VARDEN — Western Wayne has struggled a bit in recent years on the girls varsity tennis scene.
Over the course of the past decade, the Wildcats have posted just 36 wins against 113 losses in the always-rugged Lackawanna League. The last time the ‘Cats enjoyed a winning season was back in 2018 when they went 8-6 and qualified for the district tournament.
This fall though, while the victories remain elusive, there’s a palpable sense of optimism in the air. Under the direction of third year coach Christa Maiocco, a young ‘Cats squad appears to be laying the foundation for a bright future.
“This is just a great group of girls,” Maiocco said. “They’re not the most competitive bunch in the world, but they absolutely love playing tennis. They have a great attitude, they work hard and they really have fun.”
Heading into this week’s action, the ‘Cats are still searching for that first win of the 2024 campaign. Their most recent match was on Wednesday afternoon and ended with a 5-0 loss at the hands of Honesdale.
Cassidy Zeiler, Bella Kolp and Alecia Wertman led the charge in singles action, while Mady McClure, Emma Spewack, Kaylee Fischer and Madison Forgione competed in doubles.
“We’re very young and inexperienced,” Maiocco said. “But, I couldn’t be prouder of them. These girls are so much fun to coach and I really think that we can develop this program into something bigger over the next couple of years.”
Western Wayne has four regular season matches left on its schedule including battles with Montrose, Riverside, Delaware Valley and Abington Heights.
Leading the charge
Western Wayne’s roster is loaded with underclassmen, so it falls to Zeiler to provide leadership on and off the court.
The teams’s lone senior anchors the starting line-up at first singles. Zeiler has been been a member of the varsity for three years. She’s a model of consistency, a dedicated baseliner with a solid serve who isn’t afraid to attack the net.
“Cassidy is a phenomenal athlete,” Maiocco said. “She moves extremely well and never gives up. Cassidy will fight for every point right up until the match is over. I love that about her.”
Zeiler put up a fierce fight at the Daniel J. O’Neill Sports Complex in Honesdale. She eventually suffered a straight set loss to Morgan Wendell, but each of those sets went right down to the wire (6-4, 7-5).
Western Wayne starts a pair of sophomores, Kolp and Wertman, at the other two singles spots.
Kolp is one of the team’s most improved players. A tough-as-nails competitor, Kolp has spent the season developing both her forehand and backhand from the baseline.
“Bella may look like a little peanut out there, but boy is she strong and quick,” Maiocco said. “She works really hard and is improving all the time. I’m definitely excited to see what she can do these next two years.”
Kolp gave it her all against Honesdale, but came out on the short end of a 6-0, 6-2 decision versus Alexis Mazzotta.
Wertman is a wily southpaw who possesses serious natural topspin on her ground strokes. She’s another member of a talented sophomore class who’s improved by leaps and bounds this fall.
“Watch out for Alecia next season,” Maiocco said. “I love what I’m seeing from her lately. If Alecia keeps working hard and getting better, there’s no telling what she can accomplish.”
Wertman never backed down in her match at third singles versus the Hornets. She battled from start to finish against Casey Morton, but suffered a straight set loss (6-1, 6-1).
On the doubles scene
Western Wayne’s doubles teams consist entirely of sophomores, a fact that bodes well for the future.
In Wednesday’s match, the top doubles tandem of Mady McClure and Emma Spewack gave Honesdale all it could handle.
McClure and Spewack traded winners with the Hornets’ Irene Smith and Dana Martin throughout two exciting sets. In the end, the ‘Cats dropped a 6-3, 7-5 decision, but earned high marks from their coach.
“They’re playing well,” Maiocco said. “Both of those girls played a lot of exhibition matches last year and maybe here and there at second doubles. This year, they’ve made the transition to first doubles and they’re working well together.”
Rounding out the Wildcat attack are Kaylee Fischer and Madison Forgione at the second doubles spot.
This is the first season of competitive tennis for each girl, so they’ve had to learn on the fly. In Wednesday’s match, the two sophomores gave it their all, but lost in straight sets to Honesdale’s Mia Shenacovitz and Tarynn Murray (6-0, 6-0).
“Hey, three weeks ago they really didn’t even know how to keep score,” said Maiocco of her newcomers, “But now they’re out there competing and holding their own. I’m proud of how far they’ve come in such a short amount of time.”
This article originally appeared on Tri-County Independent: Western Wayne girls tennis battles Honesdale Lackawanna in League action
