Norwin’s Santilli advances to PIAA tennis semifinals

By: Staff Report
Friday, November 3, 2017 | 7:12 PM

Norwin senior Maria Santilli is a step closer to defending her PIAA Class AAA singles tennis championship.

After cruising to a pair of straight-sets victories Friday in the opening rounds of the state tournament in Hershey, Santilli will take on North Allegheny's Ashley Huang in the semifinals Saturday morning.

Santilli, the two-time WPIAL champion, lost just one game in her two matches Friday.

Huang, the WPIAL's third-place finisher, won both of her matches in straight sets.

The winner moves on to the championship at 1 p.m.

In Class AAA doubles, the defending state champion tandem of Amanda Nord and Charlotte James from Fox Chapel advanced to the semifinals with a pair of straight-sets victories. They will play Central Bucks East's Sydney Lund and Haylie Laff in the semifinals. Pine-Richland's Melissa Vizcardo and Alyssa Sarver advanced to the other semifinal with two straight-sets wins.

Knoch's Laura Greb, the WPIAL champion, advanced to the Class AA semifinals and will play at 11 a.m. Saturday.

In Class AA doubles, WPIAL champions Kelsey Heckert and Lauren Bertig from Indiana and Beaver's Devyn Campbell and Sydni Lewis also advanced to the semifinals. With victories, they will face each other in the 3 p.m. finals.

Tags: Beaver, Fox Chapel, North Allegheny, Norwin