Quaker Valley girls tennis celebrates section title, keeps working toward more goals

By: Ray Fisher
Sunday, September 29, 2024 | 11:01 AM

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Two titles in a row — it’s an exceptional result for any team.

And the Quaker Valley girls tennis team has done just that by repeating as section champion in 2024.

QV improved to 10-1 overall and 6-0 in Section 5-2A with a decisive 5-0 win Sept. 23 against Hopewell.

“To say we are excited is such an understatement,” QV coach Christi Hays said. “And to do so in such a dominating fashion — losing only two individual lines in six section matches — is a tribute to our girls, our depth and how hard they worked in the offseason.

“Winning the section is always the first order of business every season, but it is just the first step to what the team hopes is a special year. We will celebrate this achievement then quickly refocus on the upcoming WPIAL tournament.”

The Quakers haven’t won back-to-back section titles since their streak of winning championships in the early 2000s. Prior to 2023, their last section title was achieved in 2010.

“When the realignment came out in the fall, pairing two 2023 section champs (Quaker Valley and Sewickley Academy) in the same section along with newcomer Aquinas, it gave the team all the incentive it needed,” said Hays, who will be inducted into the QV Sports Hall of Fame in October. “After all, Sewickley Academy had won their section for almost a decade or more.”

The Quakers also captured the Midwestern Athletic Conference team tournament ahead of Beaver earlier this fall by sweeping all three singles lines.

The QV girls strung together a nine-match winning streak in 2024 before losing a 3-2 decision Sept. 20 to North Catholic.

“North Catholic is a very deep and young team,” Hays said. “We feel very good about how we match up against them, and really look forward to maybe seeing them again in the WPIAL tournament. Two other top teams to watch are Oakland Catholic and Beaver.”

The Quakers have been led in ‘24 by senior Kirsten Close, freshman Avery Allan and senior Jay Olawaiye at first, second and third singles.

“I feel like we’ve won the ‘singles lottery’ this year with three quality players like Kirsten, Avery and Jay,” Hays said. “Not many teams have such strength in the first three spots.”

Close and Olawaiye are co-captains for a second year in a row.

“I’m very happy the team has won the section, especially with Sewickley Academy moving into our section,” Close said. “I’m also very impressed with the team for stepping it up this season because I have been pretty sick recently and haven’t been able to play or finish most of my matches.

“I’m super excited for the rest of the season. We’re in the running for WPIALs and would love to win it. But I and the rest of the senior class are really just trying to enjoy the last few weeks of our high school tennis careers.”

That would include Olawaiye, who also is an integral force in the QV girls track and field program.

“I’m super excited about winning a second consecutive section title especially since it’s been so long since QV girls tennis won sections before us,” Olawaiye said. “I’m super proud of everyone on the team for getting us here.”

The Quakers’ top three singles players have proven to have a dynamic influence at the top of the lineup.

“Kirsten had some health challenges and wasn’t able to finish her match against SA’s Rayna Thakkar,” Hays said. “But she is now healthy and playing at a really high level — highlighted with a straight set victory over Grace Stitt from Hampton, who finished as the silver medalist in the WPIAL (Class 2A) singles tournament.”

Close and Allan have their sights set on a specific postseason prize.

“Kirsten and Avery chose not to play in the WPIAL singles competition because they wanted to team up to play in the WPIAL doubles tourney,” Hays said. “The girls train together and are great friends, and they should be a real force all the way to the state level.

“Avery is a very precocious player for a freshman. She has an attacking game and can do it from both sides. And she also has a high tennis IQ. She will be ready to step right into the No. 1 spot next year when Kirsten graduates.”

Olawaiye moved from No. 2 singles to the third position this season.

“What a luxury to have Jay at our No. 3 spot,” Hays said. “For her first two years, she played No. 1 for us — and had success. Last year, she moved to No. 2 behind Kirsten when she transferred from Sewickley Academy.

“And this year Jay is playing better than ever. She is playing more freely and enjoying it. She admits she likes the No. 3 spot because there is less pressure. One of her many strengths is that she can outlast most players.”

Hays has been rotating players in the doubles events with five players getting the most playing time — juniors Livia Jobbins, Jane Lenhard and Parker Barnes, sophomore Hannah Stein and freshman Kate Miller.

“Having such strength and depth at singles allows me the freedom to experiment with different doubles combinations from match to match,” the coach said, “to make sure that by the time of playoffs, we hopefully have the right pairs in place for a win all the way down the lineup.”

In the section title-clincher at Hopewell, Jobbins and Lenhard at No. 1 and No. 2 singles and Stein and Miller at No. 1 doubles won their matches without dropping a game.

Senior Keira Cowher, a distant relative of former Steelers coach Bill Cowher, plus the team of Barnes and senior Emaan Ashfaq also won in straight sets for the Quakers.

QV recorded logged seven shutouts and three wins by 4-1 scores in its first 10 decisions this season.

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