KEITH BARNES

Tri-State Sports & News Service

APR 30, 2019

7:35 PM

Naman Dua and Colin Gramley were one win away from winning the PIAA doubles title a year ago.

Now the Shady Side Academy duo will have an opportunity for a do-over.

Dua, a senior, and Gramley a sophomore, once again combined to win the WPIAL Class 3A doubles title, defending their crown with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Peters Township’s Connor Bruce and Elian Ascencio at Oxford North in Wexford. Shady Side Academy became the first tandem to repeat since Shankar Rajupet and Brad Portnoy of Fox Chapel took back-to-back crowns in 2009-10.

“It’s unreal and it was definitely better than the first time and definitely more difficult playing Connor and Elian who are real good players,” Gramley said. “It’s definitely a lot better, but it was more difficult.”

Last season Dua and Gramley came in as the No. 2 seed and knocked off No. 1 Ben Ringeisen and Ted Donegan of Hampton to take the crown. This time around, they had to knock off a doubles team that had a former WPIAL singles champion in Bruce leading the charge.

“I think the thing about Colin and I is that, even though we’re both mainly singles players, we always have this trust in each other and we’ve been a confident team since last year,” Dua said. “No matter who we’re playing, we feel we always have a fighting chance and it feels good to be able to have a win again.”

Bruce, who played Fox Chapel’s Robby Shymansky in the past two WPIAL Class 3A singles finals, winning in 2017 and losing in 2018, was forced to miss the tournament because it occurred in the final week before he was medically cleared to resume play after breaking his left ankle. Instead, he quickly worked his way back into playing shape and teamed up with Ascencio to make a valiant run at the title.

“It’s a lot better, like 80 or 90 percent now, and I got cleared to move and play on it and I’m glad to be back,” Bruce said. “Coming back, whenever I was in the boot, I was sitting in a chair hitting balls and it didn’t hurt, and whenever I got into a brace and started to hit standing, but the timing was a little off and I wasn’t able to get in position for balls. But I felt like this last week everything started clicking back into place, but I’m not 100 percent there.”

His return does mean he will be making his third trip to Hershey Racquet Club for the individual championships May 24-25. The top three finishers in both classifications earned a spot in the state finals.

While Shady Side Academy had to go through a relatively unknown quantity to repeat, Quaker Valley’s pair of Zach Albert and John Watters just had to win an intra-squad match in Class 2A. The two knocked off teammates Potter Oliver and Will Sirianni, 6-3, 6-2, to become the first Quakers to win the doubles title since Ricky Houghton and Paul Piccolo in 2005.

“The nerves were definitely there because, usually at practices, obviously pride is on the line at practices, but here is a lot of pride and the actual title itself,” Watters said. “It was definitely a little more nerve-wracking on the court.”

This is also the first year a team from Sewickley Academy did not win the Class 2A title since Karli and Tanya Timko of Chartiers-Houston in 2009. The Panthers opted to play up in Class 3A this season, ending their nine-year run in doubles.

 Michael Love

Wednesday, May 1, 2019 | 9:49 AM

It was guaranteed that a Quaker Valley team would win the WPIAL Class AA doubles tennis championship Tuesday at the Oxford Athletic Club in Wexford.

Quaker Valley’s John Watters and Zach Albert topped teammates Potter Oliver and Will Siriani 6-3, 6-2 to claim the championship.

Both teams advance to the PIAA championships May 24 and 25 in Hershey.

Quaker Valley is preparing for Thursday’s start of the WPIAL team tournament, and the Class AA bracket is to be released Wednesday.

The WPIAL Class AA boys team tennis championship matchup is set.

Quaker Valley and Indiana will square off for the Class AA crown Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. at the Oxford Athletic Club in Wexford.

There will be a new champion in Class AA. Sewickley Academy, which bumped up to Class AAA this season, had won 15 straight Class AA titles, including last year’s 4-1 triumph over Indiana.

Quaker Valley was the last team to win a Class AA title (2003) before Sewickley Academy began its streak.

The top three teams in each WPIAL classification advance to the PIAA tournament.

 Michael Love

Monday, May 13, 2019 | 9:51 AM

The Quaker Valley boys tennis team hopes to rebound from a loss to Indiana last week in the WPIAL Class AA championship match.

The Quakers begin the PIAA tournament Tuesday at noon against District 6 champion Juniata at Gorilla House Gym in Altoona.

