Fox Chapel girls tennis will have tougher path to playoffs in 2017

By: HSSN Staff
Sunday, August 20, 2017 | 10:36 PM

Coming off its deepest postseason run in a dozen years, Fox Chapel's chances at a repeat performance became more difficult.

The Foxes, who advanced to the PIAA Class AAA team tennis tournament after placing third in the WPIAL, can't follow that path this season because the WPIAL will send just two teams to the state playoffs. But with an experienced lineup, they believe in their ability to move up the ranks.

“I even told (the team) on the first day of tryouts that there's only two teams this year, so we have to work extra hard to try and beat these other teams,” senior Amanda Nord said. “I think we have a really good chance.”

Fox Chapel swept through Section 3-AAA with an undefeated record, advanced to the WPIAL semifinals and beat Pine-Richland in the WPIAL consolation match to clinch its first PIAA berth since 2004, when the Foxes took home the WPIAL and state titles. They beat Erie McDowell in the PIAA first round before losing to Manheim Township, 3-2, in the quarterfinals.

“We had some very close matches as a team, and I think it's a great learning, growing experience,” sophomore Charlotte James said. “That was an important part of it.”

The Foxes can lean on their experiences from last season because they return five of seven starters, including all three singles players in Nord, James and junior Kristen Friday. Senior Molly Wiese is another returning starter at first doubles.

Although doubles players Moira McCormick and Tandi Merengenti graduated, a strong group of underclassmen are vying to fill roles in that part of the lineup. Senior Morgann Green, sophomore Mandi Schilcher and freshmen Molly Dean and Emily Fera were competing for spots at doubles. “We have a lot to build on from last year,” coach Alex Slezak said. “We came in third place in the WPIAL, and we're looking to add on to that this year. We picked up a couple freshman players who are going to help us a little further down the lineup and, I think, make our team a little stronger.”

Nord, the Foxes' most experienced player and the Section 3-AAA singles champion last season, and James, who had a standout freshman campaign, will lead the way in team matches as the Foxes attempt to defend their section title.

Slezak said he considers Nord the “tone-setter,” and believes James can get better this season.

“We just need to focus on playing our singles matches well and really strengthening the doubles,” James said. “I think they have the potential to win a lot of matches and be pretty dominant, so I think we just need to have a good team camaraderie and just support each other.”

Nord and James also have a chance to defend their PIAA title in doubles. Their straight-sets victory over Shady Side Academy's Devin and Erin Gramley gave Fox Chapel the states doubles champions for the third time in four years.

It also was the second doubles gold medal for Nord, who also won with Laurel Shymansky.

“It's a pretty important goal (to win again this year),” Nord said. “I'm really working hard, and I'm really trying to improve so I can get at least one, if not two, more titles before I close out my high school season. I'm really working hard to do that once again.”

James said the returning experience and incoming talent gave Fox Chapel confidence it could achieve more this season.

“Our goal is to do well, as best as we can. We're looking first to take every match day-by-day and do the best we can,” Slezak said. “Hopefully, we'll make it back to be trying to compete for a WPIAL title and hopefully get to go to states as well. But we don't ever look at the big picture. We just always look at what we do day to day-to-day, and those will accumulate and turn into bigger things.”

Other Alle-Kiski Valley storylines include:

• Burrell will attempt to move up from its fourth-place spot in Section 3-AA. The Bucs were the only Class AA playoff team from the Alle-Kiski Valley last season.

• Valley looks to rebound after seeing its eight-year WPIAL playoff streak end last season.

Doug Gulasy is a Tribune-Review staff writer.

Tags: Burrell, Fox Chapel, Valley