The Rutgers women’s tennis team has always looked to make an impact in the community andthis year has been no different. For this year’s Presidential election, the entire team gatheredand voted as a team. Additionally Caitlin Baker was appointed by the Mayor of the City of NewBrunswick to the Rent Control Board. Both are great examples of how getting involved in thecommunity can be very rewarding.

“The team really felt great after voting and I know Caitlin is very excited to be a voting member ofthe Rent Control Board,” said head coach Ben Bucca. “I am very proud of the team for puttingtheir political consciousness into action.”

The team also donated tennis balls to the Alexander Graham Bell Society for the Deaf and Hear-ing 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.

Gary Kirsch, president of the Alexander Graham Bell Society, and his daughter, Emma, came tothe Rutgers Tennis courts to demonstrate Cochlear Implant technology and to give the team theopportunity to meet Emma, who is deaf. With the help of the tennis balls, Emma is able to attendpublic school in Piscataway, NJ.

The team has also developed a partnership with Dr. Michael Nissenblatt and the Challah BreadFoundation. Members of the team help deliver challahs to cancer patients on the oncology floorat Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick.

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 of 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 distinction.This exciting and challenging opportunity will promote your continued development as a ten-nis 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 Schedule

Fall 2009

Fri., Sat., Sun. Brown Invitational Providence, R.I.Sept. 25-27

Sat., Sun., Mon. USTA Invitational Queens, N.Y.Oct. 10-12

Tues., Oct. 20 Columbia New York, N.Y.

Fri., Sat., Sun. ITA Regional New Haven, Conn.Oct. 23-25

Spring 2010

Sun., Jan. 31 Syracuse Syracuse, N.Y.

Thur., Feb. 4 FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON RU Tennis Complex

Fri., Feb. 12 Lehigh Bethlehem, Pa.

Sun., Feb. 14 Maryland College Park, Md.

Sat., Feb. 20 Binghamton Ithaca, N.Y.

Sun., Feb. 21 Cornell Ithaca, N.Y.

Thur., Feb. 25 GEORGETOWN RU Tennis Complex

Sun., March 7 ARMY RU Tennis Complex

Wed., March 10 VILLANOVA RU Tennis Complex

Sun., March 114 Towson State Miami, Fla.

Mon., March 15 Barry Miami, Fla.

Wed., March 17 Nova Southeastern Miami, Fla.

Thur., March 25 Princeton Princeton, N.J.

Sat., March 27 PITTSBURGH RU Tennis Complex

Wed., March 31 Connecticut Storrs, Conn.

Tues., April 6 Seton Hall South Orange, N.J.

Sat., April 10 DePaul Milwaukee, Wis.

Sun., April 11 Marquette Milwaukee, Wis.

Thur., April 15 ST. JOHN’S RU Tennis Complex

Sat., April 17 WEST VIRGINIA RU Tennis Complex

Thur., April 22 Pittsburgh (BIGEAST Champ.) Notre Dame, Ind.

Fri., April 23 USF (BIG EAST Champ.) Notre Dame, Ind.

BOLD CAPS indicate home matches

Rutgers Tennis Facilities

The main tennis facility for the Rutgers University Women’s Tennis Team is our outdoortennis complex and adjacent tennis house. The tennis house is used for all team meetingsand is also where video analysis takes place. In addition, indoor courts are located in the on-campus Tennis Center.

Strength training and conditioning is overseen by both the coaching staff and a full-timestrength coach. Conditioning takes place not only on the court, but also in Rutgers’ state-of-the-art, fitness/strength training facilities.

Mental and emotional training are important components of our program. Players benefit fromtraining techniques that promote concentration, enhance emotional control and foster appropri-ate relaxation – all geared towards enhancing on-court intensity and competitiveness.

Rutgers is…

• A member of the Association of American Universities, which recog-nizes outstanding academic and research programs and includes 63universities, among them Harvard, Princeton, Duke and Michigan

• Ranked consistently as one of the top state universities in the coun-try, with a mission devoted to providing outstanding academic and ath-letic opportunities

• A university with an average student to teacher ration of 15:1, whichcreates an academic environment in which students have to opportunitiesof a small college with a large university setting

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

Katherine ArlakYear: SeniorMajor: Journalism and EnglishHometown: Leonia, N.J.

Amy ZhangYear: JuniorMajor: Computer ScienceHometown: Plano, Texas

Christine TranYear: SeniorMajor: Journalism and MediaStudies, EnglishHometown: Centreville, Va.

Caitlin BakerYear: SeniorMajor: Criminal JusticeHometown: Altoona, Pa.

Head CoachBenjamin S. Bucca, Jr.A native of central New Jer-sey, Ben Bucca is entering hiseighth season as head coachof the Rutgers Women’s Ten-nis program. Coach Buccahas guided his teams totremendous success both onthe court and in the class-

room, while also spearheading community service proj-ects carried out by teammembers.

Coach Bucca has led the Scarlet Knights to BIG EASTTournament berths in six of the last seven seasons,posting an overall record of 89-68 (.567). Additionally,the team has garnered ITA All-Academic honors thepast four years in a row. The program is ranked #1 inthe country for the NCAA APR (Academic ProgressRate) with a perfect 1000 score.

In seven years, Coach Bucca has gained membershipon two of the most prestigious National Collegiate Ten-nis Committees. Bucca is a member of the Division I Op-erating Committee for the ITA and the USTA CollegiateCommittee. He is also a member of the Board of Direc-tors for the Eastern Tennis Association.

In 2009, the Scarlet Knights completed one of themost successful seasons in program history. Rutgersfinished 16-6, 10-4 in BIG EAST action, earning aberth in the BIG EAST Tournament. The squad finishedfourth overall, as Amy Zhang earned an All-BIG EASTselection. RU ended the season ranked 15th in theITA East Regional Rankings.

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 for11-plus years. During her time as a Scarlet Knight, she was the first RU tennisplayer to be ranked nationally in both doubles and singles. A two-time captain duringher tenure at Rutgers, she was named team Most Valuable Player in 1986 and1988.

After graduating from Douglass College in 1988, Molinari went to Penn State Univer-sity to earn her Masters Degree in Health Education in 1990. She is employed fulltime as a Program Manager with the New Jersey Department of Human Services.She enjoys the opportunity to offer guidance and support to the Rutgers women's

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

Assistant Coach Alexandra Arlak

Alexandra Arlak is in her fourth season as the assistant coach of the Rutgerswomen’s tennis team. Additionally, she is a tennis instructor and Head of Client Rela-tions for P.D.L. Tennis in Haworth, where she teaches tennis skills and methods tochildren age 9-17.

In 2002, Coach Arlak earned All-Ivy League Second Team honors for her doublesplay at Brown University. She was named the team Most Valuable Player in 2004.At Leonia High School, Coach Arlak was a nationally ranked junior player who earnedAll-State and All-County honors.

Meet Your TeammatesArlak, Baker, Tran, Zhang, Holzberg, Ivey, Milchutskey, Slatnick, Green

Jennifer HolzbergYear: SophomoreMajor: BusinessHometown: Easton, Conn.

Morgan IveyYear: SophomoreMajor: UndeclaredHometown: Mt. Pleasant, S.C.

Maryana MilchutskeyYear: SophomoreMajor: CommunicationHometown: Holmdel, N.J.

Leonora SlatnickYear: SophomoreMajor: Cell Biology and NeuroscienceHometown: Austin, Texas

Michelle GreenYear: FreshmanMajor: UndeclaredHometown: Hilton Head Island, S.C.