Berwick, Seminary Duos Head To Semis Bulldog Team Twice Needed Three Sets Monday To Win Matches, But Blue Knight Team Cruised In Wins.
By JOE PETRUCCI [email protected]
Tuesday, October 23, 2001 Page: 2E
KINGSTON – As Leighton Bull stretched high and came down with a ferocious
overhead slam at Kingston Indoor Tennis Courts, she released all the
frustration, nerves and tension she and doubles partner Diane Molitoris had
experienced on Monday.
The shot, which ended the Berwick duo’s second three-set thriller of the
day, also gave them a berth in tomorrow’s District 2 Class 3A semifinals.
Bull and Molitoris, along with Wyoming Seminary’s Lauren Fay and Nina Shah
(2A), take to the courts in search of medals at 1 p.m. tomorrow at the
University of Scranton.
Also advancing to the semis:
In 2A: Scranton Prep duos of Sheila Rao and Angela Pugliese (No. 1) and
Elizabeth Karam and Kristin Kehrli; and Western Wayne’s Melissa Walsh and
Lindsey Hoban (No. 4).
In 3A: Wallenpaupack’s Renee Marchand and Lindsay Vocht (No. 1); Abington
Heights’ Michelle Petrasko and Alison Herlands (No. 5); and Williamsport’s
Amanda Hall and Kate Bellfy (No. 2).
Monday’s tournament started outdoors at the Kirby Park and Wilkes
University courts, but early afternoon rain forced the quarterfinal matches to
Kingston.
“It was just like, `boom,’ get the point over with,” said Bull, clearly
relieved that her and Molitoris’ day was done. After a 6-1, 6-1 first-round
victory, the Bulldogs outlasted Jersey Shore’s Melinda Meisel and Andrea
Deitrick – 3-6, 7-6, 6-1 – to reach the quarters. There, they dropped the
first set, 2-6, but crawled back into the second set to force a 6-6 tie.
The Bulldogs fell behind 3-0 in the tiebreaker, but stormed back to win it
“The first set, I don’t know what we were doing,” Molitoris said. “It
took awhile to get adjusted to the lighting and the different courts.
Tiebreakers are horrible. You just try to focus and get your serves in.”
That simple plan worked, as third-seeded Berwick cruised in the deciding
set 6-2.
The Berwick tandem, which went undefeated during the regular season, is
used to three-set pressure. The Bulldogs went the distance with the Northeast
Pennsylvania Football Conference Southern Division’s two other top teams –
Wyoming Seminary and Wyoming Valley West.
In 2A, Fay, playing for the first time with Shah, who replaced the injured
Mansee Patel, breezed through the first three rounds, surrendering only four
games.
The second-seeded Blue Knights defeated East Stroudsburg North’s Ann Marie
Aponte and Natalia Graff 6-0, 6-1 in the quarters.
“We were actually a little afraid because their No. 1 player (Aponte) is
really strong,” said Fay, a senior. “I think Nina and I were really on
today.”
Shah played noticeably better than she did in the district team and singles
competition, striking the ball much harder than she ever has.
“I had to play harder,” said Shah, a freshman. “I’m playing tougher
people. I was a little nervous.”
Fourth-seeded in 3A, junior Darcy Lantz and freshman Kate Chorpenning of
Wyoming Valley West faced three tough teams – defeating duos from Williamsport
(in three sets) and Delaware Valley – before falling to Petrasko and Herlands
in the quarters.
“Petrasko hits the ball real hard. We tried to hit to Herlands, but she
just kept putting them back in. There was nothing we could do,” Lantz said.
“I thought we played really well. We just ran into some good teams.”
