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NORTH ALLEGHENY VARSITY
GIRLS' TENNIS

Photo  Courtesy of L.A. Photo

SHADY SIDE EDGES LADY TIGERS, 3-2, IN WPIAL SEMIFINALS

The Lady Tigers came close but it was not quite enough as Shady Side Academy eliminated NA, 3-2,  from the WPIAL Team Tennis Tournament at Lakevue Racquet Club on Thursday afternoon.  Junior Stephanie Keiser won at number three singles with a 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 victory over Hilton. 

In doubles play, SSA was able to win one of the two doubles matches to go with their two singles wins to capture the match.  Both doubles matches went to tiebreakers.  At #2 doubles, senior Liz Lampe and sophomore Cody McCoy were able to defeat the number two SSA team of Rath and Cozen, 6-2, 1-6, and 7-6, 7-4 in the tiebreaker.  In #1 doubles, senior Molly Moynihan and junior Yilu Zhang suffered a heartbreaking loss in the tie breaker, 7-4.  NA won the first set, 6-4, lost the second, 6-4, before coming up just short.

It was a great effort by the Lady Tigers against the team that would win the WPIAL championship.  As Coach Michelle Weniger stated, "It was a great match, the best high school match I have been a part of."  The Lady Tigers finished the season with an overall record of 17-3, with all three losses coming at the hands of Shady Side Academy.

CONGRATULATIONS TO COACH WENIGER AND THE LADY TIGERS
FOR A GREAT SEASON!

MATCH SUMMARY
SHADY SIDE ACADEMY - 3  NORTH ALLEGHENY - 2

WPIAL CLASS AAA WPIAL
GIRLS' TEAM TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP

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LADY TIGERS KNOCK LATROBE FROM WPIAL PLAYOFFS WITH 3-2 VICTORY

Victories by junior Stephanie Keiser in singles play and both NA doubles teams gave the Lady Tigers a 3-2 victory over Latrobe in the WPIAL quarterfinals at Latrobe on Wednesday afternoon.  Keiser prevailed in two sets with wins of 6-4 and 6-4.  For the Wildcats, Joelle Kissell defeated sophomore Jen Larimore at #1 singles, 6-3, 7-5, and Allie Seranko prevailed over freshman Stephanie Smyers in two sets at #2.

In doubles play, the senior team of Liz Lampe and sophomore Cody McCoy were able to secure the victory for the Lady Tigers with a 6-0, 6-1 victory over the #2 Latrobe team.  At #1 doubles, it was senior Molly Moynihan and junior Yilu Zhang with a two-set victory as the doubles teams swept the Wildcats.  Latrobe coach John Mains said, "North Allegheny just had more depth than we did."

NA will play Shady Side Academy this afternoon at the Lakevue Racquet Club with match time scheduled for 1:00 pm.  Shady Side has defeated the Lady Tigers twice this year, the only two losses on the NA record.

(Thanks to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review for information in this report!)

MATCH SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 3  LATROBE - 2

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LADY TIGERS SHUT OUT CANON-McMILLAN, 5-0, TO ADVANCE TO WPIAL QUARTERFINALS

The Lady Tigers were forced inside on Tuesday afternoon by the rain, but it did not make much difference as they earned a 5-0 victory over Canon-McMillan in the first round of the WPIAL playoffs.  Leading the way were the singles players who lost just two games total in winning their matches.  Sophomore Jen Larimore won by 6-0, 6-0, at #1 singles, freshman Stephanie Smyers took a 6-1, 6-0, decision and junior Stephanie Keiser won by scores of 6-1 and 6-0.

In doubles play, the #1 team of senior Molly Moynihan and junior Yilu Zhang defeated the team of German and Mansfield, 6-1, 6-1.  At number two doubles, senior Liz Lampe and sophomore Cody McCoy knocked off their opponents from the Big Macs, 6-1, 6-0.

NA will travel to Latrobe this afternoon to meet the Wildcats in a 3:00 pm quarterfinal match.

MATCH SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 5  CANON-McMILLAN - 0

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LADY TIGERS SWEEP NORTH HILLS, 5-0, TO FINISH UNBEATEN IN SECTION PLAY

The Lady Tigers completed section play with a 5-0 shut out of rival North Hills at Windwood on Wednesday afternoon.  The Indians were able to win only six games in the entire match as NA swept the competition in straight sets.  For the second straight day, the Lady Tigers took the singles matches without losing a single game.  Sophomore Jen Larimore, freshman Stephanie Smyers, and junior Stephanie Keiser all won by 6-0 scores.

