Chartiers Valley qualifies for PIAA
By Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Shokhrukh Kholmatjoncv returns a forehand during his third singles match against Winchester-Thurston in the WPIAL Class AA semifinals.
By Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Shokhrukh Kholmatjoncv keeps his eye on the ball as he connects on a backhand during the semifinals of the WPIAL Class AA team tennis tournament. Although he won his No. 3 singles match, Chartiers Valley succumbed to Winchester-Thurston, 4-1.
Chartiers Valley finished fourth in the WPIAL Class AA team tennis tournament and earned a berth in the PIAA competition.
“This is the farthest a CV team has gone and I am so proud of these guys,” said head coach Bobby Mack. “These kids worked hard and deserve all the credit for their tenacity on the court. They surprised a lot of schools out there.”
After blanking Central Valley, the Colts shocked No. 2 seed Quaker Valley, 3-2, to advance to the semifinals in the team competition. In the consolation match, they dropped a 4-1 decision to North Catholic.
“Beating Quaker Valley was probably one of our biggest wins. At least in my seven years here,” Mack said. “These kids did their research. They knew they could beat those guys and they were determined to win. They played hard.”
Though the Colts played just the same as they did against QV, they were unable to stop Winchester-Thurston’s march to the finals. CV dropped a 4-1 decision to the Bears, who in turn lost their bid for the title, falling to Sewickley Academy, 4-1, in the championship match played May 10 at the Janet L. Swanston Tennis Center on the Washington and Jefferson College campus.
“We didn’t play much different than we did against in the quarterfinals. Winchester-Thurston was just a better team,” Mack said.
The Bears held a psychological advantage over the Colts by virtue of their 5-0 win against South Park in the quarterfinals. CV had lost to the Eagles during the regular season and finished as runner-up to the No. 3 seed in the section with a 5-1 slate. The Colts were 11-5 heading in state tournament action, which begins on May 16.
“My kids played hard but I think Winchester’s win against South Park was in our heads,” Mack said.
Shokhrukh Kholmatjoncv was the lone winner for CV. After splitting sets, he won the No. 2 singles match.
“Shokhrukh was unstoppable. He’s real consistent. He figures out opponents as he plays them.
“He’s remarkable because he’s never had a lesson or is an off-season player. He’s just a good athlete.”
Brendan Hallisey is a good athlete, too, as he excels at soccer as CV’s goalie. He plays No. 2 singles for the Colts. The junior battled but lost his match, 6-4, 6-2.
Liam Pedersen fell to the Austin He, 6-0, 6-0, at No. 1 singles. A freshman, He is the WPIAL Class AA singles champion.
Pedersen and Hallisey, however, combined to win the Class AA doubles title and will compete in the PIAA tournament later this month in Hershey.
During team matches, Brandon Gallo and Kaden Vietmeier played No. 1 doubles for the Colts. Away Ohm Nathan and Tanishq Bansod combined at No. 2 doubles.
Of the line-up, CV losses five starters to graduate. Hallisey and Bansod are the team’s lone juniors.
“The season itself has been a lot of fun. The guys played hard and they learned to play together and push each other. They wanted to win and found a way to do it,” Mack said. “They had a great attitude and overcame a lot of adversity.”
Can cut here
One of the things the team struggled with was numbers. The team started with nine members and Mack, who is an assistant wrestling coach, recruited five more students to play on the team.
“There were some anxious moments and I’ll worry how to fill the squad next year but we hope to continue building the program and winning matches. There is a desire here.”