close

Bethel Park sophomore shines in WPIAL singles tournament

By Eleanor Bailey almanac Sports Editor ebailey@thealmanac.Net 5 min read
1 / 2

Photos: Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac

Devin Collier reaches for a backhand during WPIAL Class 3A singles championship action. The Bethel Park sophomore dropped a 6-2, 6-0 decision to Anthony Lounder of Moon.

2 / 2

By Eleanor Bailey

Devin Collier sports his WPIAL silver medal. The Bethel Park sophomore finished runner-up to Anthony Lounder of Moon after dropping the Class 3A final, 6-2, 6-0.

Devin Collier did not win the WPIAL tennis championship, but the Bethel Park sophomore did make history when he dropped his singles final to Anthony Lounder of Moon, 6-2, 6-0.

Collier qualified for the PIAA Championships to be held May 26-27 at the Hershey Racquet Club.

“I have been here for over 30 years and Bethel Park has never sent a boy to states,” said head coach Doug Addington. “This is absolutely amazing, particularly since Devin is a 10th grader.”

Collier played well enough in the district final to win but Lounder, a senior, was spectacular in capturing the Class 3A championship April 12 at the Bethel Park High School courts.

“He played great and was the better player,” Collier admitted. “He got the most important points at the right times.”

Addington agreed.

“That boy hit all the best shots on the biggest points,” he said. “It was a difference of a half a dozen points and (Lounder) took all those.

“Devin has nothing to be ashamed of. He did play well. The level of play out there was pretty incredible. We needed a lucky break to turn the tide.”

After Collier broke service to pull within 3-2 in the first set, he was overwhelmed by the tsunami created by Lounder as he won the next nine games.

Collier said there wasn’t much he could do to slow Lounder down and while it was tough playing in temperatures that hovered around 80 degrees, he said he was accustomed to the windy conditions because, “I play in them every day.”

Collier has played competitive tennis for the past 4 1/2 years. He put together one of his best tournaments during the first part of the 2023 high school season.

After breezing into the finals of the Section 4 tournament, Collier outlasted Upper St. Clair’s Ronan Gibbons, 6-3, 4-6, 7-5, for the title and a spot in the district tournament.

”I started to believe in myself more,” Collier said. “When I played the kid in section, I knew how to win.”

Collier used his knowledge to negotiate the first round of the WPIAL tournament played on the North Allegheny High School courts before moving to Bethel Park for the finals.

Collier opened with pro set wins against Franklin Regional’s Dhruv Kulkarni, 10-5, and Aaron Allen, 11-10 (5).

Collier faced Manas Kathir in the semifinals. Collier had won the first set, 6-2, and was winning the second, 2-1, when the North Allegheny senior retired because of a medical issue.

With the WPIAL finals behind him, Collier is now focused on the remainder of the team season as well as the state tournament. Though a sophomore, Collier is an asset to the Black Hawks, says Addington.

“Devin’s great for the team,” he said. “He motivates, he leads and he works hard. He’s a great kid. All he does, he does to the best of his ability.”

Collier has had a super role model in his older brother. Adam Collier played for Addington during his scholastic career.

”Adam was a highly self-motivated person, too,” Addington said. “He was good but not quite as good as Devin.

”Devin sets a good example, not so much with his words but with his behavior and his demeanor. He’s always on the ball and very coachable. He and I can talk tennis and break it down regarding what is going on in a match and what he might have to do.”

At the PIAA tournament, Collier and Addington have outlined a plan for the state competition.

”I am going to do a lot of visualization about winning and playing solidly on the court so I have a better chance to replicate it on the court,” Collier said. “My goal is to stay mentally tough and take it one match at a time.”

”Devin is going to gain a lot of experience,” Addington said.

”He is a very solid defensive player. He has good foot speed. He doesn’t give up many points so it’s going to take a match like (Lounder) played to beat him.

”Devin can cause problems for a lot of people.” Addington continued. “(States) is going to be an absolutely excellent experience for him.

Note

USC’s Gibbons, Peters Township’s Avi Sharma and Mt. Lebanon’s Paul Gorun competed in the WPIAL singles tournament but none was able to advance beyond the first round of competition.

CUSTOMER LOGIN

If you have an account and are registered for online access, sign in with your email address and password below.

NEW CUSTOMERS/UNREGISTERED ACCOUNTS

Never been a subscriber and want to subscribe, click the Subscribe button below.

Starting at $/week.

Subscribe Today