Muhlenberg College • Allentown, Pa.

MEN’S SOCCER TEAM RANKED The Muhlenberg men’s soccer team is ranked fifth in the Mid-Atlantic Region in the first National Soccer Coaches Association of America poll of the 2003 season. The Mules began their season with a 3-0 win against Philadelphia Biblical and host the Mule Invitational this weekend. Their opponent for Saturday’s game, Stevens Tech, is ranked fifth in the Metro Region. The women’s portion of the Mule Invitational also features two ranked teams; Scranton, fifth in the Mid-Atlantic and Greensboro, eighth in the South. Muhlenberg is not ranked despite its tournament win at Kean over the weekend (there were only six teams ranked in the Mid-Atlantic as opposed to 10 in most other regions). The men’s regional rankings: 1. Drew (2-0) 2. Johns Hopkins (2-0) 3. Messiah (0-0-1) 4. Elizabethtown (1-0) 5. MUHLENBERG (1-0) 6. Eastern (1-0) 7. Carnegie Mellon (0-0) 8. Arcadia (0-1-1) 9. Pitt-Greensburg (2-0) 10t. Susquehanna (2-0) 10t. Widener (2-0) 10t. Haverford (1-0)

Mules avenge Saturday’s loss to DeSales The Muhlenberg volleyball team did in four games Wednesday what it couldn’t do Saturday in five: beat DeSales. Coming off a heartbreaking two-point loss in the Saturday’s fifth game against the Bulldogs, the Mules didn’t let it get so close this time around, winning in four games: 30-25, 30-25, 13-30, 30-24. “We played more as a team,” said sophomore outside hitter Julie Lauro, who led the Mules with 14 kills and 25 digs. “This time we knew each other’s styles and I felt like we were playing together.” It’s understandable that team may not have felt as comfortable with each other last weekend. With a team of six freshmen and four sophomores, most of the players were competing together for the first time. “We’re only going to get better,” Lauro said. The Mules are already showing improvement. They battled back from behind to take the first game of the night. Freshman Kate Haggerty had three kills in only six attempts to lead the Mules. She finished the match with six kills and 12 digs. Lauro got going in the second game, notching four kills as the Mules jumped ahead early and were never seriously challenged. It looked for a while as if there might be a repeat of Saturday's epic match as the Bulldogs took the third game easily. The Mules thwarted any hopes of a comeback by taking the fourth game and the match. Keeping Muhlenberg alive on many points along the way was libero Jen Weist, who had 22 digs. As has been custom so far in the young season, freshman Mary Henning and sophomore Emily Reardon alternated rotations at the setter position. Henning finished with 18 assists and Reardon had 17. Click here for box score.

Questions or comments? Send mail to falk@muhlenberg.edu Last updated September 3, 2003