Beaver Area ready for another playoff run
Tri-State Sports & News Service
At first glance, it appeared Beaver Area had moved its practice to Moon last Friday.
After all, there were the No. 1 and No. 2 singles players, Anne Taylor and Moriah Bridges, smacking the ball back and forth like they do almost every day. Only this time, the two were playing in the WPIAL Class 2A consolation match for a berth in the PIAA singles championships Nov. 4-5 at Hershey Racquet Club.
In the end, Taylor, the 2015 WPIAL singles champion, outlasted her teammate for a 6-4, 6-3 victory that locked up her second consecutive appearance in the state finals
Though Bridges won’t make the trip to Hershey for the singles or doubles championships — she opted against playing section doubles for personal reasons — she and Taylor will likely be on the court in Hershey next weekend for the PIAA 2A team championships. Like any state qualifier, Beaver Area will have to play its way into the tournament and will have the opportunity Tuesday when the Bobcats take on District 5 champion Bedford.
“With the format being different with the team championships first and then singles and doubles, we were working with our doubles teams for states and then working with everybody and our normal lineup,” Beaver coach Riley Baker said. “I wouldn’t say we’re doing anything different. We’re just practicing groundstrokes and serves and volleys and just regular team practices.”
Last season, with essentially the same lineup, Beaver became the first WPIAL team to make it to the 2A state championship match since Sewickley Academy won it all in 2011. The Panthers are the only WPIAL team ever to win a 2A state championship since the team aspect was officially recognized by the PIAA in 2000.
Winning it all, though, could be a challenge.
Though District 10 did not have its championship tournament until Thursday, Mercyhurst Prep was the prohibitive favorite after winning every 2A district title since 2000. The Lakers are also the four-time defending PIAA champions and would have to be considered the team to beat when the state finals begin.
Sewickley Academy will likely face Mercyhurst Prep Tuesday in the play-in round.
Neshannock, the WPIAL runner-up which will make its state tournament debut this year, will open its run to the finals with an openinground matchup against District 9 champion Elk County Catholic/St. Marys, but if history is any indication, the Lancers should have an easy path to Hershey.
Since 2004, the WPIAL is 12-0 against District 9 schools with a 57-2 record in individual matches. The previous time a WPIAL school lost an individual match to a District 9 team was in 2005 when Quaker Valley defeated Elk County Catholic, 4-1. Class 3A
North Allegheny has won the past three PIAA 3A girls team tennis titles and looked to be a lock for a fourth just a few weeks ago.
That was before its No. 1 singles player, senior Anna Li, pulled out of the WPIAL individual singles tournament to rest a sore shoulder that had her serving underhanded at times throughout the latter part of the season.
If Li is healthy and ready to go, the Tigers lineup is formidable with senior Tina Li locked in at the No. 2 spot despite losing to teammate Ashley Huang in the Section 2 singles championship and both being ousted by freshmen Bethany Yauch of Baldwin and Marlo Schiffman of Upper St. Clair, respectively, in the WPIAL singles tournament.
Over the past 10 years, the WPIAL has dominated the state tournament, with the district winning the PIAA 3A title each year. The previous time a WPIAL champion failed to pull off the encore with a state title was 2008 when North Allegheny upset Shady Side Academy in the finals.
That also leaves room for Mt. Lebanon, the WPIAL runner-up that lost a 3-2 decision to the Tigers in the finals, to make a run. The Blue Devils have never won a state championship and lost to Shady Side Academy in the 2010 final, but have made it to the semifinals the past two years and have a solid top-to-bottom team that could make a run.
Fox Chapel, the thirdplace team from the WPIAL, will be making its first appearance in the state tournament since winning its only PIAA crown in 2004.