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INDIANA, PA – After an opening round win over Mercyhurst, IUP will face Bloomsburg in the semifinals of the 2014 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Women's Tennis Championships on Thursday in West Chester.
 
The Crimson Hawks enter this weekend with a 15-8 overall record, including a 5-1 mark in the PSAC West to earn the second seed in the division. Bloomsburg holds the top seed in the East, going a perfect 6-0 in the division but 8-7 overall. IUP hosted Mercyhurst – the third seed in the West – in the quarterfinals on Monday, winning 5-1 while Bloomsburg got the automatic bye.
 
This is IUP's fourth consecutive trip to the PSAC championships, with each of the previous three trips ending in the finals to rival California (PA).
 
This year the Crimson Hawks are led by Tanya Timko (Cannonsburg, PA/Chartiers-Houston), IUP's No. 1 in both singles and doubles. Currently the region's eighth-ranked singles player, the junior has a record of 20-10, including a perfect 6-0 mark in PSAC West play. Her biggest win of the year came against Cal's Lucie Sipkova, who is the fifth-ranked player in Division II.
 
The two-time PSAC West Women's Tennis Athlete of the Week is also 6-0 against regionally-ranked opponents in the Atlantic and held a nine-match winning streak earlier this year.
 
She's 18-3 overall in doubles play, where she'll team with Erika Schnaas (Mexico City, Mexico/Escuela Nacional Preparatoria ) this weekend. The pair has a 9-1 record together this season, with their only loss being to Sipkova and Lucie Rey from Cal.
 
Sophie Butland (Taunton, Somerset U.K./Bishop Fox's Community School), a freshman, will get the nod at the No. 2 singles spot, where she picked up a 6-3, 6-4 win over Courtney Thompson from Mercyhurst in the quarterfinals. Schnass will go at No. 3 and has a 7-3 mark over her past 10 full matches.
 
Ranvita Mahto (Burlington, ON/Robert Bateman) will play at No. 4, posting an 8-5 record at that spot in duals, while Rachel Wood (Nottingham, U.K./West Bridgrord) brings her 9-5 record at No. 5 to that spot this weekend. Alanna McFail (Fort Washington, Md. /St. John's College ) will play at No. 6, also boasting a 9-5 mark at that spot.
 
The other two doubles teams are Butland and McFail at No. 2 and Mahto and Wood at No. 3. Butland and McFail are 7-3 together this year, including a 4-1 mark in the West while Mahto and Wood are 9-7 overall and 4-2 in the division.
 
In the other semifinal match, Cal (10-2, 6-0) will face West Chester (9-9, 5-1) in a battle of West No. 1 vs. East No. 2. The winners of both semifinal matches will then face off against each other on Friday at 12 p.m.