Bethel Park tennis builds sparkling resume during successful season

By: Ray Fisher
Saturday, October 26, 2024 | 11:01 AM

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Bethel Park sophomore Cami Fisher took an impressive 24-1 overall record into the PIAA Class 3A girls tennis team championships.

Bethel Park qualified for the state playoffs off its runner-up finish at this year’s WPIAL team tournament.

No. 1 seed Mt. Lebanon edged the defending champion Black Hawks, 3-2, in the finals Oct. 17 on the campus of Washington & Jefferson College.

“I thought our team played really well in the WPIAL playoffs,” Fisher said. “We were really motivated, fought hard and played our best tennis.”

Bethel Park, the No. 3 seed, defeated No. 14 Thomas Jefferson, 4-1, No. 11 Peters Township, 4-1, and No. 2 Shady Side Academy, 3-2, in advancing to the championship match.

Mt. Lebanon, which tied Upper St. Clair for the most WPIAL team championships in Class 3A with 15, beat No. 16 Baldwin, 5-0, No. 8, Pine-Richland, 4-1, and No. 5 Fox Chapel, 5-0, in the first three rounds.

Fisher and senior Julia Gobbie were victorious for the Black Hawks at first and third singles.

Fisher defeated Mt. Lebanon junior Jackie Tang, 6-2, 6-2, in the No. 1 singles match while Gobbie outlasted senior Elena Tatel, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4, in No. 3 singles.

“Our match against Mt. Lebanon was a close one,” Gobbie said, “and it’s upsetting we fell short. But I’m proud of us for making it to the championship. We all played well; Mt. Lebanon is just tough.”

The first win of the day went to the Blue Devils second doubles pair of junior Allie Garcia and sophomore Maggie Meehan, who won 6-0, 6-4 against Bethel Park seniors Amelia Lancet and Sara Walters.

In first doubles, senior Sylvie Erikson and junior Sarah Stroh beat the Black Hawks tandem of sophomore Cassie Sierka and junior Kiera Ross by a 7-5, 6-1 score.

Mt. Lebanon junior Michelle Yang then defeated sophomore Mackenzie Smock, 6-2, 7-5, to give her team its margin of victory.

“We lost to them earlier in the year 3-2 and it was just as close, with the difference being only a couple points, and you can’t ask more than that,” said Bethel Park coach Doug Addington following the WPIAL final. “They gave a good effort and even the last set, Julia fought to the end.

“The base of my team next year is my top three players, who are only going to be juniors, so we have two more years with them. I’m looking forward to coming back next year at the scene of the crime.”

Three seniors — Molly Welch, Katelyn Wolf and Katie Yonish — and three juniors — Laura Casaldi, Samira Gorman and Grace Perdziola — round out the Bethel Park squad in 2024.

Addington pointed to the team’s victory in the semifinal match against Shady Side Academy as the high point of the season.

“That was our Super Bowl,” he said. “Especially with Fisher taking down their No. 1 player Meriwether McCargo, beating a girl that was the WPIAL singles champion two years in a row.”

Girls tennis teams from the South Hills have won the WPIAL Class 3A championship in four of the past five years with Peters Township in 2019, Upper St. Clair in 2021, Mt. Lebanon in 2022 and Bethel Park last fall.

Bethel Park finished as the runner-up in Section 4-3A this season as Mt. Lebanon took first place with an 8-0 record, followed by the Black Hawks (7-1), USC (6-2), Peters Township (5-3), Chartiers Valley (4-4), Canon-McMillan (3-5), South Fayette (2-6), Trinity (1-7) and West Allegheny (0-8).

Fisher received the No. 3 seed for the WPIAL singles tournament and defeated No. 5 Brooke Henderson of Shady Side Academy, 6-2, 6-1, in the consolation round to qualify for the PIAA playoffs.

Smock landed the No. 9 seed and advanced to the quarterfinals after beating No. 8 Michelle Yan of Franklin Regional, 11-9, in the first round.

Fisher and Smock represented the Black Hawks at the section singles tournament, with Fisher topping Tang of Mt. Lebanon, 6-4, 6-0, in the championship round.

Smock advanced to the semifinal round where she lost a 7-5, 6-3 decision to her teammate. Smock then won her consolation-round match against Tang.

Bethel Park rolled past District 10 champion Fairview, 4-1, in the first round of the PIAA tournament Oct. 22 at Westwood Raquet Club in Erie.

“Our team played very well,” Fisher said. “We all battled in our matches and motivated each other to really push through.”

Fisher, Smock and Gobbie won the three singles matches. Sierka and Ross were victorious at first doubles while Lancet and Walters lost at second doubles.

“Everyone gave their best and it was true team effort,” Smock said. “It’s exciting to still be playing together since we started playing at Glen Creek when we were little.

“We played really hard throughout the WPIAL tournament and it’s great we came in second in such a competitive (tournament).”

Gobbie was proud of the Black Hawks’ performance and 2024 accomplishments.

“Everyone pulled through in their matches,” she said. “I’m really proud of everyone and I think they should all be proud of themselves.

“It’s super exciting how far we’ve made it this year in playoffs. After losing three important players from last year, we weren’t expecting to make it this far. But I think it’s a huge accomplishment what we have done.”

The Black Hawks were scheduled to meet District 1 runner-up Council Rock South in the quarterfinals at Hershey Racquet Club.

Tags: Bethel Park