Girls' Tennis Game Summaries

The North Allegheny girls’ tennis fell in a heartbreaker on Thursday afternoon, 3-2, to the Fox Chapel Foxes in the WPIAL Class AAA quarterfinals.

After NA victories at No. 2 singles and No. 2 doubles, the decisive point came down to the No. 3 singles matchup between senior captain Claire Zheng and Fox Chapel’s Katie Voigt. Despite a valiant effort from Zheng, Voigt prevailed in a third set tiebreaker to send the Foxes to the WPIAL semifinals next week. Voigt won by set scores of 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-1).

Another three-set thriller occurred at No. 2 doubles where NA’s Tia Soussou and Eileen Hu earned an exciting 4-6, 6-5, 7-5 victory. At No. 2 singles, junior Abbey Swirsding delivered a 6-2, 6-2, win for the Tigers over Sienna Siegel.

North Allegheny’s season comes to a close with an overall record of 11-3. The Tigers garnered another section crown in 2021 and rolled to an 11-match winning streak along the way. Congratulations to head coach Michelle Weniger and the entire North Allegheny girls’ tennis team for a memorable season.

Girls Tennis Summary vs. Fox Chapel, 10-14-21

The fourth-seeded North Allegheny girls’ tennis team opened the WPIAL Class AAA playoffs on Tuesday afternoon with a 4-1 win over 13^th-seeded Franklin Regional.

The Tigers earned their 11^th consecutive victory with crucial efforts in singles play. After dropping the first set to Ellen Liu at No. 1 singles, junior Emily Wincko bounced back with 6-1, 6-1, wins in sets two and three to claim the win. Junior Abbey Swirsding delivered a 6-0, 6-3 triumph over Hannah Zheng at No. 2 singles. At No. 3 singles, senior Claire Zheng topped Sarah Gardner by a 6-1, 6-2, decision.

At No. 2 doubles, the tandem of Tia Soussou and Eileen Hu padded the NA lead with a 6-3, 6-1, victory against Chloe Kruck and Chelsea Williams.

North Allegheny improves to 11-2 overall on the season and advances to the WPIAL Class AAA quarterfinals on Thursday at 3:00 p.m.

Girls Tennis Summary vs. Franklin Regional, 10-12-21

SECTION 2-AAA

North Allegheny’s Emily Wincko and Abbey Swirsding captured the Section 2-AAA doubles crown in a marathon match, defeating Moon’s Maria Lounder and Amanda Koren in three sets with two tiebreakers (6-7(3), 7-6(5), 6-1). Wincko and Swirsding won 10-2 and 10-4 in their first two matches before sweeping Mars duo Cece Crowley and Lauren Miko by a 6-0, 6-0 scoreline to reach the final. Lounder and Koren tallied 10-0 and 10-2 wins to open the bracket, then defeated Hampton’s Megan King and Grace Stitt in two sets (6-0, 6-2) to advance. King and Stitt claimed the third-place consolation match with a 7-5, 7-5 win over Crowley and Miko.

Wincko climbed three spots from her fourth-place finish in 2020, while Lounder and Koren have now made in three consecutive years in the top three. Swirsding, King, Stitt, Crowley, and Miko are all appearing in their first WPIAL 3A Doubles Championship.

Advancing to WPIALs: Emily Wincko (11) / Abbey Swirsding (11), North Allegheny; Maria Lounder (12) / Amanda Koren (12), Moon; Megan King (12) / Grace Stitt (9), Hampton; Cece Crowley (10) / Lauren Miko (12), Mars

The North Allegheny girls’ tennis team capped a perfect trip through section play with a 5-0 victory at North Hills on Monday afternoon. The Tigers locked up an undefeated Section 2-AAA title in convincing fashion.

Fresh off winning the section doubles championship last week, juniors Emily Wincko and Abbey Swirsding were victorious in singles action against the Indians. In No. 1 singles, Wincko topped Emma Kim by a 10-1 decision. Swirsding won by the same score against Anna Tikhomirova. Senior Claire Zheng received a win by forfeit at No. 3 singles.

In doubles play, Siya Jain and Rebecca Murphy claimed a 10-2 triumph over Gabby Thinnes and Logan Connolly. At No. 2 doubles, Tia Soussou and Eileen Hu topped Faith Koslowski and Morgan McClung, 10-0.

With the win, North Allegheny improves to 10-2 and finishes section play at 7-0. The Tigers will visit Bethel Park on Tuesday for a final non-section match ahead of the WPIAL playoffs next week.

Girls Tennis Summary vs. North Hills, 10-4-21

The North Allegheny girls’ tennis team topped the Shaler Titans on Monday afternoon, 4-1, for a section victory.

The Tigers continued their recent trend of sweeping singles play as Emily Wincko, Abbey Swirsding and Claire Zheng all coasted to victories. The No. 2 doubles pairing of Tia Soussou and Eileen Hu were also triumphant, earning a 6-0, 6-1, win over Sara Stayduhar and Kierra Hanger.

Winners of nine in a row, North Allegheny improves to 9-2 overall and 6-0 in section play. Following the section doubles tournament on Tuesday and Wednesday, the Tigers return to team action on Monday, Oct. 4 at North Hills.

Girls Tennis Summary vs. Shaler, 9-27-21