Also on Tuesday, Indiana faces District 10 champion Mercyhurst Prep, and WPIAL No. 3 South Park faces District 9 champion St. Mary’s.

The eight first-round winners will advance to the quarterfinals Friday at the Hershey Racquet Club.

By: Karen Kadilak 
Friday, May 3, 2019 | 5:00 PM

Quaker Valley juniors and longtime tennis partners Zach Albert and John Watters look forward to their first appearance in the PIAA Class AA boys doubles tournament May 24-25 in Hershey.

Albert and Watters downed teammates Potter Oliver and Will Sirianni in two sets for the WPIAL title April 30. Oliver, a senior, and Sirianni, a freshman, also advanced.

“Zach and I haven’t gotten close to states in past years and, honestly, I’m just happy that we are going,” Watters said. “I want to perform at my highest level and leave Hershey knowing I tried my best.”

Albert and Watters, the two-time reigning Section 2-AA champions, lost in the first round of the WPIAL tournament last season.

Oliver and Sirianni were paired earlier this season before Sirianni moved to singles. They were reunited for the section championship, where they lost to Albert and Watters in the final in three sets.

Watters said his and Albert’s experience is an asset.

“The fact that Zach and I have been doubles partners for (several) years helps tremendously when it comes (to) chemistry and communication,” Watters said. “Our ability to communicate is half the battle.

“Zach, who I’ve known for years, couldn’t be a better partner to go to states with.”

Quaker Valley coach Christi Hays believes it is the first time the Quakers are sending two teams to the PIAA tournament.

“It is a bit challenging playing against teammates and friends,” Hays said. “I was extremely proud of the level of competitive play and also the exemplary sportsmanship.”

Watters said it was exciting to meet teammates.

“It added some tension,” Watters said. “Both the title and pride were on the line.”

The Quakers took advantage of an opening left after Sewickley Academy moved to Class AAA. Before this season, the Panthers earned nine consecutive WPIAL Class AA doubles titles.

“Going to the WPIAL (championship) knowing that I was not going to come across Sewickley Academy eased me up a bit,” Watters said.

Quaker Valley just missed sending a player to the PIAA singles championship after senior Andres Hubsch lost in the WPIAL consolation match.

The Quakers went undefeated in the section and qualified for the WPIAL team tournament that began May 2. The top three finishers will advance to the PIAA tournament.

“(We hope) to get the whole team to Hershey,” Hays said.

KEITH BARNES

Tri-State Sports & News Service

MAY 16, 2019

6:30 AM

Shady Side Academy had a decent draw when it was handed City League champion Perry Tuesday in the first round of the PIAA Class 3A team tennis tournament.

Things will become a bit more challenging for the Indians when they make the trip to Hershey Racquet Club for the quarterfinals, which begin Friday.

Shady Side Academy, which is the most recent WPIAL school to win it all, will have to open with a brutal match against District 1 victor and defending champion Unionville. The Indians would have played Unionville last year, but dropped a 3-2 decision to Cathedral Prep in the first round and did not make the trip east.

Fox Chapel knows all about the travails of playing District 1 schools in the state tournament. Each of the past three years the four-time WPIAL champion Foxes were ousted by a team from suburban Philadelphia.

In 2016, Fox Chapel ran the gauntlet all the way to the championship match before losing to Lower Merion in the finals. The past two years, the Foxes were knocked out in the quarterfinals by third-place finisher Great Valley.

Once again, Fox Chapel will open the tournament against the third-place finisher out of District 1, only this time it will be against Conestoga. Since Shady Side Academy won the title in 2014, a District 1 school has won each of the past four years, with Lower Merion taking the first three and Unionville doing the honors last year.

Conestoga won its previous championship in 2013, the last of its three consecutive titles. It lost in the 2014 finals to Shady Side Academy.

Still, one thing Fox Chapel has going for it is experience. The Foxes have made the trip to Hershey four consecutive years and know exactly what to expect when they take the court at 5 p.m.

“We’ve just got to go in and prepare our best and have the best performance we can have when we’re out in Hershey,” Fox Chapel coach Alex Slezak said. “There’s plenty of teams on the eastern side of the state that graduated a lot of kids and we’re pretty much the same as we’ve been, but maybe this is our year.”

Class 2A

Sewickley Academy played in the PIAA Class 2A finals each of the past three years, winning in 2016 and 2017 and losing, 3-2, to Wyomissing last season.