In doubles play, senior Molly Moynihan and junior Yilu Zhang defeated the #1 NH team of Cardone and Winkler, 6-1 and 6-3.  In the number two doubles match, senior Liz Lampe and freshman Amanda Maiello were victorious by a 6-1, 6-1 count.

The win gave NA a final section record of 14-0 and a final overall record of 15-2.  A final match at Latrobe scheduled for this afternoon has been cancelled.  The Lady Tigers await the WPIAL playoffs that are scheduled to begin next week.

MATCH SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 5  NORTH HILLS - 0

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LADY TIGERS HAND SENECA VALLEY 5-0 LOSS TO TAKE SECTION TITLE

The Lady Tigers kept it going on Tuesday afternoon at Seneca Valley with a 5-0 section victory.  All three singles players --- sophomore Jen Larimore, freshman Stephanie Smyers, and junior Stephanie Keiser --- won the matches without losing a game.

In doubles competition, the team of junior Yilu Zhang and senior Amy Phillips downed the #1 Raider team of Lucey and Sharrar, 6-4 and 7-5.  At #2 doubles, it was seniors Jamie Ogle and Julia Sittig teaming up to defeat Seneca, 6-4 and 6-3.

With the win, the Lady Tigers clinched the section title.  The section record now stands at 13-0, the overall mark at 14-2.  NA will complete section play tomorrow afternoon when they travel to North Hills for a 3:30 pm match.

MATCH SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 5  SENECA VALLEY - 0

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LADY TIGERS TAKE TWELFTH STRAIGHT IN SECTION WITH 5-0 WIN OVER PINE-RICHLAND

The Lady Tigers made short work of the Pine-Richland Rams on Monday afternoon at the Senior High courts with a 5-0 victory.  NA did not lose a set in winning their 12th straight section match without a loss.

Sophomore Jen Larimore downed Olivia Heim, 6-2 and 6-5, in the #1 singles match.  At #2, freshman Stephanie Smyers easily defeated Blakely Mall, 6-2 and 6-0, while Junior Stephanie Keiser finished the singles sweep with a 6-4, 6-3 victory at #3.

The NA doubles teams also won in straight sets.  At #1, senior Molly Moynihan teamed up with freshman Amanda Maiello to defeat Sara Strollo and Kristen Kunkel, 6-1 and 6-2.  In the second doubles match, senior Liz Lampe and sophomore Cody McCoy won by scores of 6-4 and 6-3.

With the win, the NA section record improved to 12-0, the overall mark to 13-2.  The Lady Tigers will travel to Seneca Valley this afternoon for a 3:30 pm section match.

MATCH SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 5  PINE-RICHLAND - 0

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LARIMORE, SMYERS FALL IN WPIAL SEMIFINALS

The Tiger doubles team of sophomore Jen Larimore and freshman Stephanie Smyers dropped a tough 7-5 decision to the Upper St. Clair team of Katie Liss and Liz Hough in the third set of the WPIAL semifinals at Norwin High School on Thursday afternoon.  The match was resumed after weather had halted play on Wednesday.  In the final, Liss and Hough were defeated by Latrobe. 

In the consolation final, Larimore and Smyers defeated the Hampton team of Steiner and Longo, 2-6, 7-5, 7-5, to capture third place in the tournament.  Only the top two teams qualify for the PIAA championships.

The Lady Tigers team will be back in action again on Monday when they host Pine-Richland in a section match.  NA defeated Mars, 5-0, on Tuesday afternoon at Mars to improve their section record to 11-0, their overall mark to 12-2.

WEDNESDAY

Larimore and Smyers received a bye in the first round as the top seed and defeated Fox Chapel, 10-1, in the quarterfinals to advance to the semifinals at Norwin on Wednesday afternoon.  With the score tied at 1-1, thunder and lightning stopped the final set of the first game in the semifinal match against the Upper St. Clair team of Katie Liss and Liz Hough.

The Lady Tiger duo dropped the first set to the Panthers, 6-3, but came back to take the second, 7-5.  The third and deciding set had just gotten underway when weather intervened. 

