Tigers post second straight shutout, beat Peters Township
by: Dom Gliozzi
On their first road match of the season, the Tigers traveled the I-79 corridor to the world of Washington County tennis, facing off against the Peters Township Indians, a perennial WPIAL contender. The road less traveled did not provide any obstacles for the Tigers in their second straight 3A exhibition contest, as they prevailed 5-0, with each match-up decided in straight sets. The first match was once again completed at number one singles, where freshman Winni Hayward turned in a dominant performance against Peters’ #1, a southpaw. Hayward played the match adhering to her own pace and strengths, and the results showed due to her fine balance of power and touch. The second team point came from the number two singles line, where tri-captain sophomore Sammy Leeman did a masterful job of adjusting on the fly, especially with her serve and service returns, to put together another straight set conquest. The modifications along with her speed were the deciding factors. At this point, the two doubles teams vied for match clinching honors, and the number one doubles team of sophomore Ruoxi Bai and freshman Sophia Yu sealed the deal for the Tigers. They squeaked past their teammates by a matter of seconds. More importantly, the duo put together better communications and a touch more familiarity with each other’s tendencies, the appropriate formula to achieve their key win and the team win.
The fourth point quickly followed from two doubles, where senior tri-captain Remi Hayward and junior Medha Thirumala moved about the court methodically and with precision as a formidable combo. They demonstrated ‘court smarts’ along with a mature, workmanlike approach to their game which will serve them well as the season progresses. The fifth point came from junior tri-captain Mia Kaufman, at number three singles, who found her winning strokes after an early self-analysis. Rounding out the day, junior Mehar Jain and freshman Claire Huang made their varsity debut in an exhibition doubles match and took their set 6-0. Also playing her initial varsity contest was sophomore Cora Gill, who took a 6-0 decision in her exhibition singles set.
Lady of the Match honors go to junior tri-captain Mia Kaufman who took her number three singles contest by set scores of 6-2, 6-1. Falling behind early in the first set at 1-2, Kaufman decided to play her game, using her strong skills, and won five straight games to take the set. Using that new-found confidence, she took the second set quickly and forcibly, using a dominant serve to clinch her win.
The 2-0 Tigers return to action Monday as they travel to Shady Side Academy for another exhibition contest, this time with the defending 3A WPIAL Champions. Match time is scheduled for 4:15 PM.
Girls Tennis Summary at Peters Township, 8-28-26
| MATCH SUMMARY | NORTH ALLEGHENY - 5 UPPER ST. CLAIR - 0 | |
|---|---|---|
| SINGLES | ||
| #1 | Winni Hayward (NA) def. Neve Zuzek (PT) | 6-1, 6-0 |
| #2 | Sammy Leeman (NA) def. Lexi Ward (PT) | 6-1, 6-2 |
| #3 | Mia Kaufman (NA) def. Elise Hassan (PT) | 6-2, 6-1 |
| DOUBLES | ||
| #1 | Ruoxi Bai/Sophia Yu (NA) def. Sashrika Sharma/Eliana Ebert (PT) | 6-2, 6-1 |
| #2 | Remi Hayward/Medha Thirumala (NA) def. Alice Hospodar/Sabrina Dechicchis (PT) | 6-2, 6-2 |
