The Lancaster Bible College women's tennis team wrapped up its season this weekend at the North Eastern Athletic Conference Championships in Clarks Summit, Pa. Though the Chargers lost in the NEAC Semifinals of the team portion of the event on Friday night, freshman Greta Strunk made program history as she became the first player to win a NEAC Tennis Championship. Not only did she win a NEAC Championship, Strunk won the No. 1 Singles Championship and was named NEAC Player of the Year and NEAC Rookie of the Year.

Prior to Strunk's big weekend, the Chargers lost on Friday night to Penn St. Berks, 5-0 in the NEAC Semifinals. Lancaster Bible dropped all three doubles matches and once the Chargers suffered two singles losses, the match was called as to save time and energy for the players. Senior Brianne Smith lost her flight three singles match, 6-3, 6-3, while fellow senior Stephanie Blest lost her No. 5 singles match, 6-1, 6-2.

On Saturday and Sunday, the Chargers began to pick up their play as the No. 1 doubles team of Greta Strunk and Lynndath Thelemaque won their opening round match, 8-2 over the second-seeded team from Penn St. Berks. The win was sweet for Strunk and Thelemaque because they had lost to Berks in doubles action just 24 hours prior in the NEAC Semifinals. In the finals, Strunk and Thelemaque battled, but fell short, losing to Penn St. Abington's Honora Hegarty and Madison Kimball, 8-1. For their second place finish however, both Strunk and Thelemaque earned NEAC All-Conference Second Team honors. 

Seniors Brianne Smith and Kayla Weaser dropped their opening match at No. 2 doubles, but rebounded to win their consolation match, 8-6 over the team from Penn College to secure third place and a spot on the NEAC All-Conference Third Team. The No. 3 doubles team of Stephanie Blest and Rachel Snyder followed the same path and lost their first match, only to recover and win their consolation match, 8-3 over the team from Wells.

Sunday belonged to Strunk, who came into the No. 1 singles tournament as the top seed after defeating everyone from the NEAC during the regular season. Strunk easily won her first match, defeating Melissa Stabley of Penn College, 6-1, 6-2. Strunk moved on to the championship match and faced Penn St. Abington's Honora Hegarty who she and Thelemaque had faced in the doubles tournament. Strunk started quickly and never looked back as she defeated Hegarty, 6-1, 6-2 and became the first Lancaster Bible player to ever win a NEAC Championship.

Because of the win, Strunk earned a NEAC All-Conference First Team selection and was named NEAC Player of the Year for winning the top flight. The NEAC coaches had voted Strunk NEAC Rookie of the Year prior to the tournament as she went a perfect 8-0 this season in NEAC singles play, including playoffs. Strunk's two singles victories give her 11 for the year, which is a new program-record for singles wins in a season. Strunk and Thelemaque also set the program record for doubles wins in a season with nine.



Thelemaque took part in the No. 2 singles tournament and lost her opening match, but rebounded to win her consolation match, 8-0 and earned a NEAC All-Conference Third Team selection. Smith dropped both of her matches in the No. 3 singles tournament, though she put up a good fight in her first match against the top-seeded player from Penn St. Abington, before losing, 6-4, 6-0.

Weaser also lost both of her matches in the No. 4 singles tournament, falling just short , 8-5 in the consolation match. Blest, playing in the No. 5 singles tournament, lost her opening match, but rebounded to win her consolation match, 8-3 over her opponent from Wells, and earned a NEAC All-Conference Third Team selection.

Sophomore Sarah Wetzel lost her first match as well, but like Blest and Thelemaque, came back to win her consolation match and earned a NEAC All-Conference Third Team selection.

Lancaster Bible's six team victories this season are the second-most in program history, behind only the 2010 team that won seven matches.