Senior tennis players Jay Kashyap, Jared Nord, and Robby Shymansky have never known what it’s like for their team to lose a WPIAL Class AAA Section 3 or WPIAL playoff match.
Those three longest standing veterans in the group, along with fellow seniors Shan Hassan and Brandon Wei and the rest of the talented lineup, just finished the 2019 regular season with the program’s fourth consecutive unblemished section record and section championship.
They are exactly where they want to be as they now set their sights on winning their fourth consecutive WPIAL team gold team medal and advancing to the PIAA team championships – you guessed it – for the fourth time in a row. Even more impressive, a victory at this year’s regional team championship would make the program one of only two in WPIAL boys’ tennis history to earn that many uninterrupted titles.
Jared says winning the WPIAL and PIAA team championships have always been a dream of the three core seniors, and now the entire team is focused on that goal too.
“We’ve been talking about this for a long time,” Jared says. “I think we just need to stay focused, not get overconfident, and stick with what we do best at WPIALs, and then do the same thing at states.”
“Jared, Robby, and I have been looking forward to this all of high school. We’re a team determined to win it all, and now we have all of this experience behind us. We think this is our time and our best chance at winning a PIAA title,” says Jay, whose impressive volleys and solid performance at the baseline anchor the Foxes’ top doubles team.
He adds, “It’s been quite an experience to start as a freshman and go to states as a team every year. And it’s really special to walk down the hall (at the high school) where they have the long history of Fox Chapel Area sports displayed and to see our team’s accomplishments.”
Coach Alex Slezak, a physical education teacher at Kerr Elementary School, has known several of the players since they were young boys. “Jared has always been athletic and sets a great leadership tone for the underclassmen, and Brandon is doing well this year in doubles. All of the guys are great competitors, motivated to win, and are leaders through their work ethic and attitudes. They just love to play tennis.”
“It’s funny,” Jared says as he tells a story about himself and his “brother” Jay, “because when we were going into our freshman year we were only 5 feet tall! I’m now 6’ and Jay is about 5’9. I know for myself that as I’ve grown physically, I’ve gotten stronger, and my forehand has gotten better. As far as how my game has matured, I think my game IQ has improved and there is a big difference in my ball placement. I’m more aware of how many times I can hit the same shot before I need to switch it up.”
Robby, a Yale recruit, just won a back-to-back WPIAL Class AAA singles title and is ranked as one of the top 50 singles players in the country. Additionally, he recently won his fourth Class AAA Section 3 singles title, and he’s now advanced to the PIAA championships every year since he was a freshman. He won a silver medal as a sophomore and a bronze in 2018.
With the singles, doubles, and team championships on the horizon, Jay recalls some of the good times that are now seared in his memory.
“What I will always remember the most is the time we spent together at states,” he says. “The pressure and number of people watching each match was intense and I played my very best under those conditions. I vividly remember every game, who was there, and the scores of every match.”
For Coach Slezak, these past four years have been a highlight of his career as well.
“We entered the year with a group of seniors who are willing to put it all on the line,” he says. “They have changed the dynamic of the program and have contributed to a lot of ‘firsts.’ Their legacy will have a lasting impact on our underclassmen and for years to come.”
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With the regular season now concluded, there are some important postseason dates that tennis fans will want to note.
- April 24-25 – WPIAL Class AAA Section 3 doubles championship
- April 29-30 – WPIAL AAA doubles championship
- May 1-10 – WPIAL AAA team championships
- May 14 – PIAA AAA first round
- May 17-18 – PIAA team championship
- May 24-25 – PIAA singles /doubles finals