The Rutgers women’s tennis team has always looked to make an impact in the community andthis year has been no different.

The team has developed a partnership with Dr. Michael Nissenblatt and the Challah Bread Foun-dation. Members of the team help deliver challahs to cancer patients on the oncology floor atRobert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick.

In the past, the squad has also donated tennis balls to the Alexander Graham Bell Society for theDeaf 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 Im-plants. The balls are placed on the legs of desks and chairs in classrooms to minimize thescratching created by furniture movement.

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 valu-able dimension to the experience of participating on the Rutgers Women’s Tennis Team. In hiswords: “Playing on this team is really a vehicle for these young women to find their special placein the world.”

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 steppedonto campus in 1766, Rutgers has been a place that embraces the joy of learning. Withmore than 100 majors and 4,000 courses, Rutgers will provide you with an academic ex-perience 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 withHarvard, Princeton, Michigan and Stanford, amongst others, is recognition of the outstand-ing 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 theopportunity to play against some of the best college competition in the country. Practicesare organized and emphasize not only tennis and physical fitness training, but also mentaland emotional training. Our goal is to provide a challenging environment that never losesfocus on 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 Teamdistinction. Unique community service programs have brought recognition and distinctionto the team. This exciting and challenging opportunity will promote your continued develop-ment as a tennis player, as a student, and as a person!!

I look forward to hearing from you.

Ben Bucca, Jr.Women’s Tennis CoachRutgers University

Mailing Address: Rutgers Athlectic Center, 83 Rockafeller Road,Piscataway, NJ 08854

Phone: (732)445-7832 • Fax: (732)445-4623E-mail: bbucca@scarletknights.com

Benjamin S. Bucca, Jr.Head Coach-Women’s Tennis

WOMEN’S TENNIS TEAM GIVES BACK

Rutgers Women’s Tennis ScheduleFall 2012

SEPTEMBERWed. 12 NJIT Piscataway, N.J. 2 p.m.Fri. 21 - Sun. 23 Brown Invitational Providence, R.I. All DayOCTOBERSat. 6 - Mon. 8 USTA Invitational Flushing, N.Y. All DayTue. 16 Princeton Princeton, N.J. TBDFri. 19 - Mon. 22 ITA Regional West Point, N.Y. All Day

Spring 2013FEBRUARYSun. 3 DELAWARE Piscataway, N.J. 11 a.m.Thu. 7 Lehigh Bethlehem, Pa. 3 p.m.Sat. 9 Penn Philadelphia, Pa. NoonWed. 13 FARLEIGH DICKINSON Piscataway, N.J. 2 p.m.Sat. 16 Princeton Princeton, N.J. 12 p.m.Sun. 17 CINCINNATI Piscataway, N.J. 1 p.m.Sat. 23 Army West Point, N.Y. 1 p.mMARCHFri. 1 MARQUETTE Piscataway, N.J. 1 p.m.Tue. 5 UConn Storrs, Conn. 2 p.m.Sat. 9 West Virginia Morgantown, W.V. 1 p.m.Sun. 10 Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, Pa. 10 a.m.Sun. 17 California (PA) @ Nova Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. 11 a.m.Mon. 18 Barry Miami Shores, Fla. 3 p.m.Wed. 20 Nova Southeastern Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. 2 p.m.Wed. 27 Villanova Philadelphia, Pa. 2 p.m.Sat. 30 Yale New Haven, Conn. 1 p.m.APRILThu. 4 St. John’s Queens, N.Y. 2 p.m.Sun. 7 SYRACUSE Piscataway, N.J. 10 a.m.Wed. 10 SETON HALL Piscataway, N.J. 2 p.m.Sat. 13 Georgetown Washington, D.C. 11 a.m.Thu. 18 - Sun. 21 BIG EAST Championships Tampa, Fla. TBD

BOLD CAPS indicate home matches

Rutgers Tennis Facts

Sucess on and off the court... • Ranked in the Top 10 in the ITA Northeast Region for three years in a row

