OJR's Lee, Conestoga duo reach tennis semifinals

Meredith Lee of Owen J. Roberts carried the banner for District 1 singles players at the PIAA state tennis championships Friday at the Hershey Racquet Club.

Lee, the third seed from District 1, won two matches to advance to the semifinals of the Class AAA tournament.

Conestoga's doubles team of Kaylee Yan and Amy Zhang is the only other local entry in the Class AAA semifinals.

Lee dropped just two games in her two matches. She beat Katina Jones of Penn Manor, 6-1, 6-0, in the first round and took down State College's Yvonne Peters, 6-1, 6-0, in the quarterfinals.

Lee, a sophomore, will face Ananya Dua of Shady Side Academy in Saturday's semifinals.

Yan and Zhang also cruised to the semifinals. They defeated Sarah Sambrick and Tori Schultz of Lampeter-Strasburg, 6-3, 6-2, in the first round. In their quarterfinal, Yan and Zhang rolled past Alyssa Pheasant and Veronica Helsel of Holidaysburg, 6-2, 6-2.

A few other local representatives won in the first round before falling in the quarterfinals.

Archbishop Ryan's Julianne Hermann took her first-round match in AAA, beating Downingtown West's Payton Bradley, 6-4, 6-2.

Alex Vo of Nazareth Academy beat Mara Trifoi of Wyomissing, 6-1, 6-2, in Class AA.

Garnet Valley's Marina Zhang and Emma Blake (AAA) won their first-round doubles match, as did Danielle Ruffus and Reagan Hatcher of Villa Maria Academy.

The Results

CLASS AAA SINGLES

First Round

Anna Li, North Allegheny, def. Mihaela Codreanu, Methacton, 7-5, 7-6 (7-5); Ali Snyder, Exeter, def. Shannon Sertz, Fairview, 6-0, 6-1; Charlotte Madson, Upper St. Clair, def. Swata Alagar, Obama Academy, 6-0, 6-1; Nina DeLuna, Southern Lehigh, def. Katherine Devlin, Wissahickon, 4-6, 6-2, 6-0; Meredith Lee, Owen J. Roberts, def. Katina Jones, Penn Manor, 6-1, 6-0; Yvonne Peters, State College, def. Tyra Abdalla, Abington Heights, 6-3, 6-3; Julianne Herman, Archbishop Ryan, def. Payton Bradley, Downingtown West, 6-4, 6-2; Ananya Dua, Shady Side Academy, def. Sammi Snyder, Exter, 6-1, 6-2.

Quarterfinals

Anna Li, North Allegheny, def. Ali Snyder, Exter, 6-2, 6-2; Charlotte Madson, Upper St. Clair, def. Nina DeLuna, 4-6, 6-2, 6-0; Meredith Lee, Owen J. Roberts, def. Yvonne Peters, State College, 6-1, 6-0; Ananya Dua, Shady Side Academy, def. Juluanne Herman, Archbishop Ryan, 6-3, 6-0.

CLASS AA SINGLES

First Round

Alex Vo, Nazareth Academy, def. Mara Trifoi, Wyomissing, 6-1, 6-2; Tyra Ott, Wilson, def. Emily Gordon, Grove City, Grove City, 4-6, 6-2, ret; Lin Robertson, Berks Catholic, def. Emily Jonsson, Scranton Prep, 6-0, 6-0; Alyvia Kluska, Greensburg Central Catholic, def. Anywa Plotnikova, South Williamsport, 6-1, 6-1; Pam Niditch, Loyalsock, def. Sarah Casey, St. Mary's, 6-0, 6-0; Michaela Kluska, Greensburg Central Catholic, def. Emma Lipschutz, Masterman, 6-0, 6-0; Kourtney Cavalier, Central Cambria, def. Hannah Phillips, Carlynton, 6-1, 4-6, 6-2; Bronwyne Mellott, McConnellsburg, def. Elizabeth Veronis, Lancaster Catholic, 6-4, 6-4.

