Benjamin S. Bucca, Jr. Head Coach-Women’s Tennis Dear Prospect: Thank you for your interest in Rutgers University and our women’s tennis program. Rutgers is the State University of New Jersey. Since the first students stepped onto campus in 1766, Rutgers has been a place that embraces the joy of learning. With more than 100 majors and 4,000 courses, Rutgers will provide you with an academic experience that will allow you to explore your interests and discover your place in the world! Rutgers’ membership in the prestigious Association of American Universities, along with Harvard, Princeton, Michigan and Stanford, amongst others, is recognition of the outstanding academic and research opportunities available at Rutgers. In intercollegiate athletics, Rutgers is a member of the BIG EAST Conference. With our fall tournament schedule and spring BIG EAST team schedule, you will have the opportunity to play against some of the best college competition in the country. Practices are organized and emphasize not only tennis and physical fitness training, but also mental and emotional training. Our goal is to provide a challenging environment that never loses focus of the fact that playing tennis on a college team is fun!! Participation on the team is more than just practicing forehands and backhands. Academics are emphasized as our team has consistently earned an ITA All Academic Team distinction. Unique community service programs have brought recognition and distinction. This exciting and challenging opportunity will promote your continued development as a tennis player, as a student, and as a person!! I look forward to hearing from you.
Ben Bucca, Jr. Women’s Tennis Coach Rutgers University
Mailing Address: Rutgers Athlectic Center, 83 Rockafeller Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854 Phone: (732)445-7832 • Fax: (732)445-4623 E-mail: bbucca@scarletknights.com
WOMEN’S TENNIS TEAM GIVES BACK The Rutgers women’s tennis team has always looked to make an impact in the community and this year has been no different. For this year’s Presidential election, the entire team gathered and voted as a team. Additionally Caitlin Baker was appointed by the Mayor of the City of New Brunswick to the Rent Control Board. Both are great examples of how getting involved in the community can be very rewarding. “The team really felt great after voting and I know Caitlin is very excited to be a voting member of the Rent Control Board,” said head coach Ben Bucca. “I am very proud of the team for putting their political consciousness into action.” The team also donated tennis balls to the Alexander Graham Bell Society for the Deaf and Hearing Impaired. The team donated over 500 tennis balls this year. The tennis balls are used to eliminate noise interference for deaf children with Cochlear Implants. The balls are placed on the legs of desks and chairs in classrooms to minimize the scratching created by furniture movement. Gary Kirsch, president of the Alexander Graham Bell Society, and his daughter, Emma, came to the Rutgers Tennis courts to demonstrate Cochlear Implant technology and to give the team the opportunity to meet Emma, who is deaf. With the help of the tennis balls, Emma is able to attend public school in Piscataway, NJ. The team has also developed a partnership with Dr. Michael Nissenblatt and the Challah Bread Foundation. Members of the team help deliver challahs to cancer patients on the oncology floor at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick. Additionally, the team participates with area youth in promoting the great game of tennis! According to Coach Ben Bucca, these and other community service projects add another valuable dimension to the experience of participating on the Rutgers Women’s Tennis Team. In his words: “Playing on this team is really a vehicle for these young women to find their special place in the world.”
Rutgers Tennis Facts
Rutgers Women’s Tennis Schedule Fall 2011 SEPTEMBER Thu. 15 Fri. 23 - Sun. 25 OCTOBER Sat. 8 - Mon. 10 Tue. 18 Thu. 20 - Mon. 24
Sucess on and off the court... • Won over 65 % of matches in the last four years (16-7 in 2010) • Ranked in the ITA Northeast Region three years in a row • ITA All-Academic Team five years in a row • Most individual ITA All-Academic Honorees in all of Div. I for two out of the last three years • In the last eight years, no player has transferred and all players have graduated on time • A perfect Academic Progress Rate score of 1000 • In 2011, the ITA National Arthur Ashe Sportsmanship and Leadership Award winner
...at Rutgers University • A member of the Association of American Universities, which recognizes outstanding academic and research programs and includes 63 universities, among them Harvard, Princeton, Duke and Michigan • Ranked consistently as one of the top state universities in the country, with a mission devoted to providing outstanding academic and athletic opportunities • A university with an average student to teacher ration of 15:1, which creates an academic environment in which students have to opportunities of a small college with a large university setting • Filled with Scholar-Athletes, including members of the Rutgers Women’s Tennis Team
NJIT Brown Invitational
Piscataway, N.J. Providence, R.I.
2 p.m. All Day
USTA Invitational Columbia ITA Regional
Queens, N.Y. New York, N.Y. New Haven, Conn.
All Day 1 p.m. All Day
Bethlehem, Pa. Piscataway, N.J. Piscataway, N.J. Princeton, N.J. Piscataway, N.J. Syracuse, N.Y. Piscataway, N.J.
3 p.m. 10 a.m. 1 p.m. Noon 1 p.m. 10 a.m. 1 p.m.
