SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – Lacey Cohen, a senior from Fox Chapel High School in Pittsburgh, has elected to continue her academic and tennis career at Slippery Rock University next season, head coach Matt Meredith announced Friday.
 
After originally committing to NCAA Division I University of Hartford, Cohen reopened her recruitment and eventually chose to sign a National Letter of Intent to Slippery Rock after Hartford elected to eliminate its tennis program on Oct. 29, 2015.
 
Meredith, a five-time Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Coach of the Year, called Cohen one of the top recruits he has brought to SRU in his 18 years in charge of the program.
 
Cohen was rated as a three-star prospect, the No. 12 player from Pennsylvania and the No. 53 player in the entire middle Atlantic Region according the Tennis Recruiting Network website. The last three-star prospect to attend SRU was Kayla Blackburn, who finished her career as The Rock's all-time leader in wins.
 
Before electing to focus on individual training as a junior and senior, Cohen starred at Fox Chapel by teaming with Laurel Shymansky to win the 2013 Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League and Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association doubles championships.
 
Cohen will have four years of eligibility starting in 2016-17. She will join a competitive SRU team that is off to a 3-1 start to the 2015-16 season and will return 11 of 12 players from this year's roster next season.
 
One of the most consistent programs in the PSAC, Slippery Rock has recorded 265 wins, 12 PSAC Tournament bids, 12 NCAA Tournament berths, three trips to the NCAA Round of 16 and one NCAA quarterfinal appearance since the 1998-99 season.