The most elated group of athletes in the area on May 5 was the Quaker Valley boys tennis team.
The fifth-seeded Quakers capped off an impressive WPIAL playoff run by defeating No. 2 North Catholic, 3-2, at Washington & Jefferson College to win the Class 2A championship.
QV’s starting lineup consisted of junior Will Meagher, senior Tanner Schultz and junior Charlie Pyle at singles and senior/sophomore pairings Sutton Hoehl with Dom Ditano and Patrick Connors with Carter Hawes at doubles.
“I think the team played great and there really wasn’t much we could’ve done better,” said Meagher, who filled QV’s No. 1 singles spot this year and qualified for the PIAA tournament. “Any of the matches we lost could’ve gone either way.
“The doubles were big this year as they typically are. Especially towards the end of the season, they were extremely reliable and played a major role in the team’s success.”
Meagher outlasted NC senior Justin Garvey in three sets, 6-1, 3-6, 6-1, at first singles at the district finals but the Trojans prevailed at second and third singles as senior Alex Weber defeated Schultz, 6-4, 6-3, and sophomore Jake Sinclair won a three-set thriller against Pyle, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3.
“My expectations are very hopeful for next year,” Meagher said. “We typically rotate years in which we are good, but we only lose three starters and have good people coming up that should be able to fill the spots nicely.”
The Quakers secured the championship by sweeping the doubles matches.
Hoehl and Ditano edged Paddy McCabe and Lenny Splane, 7-6 (5), 6-4, while Connors and Hawes defeated Jackson Schlegel and Dylan Bopp, 6-3, 6-3.
“After we lost a heartbreaker to North Catholic early in the season after being up match point, I told the guys immediately after the match that we would see them again,” QV coach Christi Hays said. “And that North Catholic wouldn’t be happy to face us again because it is difficult to beat a good team twice.
“But before we could look ahead, we needed to try to secure second place in our section to get a decent seed in the team tourney. We would have to beat a deep Hampton team on the road. The match was as tight as we thought it would be. And the pivotal match came down to No. 2 singles Tanner Schultz to bring it home.”
And Schultz prevailed.
“I thought overall it was a very successful season, especially winning team WPIALs,” Schultz said. “At the beginning of the season, we said we wanted to redeem last season’s early exit and we did just that.
“Of course, we wish and thought we could’ve gone farther in states, but it doesn’t always go how we would like.”
QV defeated No. 12 Valley, 4-1, No. 4 Winchester Thurston, 5-0, and top-seeded Blackhawk, 3-2, in the first three rounds of the team tournament.
North Catholic blanked No. 15 Ellwood City, 5-0, beat No. 10 Hampton, 4-1, and slipped past No. 6 Indiana, 3-2.
“The road to a rematch with North Catholic would be anything but easy,” Hays said. “As the No. 2 team from our section, we got a decent seed going into WPIALs. I still shake my head about the next four matches. We won them but at any point in every match the wheels could have come off.
“First up was Valley. Rachael Link always has a nice squad, but she was lacking the depth they usually have. We took away a 4-1 win and headed into the quarters where we would meet the No. 5 seed Winchester Thurston.”
Meagher and the Hawes-Connors doubles pairing were victorious to put the Quakers quickly ahead 2-0.
“But that’s where it got interesting,” Hays said. “Tanner Schultz went three sets. Charlie Pyle went three sets. And our other doubles team also went three sets. Even though we ended up winning 5-0, the match was in question until the end. It could have gone off the rails at any point.”
Meagher experienced some serious arm issues against Blackhawk in the semifinal round.
“He was even serving underhand during some of the match,” Hays said. “We really needed the rest of the team to step up.”
And step up they did as Schultz, Pyle and the Connors-Hawes all won.
So, it was on to the championship match against North Catholic at Washington & Jefferson.
“We went early because I wanted the team to watch the 3A finals to get some inspiration. It worked,” Hays said. “Charlie Pyle won the first set as did Will Meagher. Our second doubles got things rolling and won an excellent straight set match to give us the first point, which is huge because the word starts to spread. But then it got nerve-racking.
“Pyle lost in three. Schultz went down in two, and Meagher lost the second set to Garvey 3-6 after winning the first set 6-1. But he pulled it out a 6-1 decision in the third to keep QV’s hopes alive.”
Hays believes Meagher’s performance proved instrumental in the Quakers winning the championship.
“Seeing Will pull that one out was huge,” the veteran coach said. “He needed that for himself and for the team. And you don’t want to let a player like Garvey back in a match.”
The championship came down to Hoehl and Ditano at first doubles, which QV won in a tight battle.
“Our doubles have been huge,” Hays said. “The top teams all have strong singles players. But we’ve really spent a lot of time developing good doubles players over the years. We want them at the net and owning the net.”
WPIAL titlist QV ended the season 13-3 overall while NC finished with a 15-5 record.
“I love the resilience of this team,” Hays said. “I think it showed the guys that even if they get behind, they can always pull it out — and that every line counts as much as the others.”
The Quakers matched the success enjoyed by the WPIAL champion QV girls squad in the fall.
“This is the first time in my career that the boys and girls have won WPIALs in the same year,” said Hays, who coaches both squads. “I don’t think it has been done before at Quaker Valley. It is huge for our program.
“And it shows we are doing something right.”