• ITA All-Academic Team seven of the last eight years

• A perfect Academic Progress Rate score of 1,000 in four of the past five years

• ITA Regional Sportsmanship Winner for three of the last five years, including the NationalSportsmanship winner in 2011

• Had a semifinalist two years in a row at the ITA Northeast Regional Singles Champi-onship

...at Rutgers University• A member of the Association of American Universities, which recognizes outstanding ac-ademic 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 missiondevoted 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 collegewith a large university setting

• Filled with Scholar-Athletes, including members of the Rutgers Women’s Tennis Team

Stefania BalasaYear: JuniorMajor: Exercise Science/PsychologyHometown: East Brunswick, N.J.

Lindsey KayatiYear: FreshmanMajor: Communications-JournalismHometown: Monroeville, N.J.

Noor JudehYear: SophomoreMajor: PsychologyHometown: Potomac, Md.

Lindsay BalsamoYear: SophomoreMajor: PsychologyHometown: Wall, N.J.

Head CoachBenjamin S. Bucca, Jr.

A native of central New Jer-sey, Ben Bucca is entering his10th season as head coach ofthe Rutgers women’s tennisprogram. Coach Bucca hasguided his teams to tremen-dous success both on the

court and in the classroom,while also spearheading community service projectscarried out by team members.

Coach Bucca has led the Scarlet Knights to BIG EAST-Tournament berths in eight of the last nine seasons,posting an overall record of 118-85 (.581).

Additionally, the team has garnered ITA All-Academichonors seven of the past eight years with numerousplayers receiving ITA All-Academic individual honors. In2009 and 2010, the Scarlet Knights garnered themost ITA Scholar-Athletes in all of Division I. Also, theteam under Bucca's leadership has had a nation-leadingperfect APR score – which measures graduation rateand player retention – four of the past five years.

In nine years, Coach Bucca has been significantly in-volved with national collegiate tennis committees. Buccais now on the ITA Northeast Region Committee. He isalso presently a member of the USTA Constitution andRules Committee, as well as the USTA/Eastern SectionConstitution and Bylaws Committee.

Last year, RU notched a 13-10 (.565) record, includinga 7-4 mark in conference play. Rising junior VanessaPetrini earned All-Big East Honors and graduating sen-ior Morgan Ivey was the recipient of the ITA/NortheastRegion Cissie Leary Sportsmanship award.

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 for23 years. During her time as a Scarlet Knight, she was the first RU tennis player tobe ranked nationally in both doubles and singles. A two-time captain during hertenure 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 Uni-versity to earn her Masters Degree in Health Education in 1990. She is employedfull time as a Program Manager with the New Jersey Department of Human Serv-ices. She enjoys the opportunity to offer guidance and support to the Rutgerswomen's tennis team.

She has two sons, Matthew and Robert, who are also avid fans of the Rutgers team.

Assitant Coach Hilary Ritchie

Hilary Ritchie begins her third season as an assistant coach. A former ColoradoState and Iowa standout, Ritchie arrived “On the Banks” after spending two seasonsas the assistant coach at Division III St. Lawrence University.

A letterwinner at Colorado State and Iowa, Ritchie played her senior campaign withthe Rams, posting a team-best 18-11 record at No. 1 singles and 22-2 record atNo. 1 doubles. The 22 wins marked the most doubles victories in CSU history andwere fifth all-time for career victories.

Ritchie received her Masters of Education while at St. Lawrence University. Shegraduated Cum Laude from Colorado State in 2008, with a bachelor of arts in

speech communication. She now resides in Scotch Plains, N.J.

Meet Your TeammatesBalasa, Balsamo, Judeh, Kayati, Li, Petrini, Sasinin and Zein

Gina LiYear: FreshmanMajor: Biomedical EngineeringHometown:Hillsborough, N.J.

Vanessa PetriniYear: JuniorMajor: CommunicationsHometown: Stamford, Conn.

Satreethai SasininYear: SophomoreMajor: ChemistryHometown: New Brunswick, N.J.

Mariam ZeinYear: FreshmanMajor: Pre-LawHometown: Sugarland, Texas