North Allegheny girls tennis growing up quickly

By: John Grupp
Saturday, September 6, 2025 | 11:01 AM

North Allegheny girls tennis coach Michelle Weniger has watched her team somehow get younger with age.

One year after having among the most youthful lineups in her two decades, the newly minted Hall of Fame coach is again relying on a bunch of youngsters.

“The freshmen who are coming up are good,” she said. “That’s a great sign. They are easy to teach. They are receptive. They are energetic. They bring a lot to the team.”

The Tigers, who are starting two sophomores and a freshman at singles and another ninth-grader at No. 1 doubles, improved to 3-0 in Section 2-3A (6-2 overall) with a 5-0 sweep of visiting Mars on Sept. 2. It was the third consecutive shutout win for North Allegheny, which has rebounded from an 0-2 start thanks in part to an early-season lineup shuffle and a pair of formidable doubles teams.

“Everyone has a lot more confidence,” said sophomore Mia Kaufman, a returning WPIAL singles qualifier and the Tigers’ No. 1 player. “The freshmen have done a really good job coming in. They are a good addition to the team.”

The newcomers are Samantha Leeman, who won the starting job at No. 2 singles, and classmate Rouxi Bai, who is playing on the No. 1 doubles team.

The Tigers are seeking their fifth consecutive section title. The win over Mars extended their section-winning streak to 33 matches dating to September 2020.

The one constant is Weniger, the Tigers’ beloved coach who will enter the NA Athletic Hall of Fame next month as part of the Class of 2025. Weniger, in her 21st season, has a career record of 360-54-1, with six WPIAL championships and five PIAA titles.

Her 2025 team features the Tigers’ youngest trio of singles players since 2013-14, when the Li twins, Anna and Tina, were leading North Allegheny to undefeated WPIAL and state titles in their first two seasons.

Also part of the youthful singles group is sophomore Alexa Richey. She opened the season playing No. 1 doubles — and senior co-captain Audrey Zheng at singles — but the two swapped spots after a 3-2 loss to District 10 power Fairview on Aug. 19. The Tigers have won six in a row since the lineup change, including 3-2 victories over Fox Chapel and Upper St. Clair.

“We’re much stronger,” Weniger said. “I think Alexa is better and happier playing singles, and Audrey and Rouxi make an awesome doubles team.”

The proof is in the numbers. Richey has won five of her six matches at No. 3 singles, while Zheng and Bai are unbeaten at No. 1 doubles despite some early uncertainty. Zheng last season played mainly No. 2 singles, though she did pair with Kaufman to reach the WPIAL doubles tournament.

“At first, I wasn’t sure how doubles would go,” Zheng said. “I’m not as familiar with playing doubles. But after playing a few matches, I sort of got used to it. It grew on me. It’s really fun, especially being with Rouxi.”

The two have clicked. In their third match together, Zheng and Bai clinched the victory at Upper St. Clair with a 6-7 (3), 7-6 (5), 6-2 win. They are 34-2 in their past 36 games.

“They really gained a lot of confidence beating Upper St. Clair,” Weniger said. “That was a wonderful learning experience for them.”

The Tigers also can count on their No. 2 doubles team. Senior co-captain Ella Mangene and junior Remi Hayward are a perfect 7-0 as a pair and haven’t dropped a set all season. They have won 32 of their past 36 games, including a 6-2, 6-0 win against Mars.

“Their record speaks for itself,” Weniger said. “Ella worked her butt off during the offseason to earn that starting position. Bravo to her.”

Kaufman also had a strong offseason after reaching the WPIAL singles and doubles tournaments as a freshman. She is 4-4 this season, always facing the opposing team’s best player.

“I worked on my serve a lot and my forehand,” she said. “It was a little rough at first, but then it started getting a lot better.”

North Allegheny will have a chance to improve in the coming weeks. The Tigers’ upcoming nonsection schedule includes defending WPIAL Class 3A champ Mt. Lebanon (Sept. 9), defending WPIAL Class 2A champ North Catholic (Sept. 23) and a loaded Shady Side Academy team (Sept. 29).

The WPIAL team playoffs begin Oct. 6. North Allegheny is trying for its first title since winning six in a row from 2013-18. In the meantime, North Allegheny will host section singles Sept. 10-11 and section doubles Sept. 24-25.

“I feel like this year we are all pretty strong,” Zheng said. “I look forward to seeing how we do. I am confident that we can keep trying our best, and I think as long as we do our best, we will have a great season.”

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