Women’s Fencing Expects Repeated Success for 2007-08 Season

HOBOKEN, N.J. (October 24, 2007) – After a solid 2006-07 campaign where the Stevens Institute of Technology women’s fencing team posted an 11-7 record, Head Coach Linda Vollkommer-Lynch (Hoboken, N.J.) has her sights on another championship-caliber season. During last year’s Eastern Women’s Fencing Conference Championship in February, Stevens recorded its 300th win in the history of the program. With the production of another 10-win season for the seventh-consecutive year the Ducks enter 2007-08 having produced seven EWFC all-stars and five NCAA Championship qualifiers last year.

Stevens will turn to its experienced epee team which earned the first-ever gold medal in Stevens history at the National Intercollegiate Women’s Fencing Association Championships last season. The squad will be led by senior Emily Freier (Manalapan, N.J.), who totaled 12 wins at the EWFC Championship where she landed second-team honors. Having accumulated 91 career wins, Freier is currently ranked third all-time in Stevens history. In addition, she captured first-place standing in the C-pool at the NIWFA Championships at the end of last season.

Junior Rachel Cannell (Asbury, N.J.) and sophomore Alexis Sowuleski (Little Silver, N.J.) will round out the top-three starters for the epee team. Cannell earned the bronze medal with her performance at the NIWFA Christmas Invitational. During the NIWFA Championships in March, she finished second overall in the A-pool in addition to having earned a bid to the NCAA’s. Sowuleski also qualified for the NCAA Championships as she claimed third place in the B-pool at the NIWFA Championship and ended up 24th overall in the opening round of the NCAA tournament.

“These ladies have worked extremely hard to accomplish these accolades over the past years, and I feel that they have the ability to defeat anyone they face,” said Vollkommer-Lynch. Two newcomers that are expected to make a significant impact at epee are freshmen Meagan Ritter (Whitehouse Station, N.J.) and Stephanie Spelman (Randolph, N.J.).

Juniors Beatrice Wilson (Chatham, N.J.) and Laura Sodon (West Milford, N.J.) will be competing with sophomore fencer Katelyn Seager (Newton, N.J.) for the starting positions in sabre. Sodon is coming off as an NCAA qualifier during the 2005-06 campaign.

In foil, the Ducks will rely on senior captain Natalia Chabebe (West New York, N.J.) for experience and leadership. Junior Khairun Nisa Aziz (Petaling Jaya, Malaysia) will lead the foil team as she took home All-EWFC second-team honors with a ninth-place showing at the EWFC Championships last year. Sophomore Rachel Rolfe (Largo, Fla.) is expected to be the third starter in foil.

“It will come down to a team effort to win overall matches this year. Having such a strong epee squad, we will need the sabre and foil teams to improve in order to secure team victories,” said Vollkommer-Lynch.

Vollkommer-Lynch has set the bar high for her squad as she will be working towards a conference title in 2007-08. She is looking for the epee team to defend its championship title, while strengthening the performance from the sabre and foil teams. The Ducks will be tested as they have added five Division I teams to this year’s schedule of - New Hampshire University, Temple University, Sacred Heart University, Farleigh Dickinson University and the United States Military Academy.