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Tennis season about to get going

With the start of the spring sports season comes local athletes hitting the tennis courts.

STEUBENVILLE

Big Red was the OVAC runner-up on the boys side last season, and had a pair of district qualifiers in the doubles tandem of Trey and Drey Hilson. Returning starters for coach Ross Ivkovich will be Paul Baumgard on the boys side as well as Suzie Rosachi and Gracie Dillon on the girls side.

On the boys side, Orlando Schiappa, Gage Price, Colin Brown and senior Jonathan Dubois, Isaac Krause all saw time and will be

Also expected to see some time on the girls side are Anna Taylor, Hannah Stoutz.

“Last year out seven boys I started six, sometimes seven seniors. I had a lot of seniors on the girls side too. We are young. They are athletic.

Helping Ivkovich, in his seventh season, work with the young players will be second year assistant coach Moleigh Poling, who played tennis for both Oak Glen and West Liberty University.

“She helped kids so much last year with little things,” Ivkovich said. “She is looking forward to it because these kids are all young and do not know bad habits. She can teach them the right way.”

In doubles, Jacob Noble and Alex Erosezich will be a tandem. Brady Lancia and Brown will be another potential team. On the girls side, Taylor and Sydney Snyder will team up.

“Most of these kids have played other sports,” “It’s a very athletic group. They will get there. The goals are just to work hard, learn the game, and get better as we go. We are going to be OK. It is going to take a few matches for them to get their feet wet. I will be happy if we start to show some success through the season.”

“The future looks bright. I have a very good junior group and a very good freshman group right now and that is a good thing to have. We have most of these kids for the next two years and some of them the next four.”

Big Red opens with St. Clairsville at home.

WEIR

Returning for coach Carrie Magnone on the girls side are seniors Maddie Marshall and Claudia Fornwalt, members of the team for three and four years respectively. Juniors Kailee Austin and Summer Wesie also return, both second year tennis players, joining sophomores Peri Dimitriou, Morgan Grant, Autumn Duckworth, Hannah Lenhardt and Cris Ruiz. Lenhardt and Ruiz are joining the team as foreign exchange students.

“Our girls are fairly young as far as the game of tennis is concerned, we have some veteran players that have played for multiple years and also work year round on their skills,” Magnone said. “They all work hard everyday and you can definitely see the improvement during the practices. I am very excited for tennis matches to begin to see how well the girls show their skills. No matter what the season ends up being, I am always proud of the girls.”

Dimitriou will hold down the number one spot, while Wesie will be the number two and Fornwalt the number three.

Dimitriou and Fornwalt will be the Red Riders top doubles team, while Wesie and Lenhardt will also be a pairing. A third pairing will be set later on.

The boosted numbers and excitement this season have Magnone excited.

“We have a large turn-out this year for tennis compared to the last few years,” She said. “That is very exciting for me to see the interest growing in the sport.”

CCHS

Taking over the Crusaders program this season is Shannon Irvin, a WVU product who coached tennis at Franciscan University.

While she hasn’t had a lot of time with her group so far, she is excited.

“I definitely like what I have seen so far,” she said. “I haven’t gotten to see any of them play yet but I know there are some talented players. I am excited.

“The enthusiasm and commitment level you see already just in conditioning work, if it is any kind of indication for what they will be like out on the court, I can’t wait.”

One thing that has Irvin excited is Central’s tennis team competing in the OVAC’s and tournaments this season for the first time.

“It is exciting for the kids,” she said.

MADONNA

After a growing year last season with a young group, look for the Madonna tennis team, while still young, to be much improved this year.

“Last year we had some growing pains, we were a young team and only had one senior,” Assistant coach Jeffery Gajtka said. “We are still a pretty young team, we have only senior on the team. We are going to still be pretty young but we have more experience. My goals for the year are just to get better every day. Hopefully they will be playing their best at regionals and we can surprise some people.”

On the boys side, Chad Durante will be the number one tentatively. Vincenzo Conforti looks to be the number two single. Eric Chartier and Chris Noble, a first year player, and Carter Hosler are also in the mix.

While doubles pairings are not set in stone, Durante and Chartier are the anticipated top unit. Conforti and Spencer Fiedorczyk make up the second pair. Noble and Hosler are a prospective third pairing.