WPIAL CLASS AAA
GIRLS DOUBLES CHAMPIONSHIP
October 4-5, 2006

MATCH SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 5  MARS - 0

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LADY TIGERS BLANK BUTLER, 5-0

The Lady Tigers won their tenth section match without a loss with a 5-0 shut out of Butler at the Senior High courts on Monday afternoon.  Winning at singles were sophomore Jen Larimore, freshman Stephanie Smyers, and junior Stephanie Keiser.

In doubles play, the #1 NA team of senior Molly Moynihan and junior Yilu Zhang downed the team of Kerr and Byrnes, 7-6 and 6-1.  At the number two doubles,  senior Liz Lampe teamed up with sophomore Cody McCoy to defeat Butler's McGinnis and Rocke, 6-3 and 6-0.

The Lady Tigers did not lose a set in improving their section record to 10-0, the overall mark to 11-2.  NA will travel to Mars this afternoon for a 3:30 pm section match.

MATCH SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 5  BUTLER - 0

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LADY TIGERS TAKE CARE OF KNOCH, 4-1

Led by wins in all three singles matches, the Lady Tigers defeated Knoch, 4-1, at the Senior High courts on Wednesday afternoon.  Sophomore Jen Larimore, freshman Stephanie Smyers, and freshman Amanda Maiello all won in straight sets to lead NA to their ninth straight section win without a loss.

In doubles play, seniors Jen Donaldson and Annie Urish defeated the team of Gagen and Soloski, 6-0, 6-0, at #1 doubles.  In the second doubles match, senior Katie Lefkowitz teamed up with senior Liz Schaffner but lost a tough match, 5-7 and 6-7.

The win improved the NA section record to 9-0 and the overall mark to 10-2.  The Lady Tigers will continue section play tomorrow afternoon when they travel to Seneca Valley to meet the Raiders in a 3:30 match.

MATCH SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 4  KNOCH - 1

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LARIMORE AND SMYERS WIN SECTION
DOUBLES CHAMPIONSHIP

After dropping the first game, 6-3, the Lady Tiger doubles team of sophomore Jen Larimore and freshman Stephanie Smyers won the next two to capture the WPIAL Class AAA Section 2 title.  NA won the second game, 6-3, to tie the match, and then defeated the Hampton team of Sara Longo and Vanessa Steiner, 6-2, in the deciding set.  In the consolation final, the NA senior team of Liz Lampe and Molly Moynihan dropped a two-set decision to Pine-Richland.

On Monday afternoon, Larimore and Smyers won three matches to advance to the finals of the Section  2 doubles tournament.  The NA team defeated Kristen Gagen and Sara Cypher of Knoch, 10-0, in the first round.  In the quarterfinals, Larimore and Smyers eliminated Angie Byrnes and Maddie McGinnis of Butler, 10-2.  In the semis, Larimore and Smyers were victorious over Olivia Heim and Kristen Kunkle of Pine-Richland, 7-5 and 6-3.

The NA team of Lampe and Moynihan defeated Brooke Barnes and Staci Moeller of Mars, 10-1, in the opening round.  In the quarterfinals, Moynihan and Lampe downed Blakely Mall and Sara Strollo of PIne-Richland, 10-5.  In the semifinals, the top-seeded team of Vanessa Steiner and Sara Longo of Hampton defeated Moynihan and Lampe, 6-3 and 6-1.

The Lady Tiger team will be back in action this afternoon when they host Knoch in a 3:30 pm section match at the Senior High courts.

WPIAL CLASS AAA
SECTION 2 DOUBLES

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LADY TIGERS REMAIN UNBEATEN IN SECTION WITH 4-1 VICTORY OVER HAMPTON

The Lady Tigers won their eighth consecutive section match without a loss with a 4-1 victory at Hampton on Friday afternoon.  Straight set victories by sophomore Jen Larimore and freshman Stephanie Smyers in singles play paced the NA victory.

Once again, the doubles teams were dominant.  At #1 doubles, senior Molly Moynihan and junior Yilu Zhang downed the Talbot team of Lucas and Quigley, 6-4 and 6-0.  Senior Liz Lampe teamed up with sophomore Cody McCoy to win in straight sets at number two.

