Victoria Martinez rallied for a three-set victory Friday afternoon at the Hershey Indoor Racquet Club, lifting Wyoming Seminary over defending state champion Knoch and into the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Class 2A girls tennis team semifinals with a 3-2 victory.
The Blue Knights also got wins from the top and bottom of the lineup, freshman first singles player Ilana Rosenthal and the second doubles team of Maria Nolte and Victoria Smulowitz.
Martinez defeated Lindsey Greb, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, at third singles. She had also provided the deciding point when the unbeaten Blue Knights got past Riverside, 3-2, in the District 2 semifinals.
“Victoria Martinez again – another three-setter,” Wyoming Seminary coach Raphael Cooper said. “After being down one set, she brought it back.
“But, second doubles came up huge. It was a true team effort. Each different player finds a way to step up and keep us advancing. It’s a true team.”
Nolte-Smulowitz defeated Kenzie Gumto-Lara Ejzak, 6-4, 7-5.
Rosenthal won the most one-sided match, 6-1, 6-0, over Ally Bauer at first singles.
“Ilana Rosenthal becoming an automatic point for us sometimes gets lost in the shuffle,” Cooper said. “She, as a freshman, is doing some unheard of things for this team as well.”
Knoch’s points came at second singles and first doubles.
Emily Greb defeated Ella Krypel, 6-3, 6-2. Ava Santora-Jade Neither downed Margaret Mihalick-Dominica Delayo, 6-1, 7-5.
Wyoming Seminary, which had defeated District 11 champion Moravian Academy, 3-2, in Tuesday’s first round, plays District 3 champion Conrad Weiser Saturday at noon. Conrad Weiser defeated Beaver Area, 4-1, in the quarterfinals.
District 7 champion Sewickley Academy and District 1 champion Lower Moreland meet in the other semifinal at 2. Both teams have advanced to the semifinals with a pair of 5-0 victories.
