Best of Sports, Girls Tennis: Lily Sierka & Cami Fisher, Bethel Park
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Bethel Park enjoyed a historic run in girls tennis and Lily Sierka, as well as Cami Fisher, were major contributors towards the success the Lady Hawks experienced.
For starters, they became the first doubles tennis team in school history to win a WPIAL championship when they paired up to beat Elana Sobol and Rachel Nath from Shady Side Academy in the Class 3A final played Oct. 5 at North Allegheny High School.
Though they were thrown together as a team only two weeks before doubles tournament play commenced, the duo was designed for success. They trained together with Tom Gorman at Glen Creek Tennis Club. Gorman’s own daughter, Mia, was a two-time WPIAL singles champion.
In the championship match, Sierka served well and kept rallies going with strong ground strokes while Fisher’s left-handed service kept the Shady Side tandem off balance.
Sierka and Fisher breezed through the tournament.
They opened action with pro set wins, 10-2, against Baldwin’s Gabrielle Moder and Olivia Garofalo and the Moon pairing of Ria Khazanchi and Kiera Wise. Fisher and Sierka reached the finals by sweeping Abby Santora and Mollie Schlicter from Oakland Catholic in straight sets, 6-0, 6-0.
The tandem also combined to win a section title. Additionally, they were quarterfinalists in the PIAA state doubles tournament.
Singularly, Fisher, a freshman, was the section runner-up while Sierka, a senior, was the bronze medalist. Both qualified for the WPIAL singles tournament but a loss in the quarterfinals forced them to combine their talents for doubles action.
Fisher and Sierka also helped the Black Hawks to a banner year in team competition. After going undefeated during the regular season (15-0) and winning a section title, Bethel Park captured its first WPIAL team title by sweeping North Allegheny, 5-0, in the Class 3A championship match. The Hawks breezed into the finals with victories against Norwin, 5-0, Upper St. Clair, 4-1, and Shady Side Academy, 3-2.
BP won its first-ever match in the state competition by beating Fairview, 4-1, but the Lady Hawks’ best season ever ended when they lost, 3-2, to Conestoga in the state quarterfinals.
HONOREES
Sophia Cunningham, senior, Mt. Lebanon
Gabriella Dusi, sophomore, Belle Vernon
Ava Frank, junior, Avella
Rachel Hardek, senior, Chartiers Valley
Sara Miloszewski, senior, Chartiers Valley
Jack Tang, sophomore, Mt. Lebanon