By:
Saturday, October 1, 2022, TRIB-LIVE
It’s a high school girls tennis season where Fox Chapel is once again at its accustomed spot among the WPIAL’s elite.
The Foxes were 6-0 in the section and 7-2 overall heading into the home stretch of the regular season. Fox Chapel was a strong candidate to bring home the 26th section title in school history.
Coach Alex Slezak’s secret is to not worry so much about the past but to have his girls ready for the business at hand.
“I never try and set any expectations for the season,” Slezak said. “We just try to get better every day and see however far that takes us. I’m happy with the way everything has gone so far this year.”
Fox Chapel had one player, sophomore Sienna Siegel, qualify for the WPIAL singles tournament, where she lost to North Allegheny’s Sara Fernandez in the opening round. Fernandez eventually beat Shady Side Academy’s Nichole Poltinnikov for third place and a PIAA tournament berth.
Besides Siegel, Fox Chapel’s singles players are freshman Chanel Brun and Sophia Carvelli. As a sophomore last season, Carvelli played doubles.
This year’s doubles players are senior Diya Reddy, junior Lucy Larsen, senior Nicoletta DiDomenico, sophomore Anna Kitner and junior Maria Marasco.
Slezak is happy with the performance of the entire team.
“Everybody contributes and does their work,” Slezak said. “We’re getting points all over from the doubles team to the singles team. We’re getting the job done. It benefits everybody when everybody tries to get a little bit better.”
The section has gone how Slezak anticipated before the season. Fox Chapel is paired with rival Shady Side Academy along with Allderdice, Baldwin, Oakland Catholic, Penn Hills, Plum, Thomas Jefferson and Woodland Hills.
During the first week of October, the team tournament brackets will be formulated. Fox Chapel won WPIAL team titles in 1977 and 2004 and has been the runner-up four times.
Said Slezak: “We don’t worry who we’re playing against, I don’t look at any of that stuff. We just go out and do the best we can do against whoever that is that day. If our best is better than their best, we’ll win the match that day.”
The WPIAL team finals will be Oct. 19 at the Janet L. Swanson Center at Washington & Jefferson College.