On the girls side, Kristen Vancamp will be the number one. Kelsey Crawford is the prospective number two, while the three spot is undecided between Sydney Crawford, Elyse Chartier, Mallorie O’Brien.

Vancamp and Kelsey Crawford make up the top doubles pairing.

Jeremy Eloi is the Blue Dons head coach.

INDIAN CREEK

The Redskins and second year coach Monica Pendleton had 35 kids try out to be a part of the 2018 edition of the tennis team.

“I really think we are going to have a pretty decent year,” she said. “I have 14 boys and all 14 have potential to earn a spot. Same for the girls. I have 21 girls.

“I think both teams are going to be strong in singles and doubles because I have such a pool to pick from. There are strong players on both teams. It is great to know that all of the kids that played last year came back.”

Back on the girls side are Alyssa Campbell, Hannah Titi, Miah Thompson, Carly Jo Laughery and Nicole Walkosky. Doubles returners Haley Taylor and Nicole Peajnich.

Returning from last year’s boys singles are Connor Campbell, Izayah King (district qualifier). Returning as a doubles team on the boys side are Jake Everhart and Austin Devore, OVAC semifinalists.

“I think we are going to have a successful season and I look for us to do well in the tournaments at the end of the year,” Pedleton said.

BROOKE

The Bruins girls unit had one of its better showings a season ago, and has almost everyone back. With just two varsity seniors a season ago, the Bruins return their number one in junior Katherine Marks, senior Katelyn Moffo, sophomores Shaelyn Secrist, Sarah Moore and Mary Kosevic. Joining the group are senior Mary Hicks and freshman Mykenzie Findling.

The Brooke girls open the season Monday at Wheeling Park.

“My girls had one of their best season’s last year, team wise,” coach Emily Beall, entering her 14th season, said. “We won a lot of matches as a team, which is a wonderful thing to do, since many people thing tennis is an individual sport. It really brought my girls closer. We only lost two girls in our varsity line up due to graduation, so I am thrilled to see how we come out this year. This is such a fun loving, athletic group that I cannot wait to cheer these girls on.”

The Bruins boys also had a solid season last year, but lost theit top two to graduation. Returning from last year’s squad to take the top two spots in the lineup are senior Mason Zopp and Colin Heilman. Also back for coach Brian Cerullo are junior Tony Apesos and sophomore Anthony Taylor. Also joining the mix is sophomore Johnny Bober, a newcomer to the sport.

The boys also open the season Monday at Wheeling Park.

OAK GLEN

Last season, the Oak Glen girls tennis team finished second in the OVAC and won regionals. Coach Kenneth Keller loses four key pieces from that team, though, setting up opportunites for those that are back to step up.

Three seniors that graduated from the varsity team are Katie Semanski, Molly Schwartzmiller, Abbie Chavez. Allison Brothers, a state qualifier as a freshman starter also did not come back.

Senior Brooke Provenzano is expected to be Keller’s number one, while Chrystal Petrolt, Sarah Stanley, Bethany Stauffer and senior Courtney Brickner are also back this season.

Sierra Wright, a sophomore, joins the club.

“It’s going to be a building year for the Oak Glen girls tennis team,” Keller said. “We are looking to have a lot of fun, that is the main thing. If we are able to win some while we are having fun that would be great. We are a small team and we are young but we will be fine. They are a bunch of great girls.”

Provenzano and Petrolt will be Keller’s top doubles pair.

On the boys side, the Golden Bears and coach Tammi Brown have 10 players trying to earn time, with eight back and two newcomers.

Three retruning seniors are Tyler Ridgway, Josh Lantz and Chance Provenzano. Connor Blake, Zac Alley and Parker Provenzano return as juniors, while Brogan Moran returns as a sophomore.

The two newcomers are junior Logan Konchar and sophomore Brandon Shearer.

“I have a great group of young men,” Brown said. “Eight of the players are returning from last year. We had only one senior in the line-up last year. They are good students as well as good players. They work very hard. We had a good season last year, and I expect an even better season this year. The boys’ abilities are very comparable, so we are still working on our line-up. Play-offs have been extremely close and very interesting. I am excited for this season.”

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