned the honor after helping to lead The Rock to a perfect 3-0 record last week with conference shutouts of Seton Hill University and Clarion as well as a 6-1 Atlantic Region victory over West Chester University.
 
Playing out of the No. 1 singles flight as well as The Rock's top doubles position with partner Nicole Kempton, Balaguer Brau produced a total of six wins with three victories in both disciplines.
 
REGIONAL RANKINGS ON DECK
The first installment of the NCAA Atlantic Region rankings are scheduled to be released Wednesday.
 
The NCAA regional rankings determine the participants for the NCAA Tournament. The Atlantic Region consists of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC), the Mountain East Conference (MEC), the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) and select independent institutions within the region's borders.
 
All three conference tournament champions receive an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament with the next four highest ranked teams in the final regional rankings receiving at-large bids.
 
No stranger to the postseason, Slippery Rock has qualified for the NCAA Tournament 19 times dating back to the 1995-96 season. More recently, SRU has earned a spot in the national tournament in each of the last five years the event has been held.
 
ITA NATIONAL RANKINGS
(As of 4/10)
 
Singles
No. 55 Kayla Dean (MU)
No. 72 Amaia Balaguer Brau (SRU)
 
Doubles
No. 49 Kayla Dean / Roisin Murphy (MU)
 
SLIPPERY ROCK PRIMER
• Roster: Link
• Stats: Link
• Overall Record: 9-6
• PSAC West Record: 2-1
• PSAC West Standings: t-2nd
• Home Record: 4-0
• Away Record: 3-3
• Neutral Site Record: 2-3
• Streak: W3
• Last Five Matches: 3-2
• Head Coach: Matt Meredith | 26th season (372-212, .637)
 
LAST TIME OUT
Slippery Rock earned a 6-1 Atlantic Region victory at home over West Chester University on April 14.
 
SCOUTING THE ROCK
• One of four Rock athletes that will bring personal three-match winning streaks into the Mercyhurst match, Balaguer Brau competes out of the top flight for SRU. She has strung together a solid 13-9 overall record while going 9-5 atop The Rock's lineup.
 
• At 14-7 overall, including a 9-4 mark out of the second flight, no SRU athlete has a better singles record than del Val del Toro who also recently became the sixth winningest athlete in program history with 132 career victories (singles + doubles).
 
• After going just 4-6 to begin her sophomore season, Sakhanova has returned to form as the 2023 PSAC West Freshman of the Year has rattled off victories in seven of her last 10 completed matches to improve her record to a healthy 11-9 overall and 8-5 in third-flight action.
 
• Few, if any, freshmen are enjoying better rookie campaigns than Kempton. The rookie is 12-5 on the year with matching 5-2 records out of both the fourth and fifth flights.
 
• Slovak is in the midst of a breakout year. The sophomore native of Reading, England boasts a 10-2 overall singles record which includes a near perfect 8-1 dual match mark. She is 4-1 from the fifth flight and 4-0 from the sixth slot.
 
• Balaguer Brau and Kempton lead The Rock's doubles contingent at 9-6 in the first flight followed by Slovak / Sakhanova (6-7) and del Val del Toro / Nuria Martin Lopez (7-2).
 
MERCYHURST PRIMER
• Overall Record: 12-4
• PSAC West Record: 2-1
• PSAC West Standings: t-2nd
• Home Record: 8-1
• Away Record: 2-3
• Neutral Site Record: 2-0
• Streak: W1
• Last Five Matches: 2-3
• Head Coach: Jerome Simon
 
LAST TIME OUT
Mercyhurst posted a 7-0 shutout of Edinboro on April 10.
 
PROBABLE LINEUP (DUAL MATCH RECORD)
Singles
1-Kayla Dean: 14-2
2-Daria Rogova: 12-4
3-Roisin Murphy: 12-4
4-Sara Bertolez Puente: 10-5
5-Kiersten Brown: 10-5
6-Valentine Budin: 9-6
Doubles
1-Dean / Murphy: 11-5
2-Bertolez Puente / Rogova: 11-4
3-Brown / Budin: 11-4
 
UP NEXT
Slippery Rock hosts California (Pa.) 4 p.m. April 24 on Senior Day at the SRU Tennis Courts.






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