High school tennis season ready to enter full swing on Monday

KINGSTON — Wyoming Seminary served as host Sunday afternoon when District 2 girls tennis teams gathered for their second annual Media Day and continued discussions about creating the first senior all-star match between the Wyoming Valley Conference and Lackawanna League.

Coaches and top returning players from the majority of the teams were in attendance to discuss the season, which opens Monday, and make themselves available for interviews and pictures with local media outlets.

Scranton Prep returns its entire lineup from its state championship team, which gives District 2 a shot at a third PIAA Class 2A team title in four years. Wyoming Seminary won it all in 2021.

All six District 2 championships will feature strong threats for title repeats.

District Class 3A champion Abington Heights returns six of its seven starters, including two-time singles champion Susan Arp and doubles champions Sona Hanumali and Mary Booth.

Wyoming Seminary’s Ilana Rosenthal is a three-time state champion. She led the team title effort as a freshman and won singles championships the past two years.

Scranton Prep’s Alyssa Wigley and Lily Lengyel are the defending Class 2A doubles champs.

A look at the WVC teams, in order of last year’s standings with each team’s WVC and overall records listed:

Wyoming Seminary (12-0, 15-2) returns much more than the district’s most decorated player in Rosenthal.

“We have a lot of players coming back from last year,” said Wyoming Seminary coach Raphael Cooper, who organized the event.

Lizzie Weaver, Kimi Li, Jophie Li, Elisabeth Moules and Addison Priebe all return from the postseason starting lineup.

Cecilia Pons also has starting experience and Kathleen Minella leads the list of newcomers trying to break into the lineup.

“We have a lot of depth,” Cooper said. “We’ll have to figure out who is playing where.”

The Blue Knights won the WVC and reached the district final against Scranton Prep.

Dallas (11-1, 12-2) , which does not have a senior on the roster, will have to replace four graduated starters from its WVC runner-up and district semifinalist team.

Cat Finn and Mahi Dhol return from the singles lineup, Juliana Konnick is also back and coach Joe Pugliese said junior Cassidy Alaimo has gotten herself ready to be one of the new starters.

Paul Gerrity returns as head coach at Holy Redeemer (9-3, 10-4)

Gerrity, a late appointment to the position, will be in his 12th season, including 2007-2011 as the first coach of the Royals where his last team won a WVC title. He also coached Coughlin and Hanover Area for three years each.

“We got a late start and have some injuries and other issues to deal with at the beginning of the year,” Gerrity said. “With losing our top two from last year, it likely will be somewhat of a rebuilding year.

“But, we do have a large roster and a lot of players who are very close in ability, which hopefully will result in really close competitive practices.”

Addison Rosenko went 10-2 as the third singles player on Holy Redeemer’s district semifinalists.

Kim Dinh and Caroyn Phillips had a winning record at number-one doubles.

Julia Gilchrist also returns.

Wyoming Area (9-3, 10-4) has four starters back and a larger roster than usual.

Emma Kratz is expected to move up to number-one singles.

Sarah Willison, Erica Gilligan and Selena Nova are also back.

Freshman Molly Kratz has a chance to be in the number-two singles spot.

Seniors Lily Kasa and Natalie Leibman could fill out the rest of the lineup.

“We have a lot of talent so the rest of the lineup will be challenging to try to take a spot,” Roberts said.

Crestwood (9-3, 10-4) is led by the return of its singles lineup, including Hannah Ziegler, who took Arp to three sets in the district championship match.

Ella Richards, Camerone Carlos, Paicey Clower, Jane Jenkins, Colver Newell, Priya Shah, Jillian Laskoski and Allena Martinez also have experience for a team that brings back five of seven starters.

Coach Scott Lenio enters his 27th season.

MMI Prep (7-5, 11-5) is led by the return of Kendall Orozco, who advanced to the district quarterfinals last season without dropping a game in four sets.

Ava Genetti, Eve Corraza and Lydia Chen also return and the team has added three freshmen.

Molly Keiser, Addy Pineau and Tal Pineau are returning starters for Tunkhannock (6-6, 6-7) .

Hazleton Area (5-7, 6-8) reached the Class 3A district tournament last season.

Ayla Krieger returns at number-one singles at Pittston Area (3-9, 3-10) where she is one of six seniors back from last year’s lineup.

Emily Hannon, Sophia Montagna, Ella Swan, Gabby Gorzkowski and Abby Kovac are the others.

Hanover Area (3-9, 3-9) has used its cooperative sponsorship with Nanticoke to build the roster up to 16 players.

Lydia Chafin and Santina Saraka are the returning starters.

Wilkes-Barre Area (2-10, 2-11) has a new coach in Jim Geiger. The Wolfpack tied with Berwick (2-10, 2-10) last season.

Wyoming Valley West (0-12, 0-12) has a new coach for the second straight year. Laura Thompson takes over this season.