Chartiers Valley girls tennis has super season in Class 2A

By: Don Rebel
Sunday, October 23, 2022 | 11:01 AM

Sometimes the grass is greener on the other side of the net.

The move this fall from Class 3A to 2A paid off handsomely for the Chartiers Valley girls tennis team. Both the Colts team and individuals in singles and doubles enjoyed success this season.

“The girls had a great season,” coach Bobby Mack said. “Moving gave the girls a spark that they could compete for a title. When the season started, they got off to a great start and compounded a 12-2 regular season record. It felt really good to have such a successful season. The girls worked hard and wanted to win.”

That regular season success carried over into the postseason. Chartiers Valley drew the No. 8 seed in the WPIAL Class 3A girls team tennis playoffs and earned an opening-round home win over No. 9 North Catholic, 3-2.

“Our victory over North Catholic in the first round of the playoffs was huge,” Mack said “It was so satisfying for the girls to have a first round playoff win. This is the first year for these girls to make the playoffs, so to get that win was awesome. I think the victory helped solidify CV in Class 2A and showed that we are competitive.”

The Colts’ team season came to an end with a loss to top-seeded Sewickley Academy in the district quarterfinals, 5-0.

“Sewickley Academy has a very strong tennis team this season,” Mack said. “Our girls played very hard against a former championship team, but hats off to those girls the remainder of the season. We are hoping to meet them again next season.”

Some of the Colts players have enjoyed great individual success this fall as well.

The duo of Kaitlyn Kuczinski and Delaney Fox were seeded No. 4 in the WPIAL double championships and won first round and quarterfinals matches before falling to top seed and eventual champions Ally Bauer and Lindsey Greb of Knoch in the semifinals, 6-2, 6-2.

“Kaitlyn and Delaney really click with each other on the court,” Mack said. “They react and communicate well with each other during matches, and that is on display when they take the court together. They both have that fighting spirit to be champions and are not afraid of any challenge thrown their way. That’s something you can’t coach. They just have it built in their DNA.”

The duo is young. Kuczinski is a sophomore and Fox a freshman, so it was a big deal when they rebounded from their semifinals loss to win the consolation match and earn a spot in the PIAA doubles championships in early November.

“Winning the consolation match and having the opportunity to play at a state level is the opportunity of a lifetime for these girls,” Mack said. “I’m not sure either of them realizes what they have achieved. It’s truly a big deal for them and Chartiers Valley tennis. We are excited to see what the future holds for these two girls and our program. We are hoping this is the first of many trips to Hershey.”

Many were part of the Colts success on the court in 2022. They include seniors Mackenzie Maga and Kenzie Giehll along with juniors Milla Konakchieva, Maddie Cioccio and Marta Gualazzi.

“These girls all added their own passion to the team this season,” Mack said. “They all worked hard daily at practice, and it showed during their matches, as I believe each girl had winning individual records throughout the season, which catapulted our team to success.”

Some others Mack mentioned who contributed to the team success but were either sidelined with injuries or were trying to compete for a starting role were seniors Brooke Kellington, Prisha Thumar, Tori Flowers, Maddie Fitzgerald and Sage Gojsovich and junior Ellie Wilshire.

Other season highlights for the Colts included Kuczinski finishing in second place in the WPIAL singles sectionals and Kuczinski and Fox winning the section doubles tournament.

“I want to highlight the addition of our newly hired assistant and JV coach, Alex Plumb,” Mack said. “He really made a difference in this team this season. His knowledge of the game and his experience was a big help navigating this season, and I appreciated his efforts.”

While there will be shoes to fill, Mack is already optimistic about the 2023 Chartiers Valley girls tennis season.

“Although we will miss the contributions of seven seniors who have been with the team since freshman year, we are retaining most of the starting lineup from this season,” Mack said. “Also, we are excited to see the development of our JV squad coming to varsity and any new freshman players coming out for the team. We feel with this crop, next year’s varsity team can make a deep run in Class 2A.”

Tags: Chartiers Valley