Even a dominant team like the Panthers had its travails at the state level. Prior to winning in 2016, the school had only won one state championship (2006) and had five second-place finishes despite making the trip for, at that time, 12 consecutive years.

This year, Indiana is the first team not named Sewickley Academy since Quaker Valley in 2003 to carry the mantle of WPIAL champion into the state tournament. And the Little Indians didn’t have an easy time of it in their first-round matchup as they were taken to the limit by District 10 champion Mercyhurst Prep before they pulled out a 3-2 victory to earn their trip to Hershey.

For their troubles, Indiana will get a date with District 2 champion Wyoming Seminary, which rolled over District 4 champion Central Columbia, 3-0, in an abbreviated match.

Quaker Valley had an easier time than Indiana in its opening match with a 5-0 win against District 6 champion Juniata, but the Quakers will get a surprise in their 12:30 p.m. tilt in District 3 runner-up Pequea Valley. The Braves, making their first appearance in the state tournament, already put their stamp on things with a 3-0 victory against perennial powerhouse and District 1 champion Lower Moreland.

South Park made the state playoffs last year but didn’t make it out of the first round after a 3-2 loss to District 10 champion Fairview. This time the Eagles got a more favorable draw against District 9 champion St. Marys and breezed to a 5-0 win.

After that win, South Park will get Lancaster Country Day, which lost to Sewickley Academy in the 2017 finals and has never won a state title.

A District 3 team has won four of the past seven titles.

Indians fall to Quaker Valley in straight sets in first state team tennis appearance

MAY 15, 2019

JIM LANE

Sentinel correspondent

ALTOONA — Juniata High School’s outstanding tennis season came to an end Tuesday when the Indians dropped a 5-0 decision to Quaker Valley in the first round of the PIAA Class 2A championships at the Gorilla House Gym.

The win moved Quaker Valley (14-3) into the PIAA’s quarterfinals Friday at Hershey. Juniata closed its season with an 11-1 record.

“This was the first time for our high school to win districts,” Juniata coach Sherri Landis said. “So they were thrilled last week to win districts.

“This an extra bonus to be in a state match,” Landis offered. “We were hopeful going into it, but this team (Quaker Valley) obviously was the better team.”

Juniata was 9-0 during the regular season and won two matches to claim the District 6 Class 2A championship.

However, the Indians were no match for Quaker Valley, the WPIAL runner-up from suburban Pittsburgh.

The Quakers, second to Indiana, Pa., in the WPIAL, were led by the Sirianna freshmen twins. Mike Sirianna defeated Juniata’s Zach Hemond, a senior, 6-0, 6-2, at No. 1 singles. Will Sirianna blanked Juniata junior George Hazard, 6-0, 6-0, at No. 3.

Juniata freshman Max Lauver put up a good battle against Quaker senior Andres Hubsch before losing 6-3, 6-3, at No. 2.

Quaker Valley’s doubles teams also were victorious. Juniors Zach Albert and John Watters. the WPIAL champions, beat Juniata seniors Colin Mianulli and Jessen Abram, 6-2, 6-2, while Potter Oliver, a senior, and Thomas Pangburn, a sophomore, were 6-1, 6-1 winners over Juniata senior Lawson Fitzgerald and freshman Gavin Kint.

“I’m thrilled,” Quaker Valley coach Christi Hays said following the shutout win.

“I inherited these freshmen,” Hays said of the Sirianna twins. “We had a good team already, barely missing going to states last year, so the addition of the freshmen made us deeper and we won a lot of our matches with our depth.”

Juniata’s doubles team of Hemond and Lauver won the District 6 title and will compete in the state doubles tournament Friday, May 24, ironically against Quaker Valley’s Albert and Watters. That match will be in Hershey.

“We did have a very good year,” Landis added. “I couldn’t be more proud of my team. We were just outmatched today.”

Quaker Valley 5, Juniata 0

Singles

1, Mike Sirianna, QV, def. Zach Hemond, 6-0, 6-2

2, Andres Hubsch, QV, def. Max Lauver, 6-3, 6-3

3, Will Sirianna, QV, def. George Hazard, 6-0, 6-0.

Doubles

1, Zach Albert-JohnWatters, QV, def. Colin Mianulli-Jessen Abram, 6-2, 6-2

2, Potter Oliver-Thomas Pangburn, QV, def. Lawson Fitzgerald-Gavin Kint, 6-1, 6-1