Trib HSSN Top 20 Stories of 2020: Knoch dominates court proceedings

By: Don Rebel
Monday, December 14, 2020 | 6:48 PM

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The most unique year in our lifetime is coming to an end. With so many mass starts and stops, highs and lows, just about all walks of life were affected by the coronavirus in 2020.

High school sports were no different. The first two and a half months of the year were carefree and business as usual. Then the final nine and a half months were greatly affected by the pandemic, whether scholastic contests were played or not.

Trib HSSN will close out the year with a daily countdown and a look back at the top 20 WPIAL stories from the year 2020.

No. 20 – Golden Knights of the Court

In the strange year that was 2020, was there a school that dominated one sport quite like Knoch did in girls tennis this fall?

The team captured the school’s first WPIAL championship by edging three-time defending Class AA champion Sewickley Academy, 3-2.

Nine days later, more history came the Knights’ way when they blanked District 11 champion Moravian Academy, 3-0 to claim gold in the PIAA Class AA tournament.

Not only did the Knoch team sweep district and state gold, the Knights dominated individually as well in both the singles and doubles tournaments.

Senior Laura Greb defeated freshman sister Emily Greb in the WPIAL Class AA singles semifinals before winning her fourth straight district gold medal with a 6-1, 6-3 victory over sophomore Nicole Kempton of South Park. She went on to finish third in the state tournament.

In doubles, sisters Brooke Bauer and Ally Bauer of Knoch won the Class AA championship by beating Kempton and Haley Spitznagel of South Park, 6-1, 6-1. The duo reached the championship match in the PIAA tournament but lost to Emma Perkins and Alex Pancu of Conrad Weiser.