Tennis season to remember for Sewickley Academy, Quaker Valley builds to WPIAL finals matchup

By: Ray Fisher
Sunday, June 2, 2024 | 11:01 AM

Purchase Photo Options

The Sewickley Academy boys tennis team had its season-long goal of a WPIAL playoff run firmly entrenched.

Sewickley looked to make it two in a row in 2024 as the Panthers were the defending champions in Class 2A.

Sewickley and Quaker Valley advanced to the WPIAL championship round off their winning performances in the postseason.

Then, in a close match, the top-seeded Panthers edged their sixth-seeded QV rivals by a 3-2 score May 8 at Washington & Jefferson’s Janet L. Swanson Tennis Center.

“Huge props to Quaker Valley,” said Sewickley junior Severin Harmon, the team’s No. 1 singles player and the reigning WPIAL 2A champion. “They played a great match and made us earn every point. Matches like that are the most rewarding.

“They are a very good team, so we were expecting a battle. That being said, I had faith in our guys to pull it out. I thought we played really well, especially Max (Kopf) and Ben (Terrell) at No. 2 doubles. They brought the energy early, helping us settle into the match. That was huge for all of us. It felt like we played as a team, which is awesome.”

The WPIAL title was the 25th in school history in boys tennis for Sewickley Academy.

The Panthers advanced to the PIAA semifinals in both 2023 and 2024. They ended up 13-4 overall last year and 14-2 this season.

After blanking District 9 champion St. Mary’s Area, 5-0, in the first round of this year’s state tournament, Sewickley beat District 11 titlist Moravian Academy, 3-0, in the quarterfinals.

District 3 champion Lancaster Country Day (18-1), the eventual PIAA winner, defeated the Panthers by a 3-0 score in the semifinal round.

Sewickley’s senior tandem of Jackson Quigley and Tejas Mitra competed at No. 1 doubles in 2024 and was the WPIAL runner-up; freshmen Max Kopf and Ben Terrell played at No. 2 doubles and placed fourth in the WPIAL.

“We are an energetic team that plays together, and I hope we continue to have that same energy moving forward,” Terrell said. “Also, we are led by one of the winningest coaches in WPIAL history (Whitney Snyder), so our team is in good hands moving forward.”

Kopf offered a few of his thoughts on winning the WPIAL team championship.

“This is an incredibly talented team,” Kopf said, “one of the best (at Sewickley) in the past few years.”

Harmon, sophomore Finn Wentz and junior Sebastian Tan held the top three singles positions in the Panthers’ lineup.

“Along with my co-captains Severin and Tejas,” Tan said, “I think the grind has been ambitious and a lot of fun.”

Harmon has been Sewickley’s top singles player throughout his high school career. He defeated Aquinas Academy’s Jackson Gillespie, 6-3, 6-3, in the WPIAL singles championship match April 10 at Glen Creek Tennis Club in South Park.

“It’s really exciting,” Harmon said. “I knew that this was what I wanted to accomplish this year, and I’m really grateful I was able to get it done. It was one of the things I was working hard on over the winter, to try and get back here and get this opportunity. I was able to capitalize on it. It is really nice to be a part of that list of (Sewickley) champions.

“Jack is such a talented player, so I knew this match was going to be really tough and that he would make me earn every point. The match took over two hours, which was my longest of the tournament, and Jack just refuses to give up. He’s so frustrating to play against because he never seems to lose any energy. I never trailed during the match, but I knew that any lead I had could be gone in an instant, because he keeps fighting no matter what.”

Harmon received the WPIAL tournament’s top seed and with it a first-round bye, then ran the table at the two-day event.

“I had a tough draw,” he said. “Every match, I had to fight. It was not easy at all. It was really rewarding.”

Harmon defeated No. 8 Justin Garvey of North Catholic, 10-4, in the quarterfinals before cruising past No. 4 Jason Jasek of South Park, 6-2, 6-0, in the semifinal.

Harmon won the WPIAL title in straight sets against the second-seeded Gillespie.

“As soon as the last point ended, I just felt relieved,” Harmon said of the championship match. “It was such a physical match, and I was so glad that it went my way. It was incredibly rewarding.”

Harmon was familiar with Gillespie’s style of play.

“We used to train together, actually, a few years ago, so we knew each other pretty well,” Harmon said. “He is just so athletic. He’s really hard to play against.”

Harmon qualified for the PIAA singles tournament at Hershey Raquet Club as the No. 1 seed in Class 2A.

“Nothing much to say about individuals, to be honest,” Harmon said. “I just didn’t play as good as I needed to in order to make a run. In Hershey, every player is really good, so if you don’t play well, then it’s going to be a pretty short trip.

“As far as our team goes, I was so proud of how we played in the state tournament, and really all season long. I think we grew a lot as players and improved with every match. Obviously, we’re a bit disappointed in the final result, but I know our guys will use it as fuel next year. I’m sad the season is over, but I know we’re all excited to get back next year.”

Kopf, Terrell, Quigley and Mitra advanced to the PIAA doubles tournament.

Logan Carlson was one of three seniors on the Sewickley team and a leading reserve for the Panthers the past two years.

Quaker Valley, meanwhile, was led this spring by seniors Chase Merkel and Joe Veeck at No. 1 and No. 2 singles and were joined by freshman William Meagher at third singles.

Merkel was the Quakers’ top singles player in 2023 and 2024. He said Sewickley was QV’s toughest WPIAL opponent this season.

“They are a team with a lot of depth in their lineup just like ours,” Merkel said. “I think the biggest advantage going in was knowing we (were) the underdogs, knowing all the pressure was on them, knowing that we weren’t even expected to go this far.”

Merkel and Veeck were two of seven seniors on this year’s QV squad, coached by Christi Hays.

“I think we’re going to be dominant, as always, and we’re going show up as we do every year,” Veeck said earlier this season. “But are we ready? We’ll see. We just have to be patient. As a player, I have to have faith in my team and put in the effort myself.”

QV’s doubles tandems consisted of seniors Grant Webb and Matteo Castellini along with Will Watson and Brahm Gianiodis. Webb and Castellini finished third in the WPIAL to qualify for the PIAA playoffs.

Senior Jason Clark, junior Matt Henry and sophomore Tanner Schultz provided valuable depth to the QV lineup.

The Quakers posted a 2-1 record in the PIAA tournament to end up 13-5 overall.

QV edged both District 5 titlist Bedford and District 3 runner-up Conrad Weiser by 3-2 scores in the first two rounds of the state playoffs before losing to District 10 champ Cathedral Prep, 3-0, in the semifinals.

The Quakers lost to Sewickley by a 4-1 score during the regular season. Meagher said his team was looking for redemption at the WPIAL finals.

“It was a highly anticipated match on our side and, with a championship on the line, it had the potential to be even more rewarding,” Meagher said. “Some of my good friends are on their team, which added to the excitement.”

QV was a WPIAL finalist in 2019 and won back-to-back WPIAL championships in 2021-22.

Tags: Quaker Valley, Sewickley Academy