PSAC Tournament Release | Host Bloomsburg Site

INDIANA, PA - IUP returns to the postseason for the third straight season as the Crimson Hawks host rival Slippery Rock in the quarterfinals of the 2012 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Team Championships on Tuesday afternoon at the Maple Street Courts.

The Crimson Hawks qualify as the second seed in the West with a 4-1 divisional record while The Rock is the third seed with a 3-2 record.

IUP was victorious in the spring's first matchup, a dominant 8-1 road decision over The Rock. In that match the Crimson Hawks took all three doubles decisions, edging out wins in the first and second spots, 9-8 (8-6) and 9-7, respectively. And aside from a loss at number one and a three set win at number two in singles play, IUP was fairly decisive the rest of the match in the big victory.

The schools are still ranked identically from that match, as IUP is second in the Atlantic Region and 41st in the nation while Slippery Rock is third in the region and 44th in Division II.

Headlining the Crimson Hawks singles lineup is the 10th-ranked player in the Atlantic Region and last season's PSAC West Freshman of the Year, Tabtip Louhabanjong (Krabi, Thailand/West Anchorage (AK)). She'll be playing at number one where she has an 18-11 overall record, going 13-10 in dual matches, including a 3-2 conference mark. She's been on a hot streak recently, going 8-2 in her last 10 and has won four straight. She's also 4-3 against regionally-ranked competition this year, winning her last three in a row in that category, as two of those players had a higher ranking.

Tanya Timko (Cannonsburg, PA/Chartiers-Houston) will be playing at number two where she has a 10-4 record in that spot this season. Holding a ranking of 14th in the region, she's also seen action at number three where she's 5-4 on the year and has a 1-0 mark at number one, going 17-9 overall on the season. She's 3-2 in conference play this year.

Playing at number three will be Katie Eaton (Halesowen, United Kingdom/Haybridge), the latest PSAC West Athlete of the Week and 13th-ranked player in the region. Eaton has an impressive 11-2 record at that spot this season, including a 4-1 conference mark. She's won eight of her last 10 matches, has a 2-3 record against regionally-ranked opponents, and is 17-9 overall this year.

Abby McCormick (Bethel Park, Pa. /Bethel Park) is set to play at the number four spot for the Crimson Hawks, boasting an 18-7 overall record in singles play this year. She's seen action at spots three through six, and has a 7-4 record in the fourth position this season. She's gone 8-2 in her last 10 matches overall and is currently on a six-match winning streak.

Emilia Osborne (Leighton Buzzard, United Kingdom/Cedars ) is the 20th-ranked player in the Atlantic Region and will be going for the Crimson Hawks at number five, a spot where she is 6-2 on the year. A winner of five straight matches, she's lost just once in her last 10 overall and has a 14-8 record on the year.

IUP's leader in singles wins is Erika Schnaas (Mexico City, Mexico/Escuela Nacional Preparatoria ), who will be playing at number six for IUP. Boasting a 19-4 overall record on the year, she owns a 12-3 record in the sixth spot and has won seven straight overall. Schnaas has also seen action in the fifth spot where she has a 6-0 record.

In doubles play, Louhabanjong and Eaton will take their 19-8 overall record into the PSAC championships. Owning a 3-2 conference mark, the ninth-ranked team in the region has won seven straight matches and is an impressive 7-2 against regionally-ranked competition.

Osborne and Timko will be playing at number two for IUP where they have a 16-7 record this year. Winners of six straight matches, the duo has gone 3-1 in PSAC play and is 8-2 in their last 10 matches.

Playing in the number three spot will be Schnaas and Ranvita Mahto (Burlington, ON/Robert Bateman). These two have won six in a row and nine of their last 10 overall, carrying a 13-6 record into tournament play. Together they went 3-1 against conference foes this spring.

In the other quarterfinal matchup, East two-seed Kutztown will host Millersville on Tuesday as the winners of both matches advance to the semifinals at host site Bloomsburg on Friday afternoon. There, the winner of the IUP/Slippery Rock matchup will play East number one Bloomsburg while the Kutztown/Millersville winner will play West number one Cal. Those winners will square off in the team championship on Saturday morning at 8:30 a.m. in Bloomsburg.