Hempfield girls tennis focuses on finishing strong

By: HSSN Staff
Sunday, September 23, 2018 | 7:03 PM

Hempfield girls tennis coach Jerry Way has a theory when it comes to high school tennis.

If you have two strong doubles teams that can win, you need only one singles player to come out on top.

Six games into section play, the Spartans are winning their doubles matches and then some.

“We have done a good job to this point at staying focused and playing the game with intensity,” Way said. “I try to emphasize to do the things we know how to do and have fun with it.”

Hempfield is off to a 6-0 start in Class AAA after a 5-0 win over Penn-Trafford on Friday. Way said the success is great, but he is emphasizing finishing strong to be a force in the WPIAL and state playoffs.

“Sometimes I tend to be too serious about it, and I notice it’s really just like that when we’re winning,” he said. “It probably should be the opposite when you’re winning

“But you want them to finish strong. That’s how teams win WPIALs and states.”

Way’s singles players — senior Angela Popovich (No. 1), freshman Alexis Smith (No. 2) and senior Rhiannon Kelly (No. 3) have been up to the task. Popovich recently lost a tough matchup against North Allegheny’s Ashley Huang in the Class AAA tournament.

On the doubles side, the No. 1 team of junior Maura Habaugh and senior Sarah Wing and the second squad of sophomores Claire Bryan and Olivia Shafer have also been stout.

“I’m really happy about where we are as a group,” Way said. “I don’t want the girls to get too comfortable because each match is important

“When you win a lot of matches 5-0, 5-0, 4-1 … I mean matches that haven’t been close, and as it is in most sports when you get cruising, you get complacent.”

Way has made it his goal to make sure the Spartans stay focused to ensure a better seed for the postseason.

“We know what to expect, and we have the record to do it and the players to do it,” he said. “Last year, we finished and barely made the playoffs … This year, finishing one or two is a great accomplishment.”

Brian Graham is a freelance writer.

Tags: Hempfield