Tigers win fifth straight in shutout of Mt. Lebanon
by: Dom Gliozzi
North Allegheny ventured on another road trip Wednesday afternoon, this time to the South Hills to face Mt. Lebanon in a 3A exhibition match. The Tigers defeated the Blue Devils who played a modified lineup, 5-0, and took each match in straight sets. After first singles posted the initial team point quickly for the Tigers, junior Mia Kaufman controlled her contest to secure the second point, 6-1, and 6-0, with her fifth consecutive win. Sophomore Sammy Leeman then clinched the team win at second singles with a 6-0, 6-1 performance that featured very consistent serves and a patient approach to implementing her game during her fifth straight win.
Both doubles teams got off to slow starts but recovered to rescue their first sets and then dominated the second sets. Senior Remi Hayward and junior Medha Thirumala produced a 6-4, 6-0 win at second doubles for the fourth team point. Rounding out play with the fifth team point, sophomore Ruoxi Bai and freshman Sophia Yu fashioned a 6-3, 6-1 first doubles victory.
First singles was where the Lady of the Match honors resided, as freshman Winni (“The Winner”) Hayward fashioned her third straight win with a 6-0, 6-2 score over fellow freshman, Katya Rowley. Facing windy conditions early, Hayward used effective lobs, perfectly placed drop shots, and cross court volleys to control play. Adding her powerful ground strokes to the mix, Hayward’s intelligent approach to using her strong skills effectively in this contest paid dividends many times over.
The Tigers improve to 7-1 (3-0 in section play) and return home Thursday for Section 2 action against Butler Area. Match time against the Golden Tornado on the NASH courts is scheduled for 3:30 PM.
Girls Tennis Summary at Mt. Lebanon, 9-9-26
| MATCH SUMMARY | NORTH ALLEGHENY - 5 MT. LEBANON - 0 | |
|---|---|---|
| SINGLES | ||
| #1 | Winni Hayward (NA) def. Katya Rowley (MTL) | 6-0, 6-2 |
| #2 | Sammy Leeman (NA) def. Maggie Meehan (MTL) | 6-0, 6-1 |
| #3 | Mia Kaufman (NA) def. Zoe Darakos (MTL) | 6-1, 6-0 |
| DOUBLES | ||
| #1 | Ruoxi Bai/Sophia Yu (NA) def. Maya Tatel/Maya Hak (MTL) | 6-3, 6-1 |
| #2 | Remy Hayward/Medha Thirumala (NA) def. Sydney Ogoreuc/Zoey Guo (MTL) | 6-4, 6-0 |