The win improved the NA section record to 8-0, the overall mark to 9-2.  On Thursday afternoon, Shady Side Academy blanked the Lady Tigers, 5-0, at the Senior High courts.  SSA is the only team to defeat NA this season.

Next up for the Lady Tigers is the Section Doubles Tournament on Monday and Tuesday.  The Tiger team will be back in action again on Wednesday when they host Knoch in a 3:30 pm section match at the Senior High courts.

MATCH SUMMARIES
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 4  HAMPTON - 1

SHADY SIDE ACADEMY - 5  NORTH ALLEGHENY - 0

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LADY TIGERS BLANK NORTH HILLS, 5-0

The Lady Tigers shut out rival North Hills, 5-0, at the Senior High courts on Wednesday afternoon.  NA did not lose a set as they finished the first half of the section season unbeaten.  Sophomore Jen Larimore led NA with a 6-0, 6-0 victory at #1 singles.  Freshman Amanda Maiello and junior Stephanie Keiser followed with straight set victories.

In doubles play, both teams won in straight sets.  At #1 doubles, the team of senior Liz Lampe and sophomore Cody McCoy were extended in the first set before winning, 7-5.  The second set was a 6-1 victory.   In the second doubles match, senior Molly Moynihan and junior Yilu Zhang teamed up for a 6-3, 6-0 victory.

The win improved the NA section record to 7-0, the overall mark to 8-1.  NA will try to gain a measure of revenge today when they host Shady Side Academy at the Senior High courts.  Shady Set edged NA, 3-2, earlier in the season.  Match time is scheduled for 3:30 pm.

MATCH SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 5  NORTH HILLS - 0

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WPIAL GIRLS' TENNIS - 2006

The Lady Tigers will compete again in Class AAA along with 37 other teams.  Three teams from each section will qualify for participation in the WPIAL team championships when section play is completed.  Ties in section records for first place will not be broken and both teams will enter the tournament and be declared co-champions.  Each team will receive a section champion plaque.  The second place team will enter as the third section representative.  Ties for second and third place will be broken by head-to-head competition.  If a tie persists after the head-to-head format is applied, both teams will enter the team playoffs.  Three-way ties will be broken in the following manner:

1.  Section won-lost records of the tied teams will be compiled.
2.  The team with the best numerical record among the tied teams will enter the team tournament.
3.  If the tie cannot clearly be broken, all tied teams will enter the tournament.

The PIAA will conduct a team championship and the WPIAL will advance three teams to the PIAA Team Tournament.  The WPIAL champion, runner up and the winner of a third place consolation game will advance.

In all section matches and WPIAL competition, the seven-player team concept will be followed.  Each team will have three singles players and two teams of doubles players for each match.  No player can participate in both singles and doubles on the same day.  A player can be changed from singles play on one day to doubles for the next.  All teams must field a minimum of six players.  If both teams have only six players, play will be at first and second singles and both doubles.  In the team match ends in a tie, a USTA twelve point tie breaker will be played between the first singles players (for that day) to determine the team winner.

Coaches must play their best player of the three singles players designated for each match at the number one singles position, second best at number two and third best at number three.  The same format must also be used in placing doubles teams in the lineup. 

Scoring will be traditional - the best of three sets.  If the score reaches "six-all" in any set, a twelve-point tiebreaker shall determine a winner in that set.  This system must be followed in all section matches and WPIAL playoffs.

INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

The WPIAL will advance three singles players and three sets of doubles teams to the PIAA singles and doubles championships.  Sectional qualifiers will be held for both singles and doubles.  Each school may enter two singles players and two doubles teams.  Sectional matches will be determined by pro sets until the semi-finals.  In the semi-finals, final and third place qualifying matches, the three set format will be used.  Three players/doubles teams will advance to the WPIAL championship round from each section qualifier.  The fourth place finisher will serve as the alternate and will play in the event of a withdrawal by any of the first three place winners.

If possible all WPIAL tournament play will be contested over a two day period.  Players will be seeded by the WPIAL based on all information available regarding relative strengths according to published rankings and previous competition.

2006 WPIAL TEAM ALIGNMENT
CLASS AAA - 38 TEAMS

Any questions or comments should be directed to Athletic Director Bob Bozzuto at:  bbozzuto@northallegheny.org