Milwaukee, Wisc. Milwaukee, Wisc. Charleston, S.C. Charleson, S.C. Charleston, S.C. Piscataway, N.J. Piscataway, N.J. New Haven, Conn.
2 p.m. 10 a.m. 10 a.m. 2 p.m. 2 p.m. 2 p.m. 2 p.m. 2 p.m.
Piscataway, N.J. Piscataway, N.J. South Orange, N.J. Piscataway, N.J. Piscataway, N.J. Tampa, Fla.
TBD 2 p.m. 2 p.m. Noon Noon TBD
Spring 2010 FEBRUARY Thu. 2 Lehigh Sun. 5 FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON Fri. 10 QUINNIPIAC Sun. 12 Princeton Fri. 17 ARMY Sun. 19 Syracuse Fri. 24 GEORGETOWN MARCH Fri. 2 Marquette Sat. 3 DePaul Sun. 11 College of Charleston Mon. 12 Boston University Wed. 14 Charleston Southern Thu. 22 Villanova Sun. 25 ST. JOHN’S Fri. 30 Yale APRIL Sun. 1 Denver Wed. 4 UCONN Thu. 12 Seton Hall Sat. 14 Pittsburgh Sun. 15 West Virginia Thu. 19 - Sun. 22 BIG EAST Championships BOLD CAPS indicate home matches
Meet Your Teammates Balasa, Green, Holzberg, Ivey, Milchutskey, Petrini, Slatnick, Zhang Head Coach Benjamin S. Bucca, Jr. A native of central New Jersey, Ben Bucca is entering his ninth season as head coach of the Rutgers women’s tennis program. Coach Bucca has guided his teams to tremendous success both on the court and in the classroom, while also spearheading community service projects carried out by team members.
Stefania Balasa
Michelle Green
Jennifer Holzberg
Year: Freshman Major: Undeclared Hometown: East Brunswick, N.J.
Year: Sophomore Major: Undeclared Hometown: Hilton Head Island, S.C.
Year: Junior Major: Business Hometown: Easton, Conn
Morgan Ivey
Maryana Milchutskey
Vanessa Petrini
Year: Junior Major: Undeclared Hometown: Mt. Pleasant, S.C.
Year: Junior Major: Communication Hometown: Holmdel, N.J.
Year: Freshman Major: Undeclared Hometown: Stamford, Conn.
Coach Bucca has led the Scarlet Knights to BIG EAST Tournament berths in seven of the last eight seasons, posting an overall record of 105-75 (.583). Additionally, the team has garnered ITA All-Academic honors the past five of the past six years with numerous players receiving ITA All-Academic individual honors. In 2009 and 2010, the Scarlet Knights garnered the most ITA Scholar-Athletes in all of Division I. Also, the team under Bucca's leadership has had a nation-leading perfect APR score – which measures graduation rate and player retention – the past four years. In eight years, Coach Bucca has gained membership on two of the most prestigious National Collegiate Tennis Committees. Bucca has been a member of the Division I Operating Committee for the ITA and the USTA Collegiate Committee. He is presently a member of the USTA Tennis on Campus National Committee and has also been a member of the Board of Directors for the Eastern Tennis Association. Last year, RU notched a 16-7 record, including a 7-3 mark in conference play. The squad defeated West Virginia in the first round of the BIG EAST Championship before falling to DePaul in the quarterfinals.
Leonora Slatnick
Amy Zhang
Year: Junior Major: Cell Biology and Neuroscience Hometown: Austin, Texas
Year: Senior Major: Computer Science Hometown: Plano, Texas
Coach Bucca resides in New Brunswick with his wife, Christine, and their two children, Ben and Annie.
Volunteer Coach Geralyn Molinari Geralyn Molinari has been a volunteer assistant coach with the Scarlet Knights for 21 years. During her time as a Scarlet Knight, she was the first RU tennis player to be ranked nationally in both doubles and singles. A two-time captain during her tenure at Rutgers, she was named team Most Valuable Player in 1986 and 1988. After graduating from Douglass College in 1988, Molinari went to Penn State University to earn her Masters Degree in Health Education in 1990. She is employed full time as a Program Manager with the New Jersey Department of Human Services. She enjoys the opportunity to offer guidance and support to the Rutgers women's tennis team. She has two sons, Matthew and Robert, who are also avid fans of the Rutgers team.
Assitant Coach Hilary Tyler Hilary Tyler begins hers second season as an assistant coach. A former Colorado State and Iowa standout, Tyler arrived “On the Banks” after spending two seasons as the assistant coach at Division III St. Lawrence University. A letterwinner at Colorado State and Iowa, Tyler played her senior campaign with the Rams, posting a team-best 18-11 record at No. 1 singles and 22-2 record at No. 1 doubles. The 22 wins marked the most doubles victories in CSU history and were fifth all-time for career victories. Tyler received her Masters of Education while at St. Lawrence University. She graduated Cum Laude from Colorado State in 2008, with a bachelor of arts in speech communication. She now resides in Scotch Plains, N.J.