Quarterfinals

Tyra Ott, Wilson, def. Alex Vo, Nazareth Academy, 6-2, 6-7 (8-6), 6-3; Lin Robertson, Berks Catholic, def. Alyvia Kluska, 7-5, 6-3; Michaela Kluska, Greensburg Central Catholic, def. Pam Niditch, 6-2, 6-4; Bronwyne Mellott, McConnellsburg, def. Kourtney Cavalier, 6-1, 6-1.

CLASS AAA DOUBLES

First Round

Jean Holcombe/Megan Hixon, Peters Township, def. Molly Bair/Amirah Salim-Bey, Abington, 5-7, 6-3, 6-4; Greta Strunk/Madison Fortna, Cedar Crest, def. Lauren Fadden/Elise Heinslein-McDowell, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2; Tina Li/Eugenia Lee, North Allegheny, def. Megan Mulhollan/Marissa Toretti-DuBois, 6-0, 6-0; Brittany Poje/Kaitlyn Poje, East Stroudsburg South, def. Amanda Baxter/Katie Gergel, W.C. Henderson, 6-3, 6-4; Kaylee Yan/Amy Zhang, Conestoga, def. Sarah Sambrick/Tori Schultz, Lampeter-Strasburg, 6-3, 6-2; Alyssa Pheasant/Veronica Helsel, Holidaysburg, def. Maggie Manchester/Isabel Bauer, Williamsport, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4; Marina Zhang/Emma Blake, Garnet Valley, def. Gabrielle Garrett/Devi Majeske, Central, 6-0, 6-0; Laurel Shymansky/Amanda Nord, Fox Chapel, def. Julia Sternberg/Rachel Sternberg, Central Dauphin, 6-0, 6-0.

Quarterfinals

Holcombe/Hixon, Peters Township, def. Fortna/Struck, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2; Li/Lee, North Allegheny, def. Poje/Poje, East Stroudsburg South, 6-3, 6-3.

Yan/Zhang, Conestoga, def. Pheasant/Helsel, Holidaysburg, 6-2, 6-2; Shymansky/Nord, Fox Chapel, def. Zhang/Blake, Garnet Valley, 6-3, 6-4.

CLASS AA DOUBLES

First Round

Danielle Ruffus/Reagan Hatcher, Villa Maria Academy, def. Alexis Welker/Lianne Lapitan, Bishop McDevitt, 6-2, 6-3; Lauren Petrella/ Cait Schultz, Mercyhurst Prep, def. Kara Chyung/ Lena Delb, Moravian Academy, 6-1, 6-2; Emilia Jakubek/ Tatiana Klacko, Scranton Prep, def. Alyssa Miller/ Evan Boone, Kennard-Dale, 6-2, 6-2; Farrah Bojalad/ Zoe Bojalad, Quaker Valley, def. Rachel Thomas/ Courtney McCowan, Hughesville, 7-5, 6-1;

Maria Morgan/ Abby Ranson, Bucktail, def. Taylor Hepler/Anna Brinkler, Brockway, 6-0, 6-0; Anne Taylor/ Mattie Taylor, Beaver, def. Zona Charles/ Mona Zhang, Masterman, 6-0, 6-3; Alyssa Snodgrass/ Savannah Curry def. Kayla Makin/ Emily Goldyn, Forest Hills, 6-0, 6-3; Grace Zechman/ Amy Shields, Lancaster Country Day, def. Cassie Wentz/ Abby Hanley, Windber, 6-1, 6-1

Quarterfinals

Petrella/Schultz, Mercyhurst Prep, def. Ruffus/Hatcher, Villa Maria Academy, 7-5, 6-1; Jakubek/Klacko, Scranton Prep, def. Bojalad/Bojalad, Quaker Valley, 6-3, 1-6, 6-0.

Taylor/Taylor, Beaver, def. Morgan/Ransom, Bucktail, 6-3, 6-7 (7-5), 6-3; Zechman/Shields, Lancaster Country Day, def. Snodgrass/Curry, South Park, 6-1, 6-3.