By:
Thursday, May 19, 2022, TRIB-LIVE
Will Siegel
Class: Sophomore
School: Fox Chapel
Report card: The tennis team’s No. 1 singles player helped lead the Foxes to the WPIAL championship. Fox Chapel defeated Shady Side Academy, 5-0, and Siegel won his match in the third set, helping the team clinch the victory. The Foxes were the underdogs as the sixth seed, but Siegel overcame the odds when he and the team won the Class 3A title at W & J.
What is one thing you do before every tennis match?
I have to make sure I’m completely zoned in to make sure that I can play the best to my potential. I can’t ever take a match for granted.
How’d it feel to win the WPIAL championships?
Honestly, it felt great because the kids I won it with have been my good friends for years. We’ve known each other since we were really young, and it feels good that we could do something like that together. We’re never gonna forget that.
What do your teammates mean to you?
They’re great teammates. We all support each other, and it’s been a tough road to get here and we never let up on each other.
How did you guys keep the momentum going as the sixth-seeded underdogs?
We all knew that our seeding didn’t mean anything. Our coach told us that seeds are what other people think of you, but the results are what you think about yourself. That’s what motivated us to keep playing hard because we knew that our seed was not as high. It was all about how good we could play, and we wanted it more than the other teams.
What impact have the coaches had on you and the team?
Coach Slezak, he’s been great. He gives us a lot of strategies before the match, and he works with every person. He doesn’t just like let anybody go without being taught. He makes sure he works with you and makes you better.
How was it getting the play at a college like W&J?
I like how the courts were set where you can only see the kids next to you, and you couldn’t see the kids above you. I didn’t know if the kids above me were winning on my team.
Who would you say has pushed you the hardest during your athletic career?
Probably my dad. My dad’s always pushed me. My dad was a great athlete when he was younger, and he’s always motivated me to be better because I knew how good of an athlete he was.
How does it feel to win the WPIAL championship in basketball, too?
It’s great to have two WPIAL championships in my sophomore year. The tennis one feels a lot better. I contributed a lot more to the tennis one, so it definitely felt better to win that one, but the basketball one I will not discount. I’m really happy about winning both of those.
What’s next for you and the team?
We’re going right back to the WPIAL championship, but that’s for us for next year. For now, we’re gonna focus on states and see how far we can go in states trying to make a run.