Pine-Richland girls doubles team qualifies for WPIAL tournament

By: Kevin Lohman
Friday, September 27, 2019 | 7:20 PM

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While Pine-Richland’s top girls tennis doubles pairing of Ellie Stokes and Meghan Wilson weren’t able to win in their Section 2-AAA consolation match at North Allegheny last Thursday, the duo clinched a berth in the WPIAL Class AAA doubles championship.

For Stokes and Wilson, their qualification for the district doubles championships, which is scheduled for Oct. 2-3, is a big accomplishment, as they entered the season penciled into the No. 2 spot in the Rams’ doubles lineup.

“These kids, they didn’t enter the season anticipating being our No. 1 duo on the team this year,” coach Janet Chappell said. “They maybe expected to be our second pairing, but because other girls didn’t end up participating this year, they were thrust into being the top doubles team for us.

“They really took that opportunity, though, and they ran with it. They were put into a position that was tough, and they grew into those positions.”

Stokes, a junior, also made it to the quarterfinal round in the Section 1-AAA singles tournament. Her coach described her as a consistent player who stymies her opponents with her ability to keep everything in play.

Wilson, a senior, has improved with every match, Chappell said. As the season has gone on, the two have sharpened their capacity to play with one another through each new challenge they faced.

“For whatever reason, they just work well together,” Chappell said. “They get along well, and they talk back and forth. They communicate very well.

“They both move well on the court, and they have a good knack for anticipating where the ball is going to be. When you do that, you’ve got a chance. And it’s just been really neat to see these kids have the opportunity to show what they can do. They’ve capitalized on it.”

Tags: Pine-Richland