Mt. Lebanon, Knoch teams win WPIAL doubles titles

By: Tribune-Review
Friday, October 7, 2022 | 5:49 PM

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At the WPIAL girls tennis doubles championships Friday, a Knoch team gave its school a four-peat while a Mt. Lebanon duo put its school back on top after a long time away.

In Class 2A, Knoch’s Ally Bauer and Lindsey Greb, the top seed, defeated Sewickley Academy’s Rayna Thakkar and Gwyn Belt, 6-3, 6-2. Bauer became the sixth player to win three WPIAL doubles titles and Greb repeated as doubles champ.

In Class 3A, fifth-seeded Sophia Cunningham and Sylvie Eriksen of Mt. Lebanon defeated second-seeded Emily Wincko and Abbey Swirsding of North Allegheny, 6-0, 6-3. It was Mt. Lebanon’s 13th doubles title, but first since 1992.

Thanks to a couple of upsets, Cunningham and Eriksen defeated the 13th and ninth seeds to reach the finals, but once there, they defeated the dominant Section 2-3A champs from North Allegheny in straight sets.

They brought home the first WPIAL doubles title for the Blue Devils since Erin Gustine and Ting Yu won 30 years ago.

Lily Sierka and Katie Peterson of Bethel Park defeated Chanel Brun and Sienna Siegel of Fox Chapel, 6-1, 6-1, in the consolation finals to claim the WPIAL’s third and final berth in the PIAA tournament, which begins Nov. 4.

Knoch has won four straight titles with four different teams. Last year, Greb won with her sister, Emily. In 2020, Bauer won with her sister, Brooke. In 2019, Bauer won with Libby Conlon.

Fox Chapel’s Kaitlyn Kuczinski and Delaney Fox of Chartiers Valley defeated Knoch’s second team, Ava Santora and Jade Nether, 6-4, 6-2, for third place.

Tags: Knoch, Mt. lebanon