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By PAUL SOKOLOSKI; Times Leader Sports Writer
Tuesday, October 04, 1994     Page: 6B

KINGSTON — Running far and hard with her back to the net, Leah Rubin
pulled up with a spectacular blind lob that kept a Wyoming Valley West point
alive.
   
Later, a diving Rubin scraped her knee while splitting the defense of the
Berwick doubles team with another miraculous point.
    She was only doing what has become habit for overachieving Valley West.
   
“That’s the way I like to play,” Rubin said. “I like to play very
aggressive tennis.”
   
Led by double winners Rubin, Krisa Yurko and Kelly Whalen, the Spartanettes
took a 5-2 victory over Berwick and solidified a potential playoff spot Monday
at the Hamilton Park tennis courts.
   
“This team has exceeded all my expectations,” said Valley West coach Gail
Barket, whose team entered the season with three inexperienced singles
players. “(Now) they know they can win.
   
“I expect to make the playoffs.”
   
Valley West can do that by winning four of its five remaining matches —
all against weaker opponents. The Spartanettes improved to 8-1, and remained a
half-game behind 9-1 Wyoming Seminary in the Northeastern Pennsylvania Girls
Tennis Conference Southern Division. They’re leading the race for the
division’s two spots in the league playoffs, which open next week.
   
“This was really important,” said Rubin, who will join her Spartanette
teammates in a grueling schedule that includes matches during the next four
days. “We have five matches this week. We had to start off the week with a
win. We have to beat all these other teams to get into the playoffs.”
   
“We have matches all this week,” said her doubles partner Yurko. “Good to
get one of them out of the way.”
   
Berwick fell to 7-3, and must beat Valley West at Berwick Thursday, then
hope the Spartanettes lose again.
   
“I’m very disappointed,” Berwick coach Trinell Bull said. “We were just
looking forward to closing it up today.”
   
Instead, Valley West put two full games between the two schools.
   
“I played this match in my mind three times over the weekend,” Whalen said.
   
Rubin got Valley West off to a strong start, angling an array of shots to
beat respected Carolyn Cole, 6-4, 6-2 in the top singles match.
   
“She played very well, and she made me play really good tennis,” said
Rubin, 9-0 at her No. 1 spot and the division’s only unbeaten player at that
position. “I just tried to move her around a lot. I tried to play with
consistency.”
   
Her teammates were equally steady.
   
Yurko won 6-2, 6-2 at No. 2 singles, and Whalen took a 6-3, 6-2 victory at
No. 3.
   
“I was really ready,” Yurko said.
   
Whalen teamed with Jenn Clegg for a 6-0, 6-2 win at No. 3 doubles, and
Rubin joined Yurko for a hard-fought 6-4, 6-3 victory in the No. 1 doubles
match.
   
“Everything ended up falling together in doubles,” Rubin said. “We just
played so great as a team. Krisa’s serves were really good. I pounded a lot of
shots down the alley and had a lot of diving volleys.
   
“I don’t usually put balls away like that.”
   
Berwick gained a double victory from Julie Carey, who won at No. 4 singles,
with Judy Bognet in the second doubles match.
   
But in Valley West’s most crucial moment, Rubin came up with one of her
sharpest performances. And Valley West remained in the battle for the
divisional crown.
   
“Anything’s possible,” Barket said. “I hope we can do the same thing
against Berwick on Thursday.”
   
Berwick hopes not.
   
“Mentally, they were stronger than we were,” Bull said. “We came back later
in the second sets, we just weren’t strong right from the start.
   
“But we’ll be ready for Thursday.”
   
Singles: Rubin (WVW) def. Cole, 6-4, 6-2; Yurko (WVW) def. Height, 6-2,
6-2; Whalen (WVW) def. Bognet, 6-3, 6-2; Carey (Ber.) def. Michelstein, 6-3,
6-2.
   
Doubles: Rubin/Yurko (WVW) def. Cole/Height, 6-4, 6-3; Bognet/Carey (Ber.)
def. Michelstein/Brenner, 6-3, 6-3; Whalen/Clegg (WVW) def. Conner/Senchak,
6-0, 6-2.
   
Seminary 7, Tunkhannock 0
   
KINGSTON — Mandy Klaas, Lee Schottenfeld, Jessie Fried and Jen Janerich
all won twice as the Lady Blue Knights stayed at the top of the NEPTC by
sweeping the Lady Tigers.
   
Sem improved to 9-1 with four regular-season matches remaining, and stayed
a half-game ahead of 8-1 Valley West.
   
Singles: Klaas (Sem) def. Baldwin, 6-4, 6-0; Schottenfeld (Sem) def.
Klepacki, 6-0, 6-0; Fried (Sem) def. Mast, 6-2, 6-1; Janerich (Sem) def.
Place, 6-4, 6-1.
   
Doubles: Klaas/Schottenfeld (Sem) def. Baldwin/Klepacki, 6-3, 6-4;
Janerich/Williams (Sem) def. Mast/Maillet, 6-1, 6-4; Fried/Gale (Sem) def.
Place/Twordusky, 6-0, 6-2.
   
Seton Catholic 5, Hazleton 2
   
HAZLETON — Jessica Orlosky and Maria Romanko each picked up two victories
as the Lady Eagles won their third straight match.
   
The contest was continued from a match suspended by rain Sept. 22.
   
Anne Jorgensen won the top singles match for the Lady Cougars and Carlotta
Luxardo won at No. 3 for Hazleton.
   
Singles: Jorgensen (Haz.) def. Marchak, 4-6, 6-0, 7-5; Orlosky (SC) def.
Lucadamo, 6