VARDEN — Western Wayne has struggled in recent years on the women’s college tennis scene.
Over the past decade, the Wildcats have posted just 36-113 in the always-tough Lackawanna League. The last time the Cats had a winning season was in 2018, when they went 8-6 and advanced to the district tournament.
This fall, while wins remain few and far between, there is a palpable sense of optimism in the air. Under third-year coach Christa Maiocco, a young Cats team appears to be laying the foundation for a bright future.
“They’re a great group of girls,” Maiocco said. “They’re not the most competitive in the world, but they love to play tennis. They have a great attitude, they work hard and they really enjoy themselves.”
Heading into this week’s action, the ‘Cats are still searching for that first win of the 2024 campaign. Their most recent game came on Wednesday afternoon and ended in a 5-0 defeat at the hands of Honesdale.
Cassidy Zeiler, Bella Kolp and Alecia Wertman led the charge in singles, while Mady McClure, Emma Spewack, Kaylee Fischer and Madison Forgione competed in doubles.
“We’re very young and inexperienced,” Maiocco said. “But I couldn’t be more proud of them. These girls are so much fun to coach and I really think we can grow this program into something bigger over the next couple of years.”
Western Wayne has four regular-season games remaining, including battles with Montrose, Riverside, Delaware Valley and Abington Heights.
Leading the charge
Western Wayne’s roster is loaded with freshmen, so it falls to Zeiler to provide leadership on and off the field.
The team’s only senior starts in the first singles matches. Zeiler has been on the varsity team for three years. She’s a model of consistency, a dedicated baseliner with a solid serve who isn’t afraid to attack the net.
“Cassidy is a phenomenal athlete,” Maiocco said. “She moves extremely well and never gives up. Cassidy will fight for every point until the end of the match. I love that about her.”
Zeiler fought hard at the Daniel J. O’Neill Sports Complex in Honesdale. She eventually lost in three sets to Morgan Wendell, but each of those sets came down to the wire (6-4, 7-5).
Western Wayne fields two sophomores, Kolp and Wertman, in the other two singles spots.
Kolp is one of the team’s fastest-growing players. A fierce competitor, Kolp has spent the season developing both her forehand and backhand from the baseline.
“Bella may look like a little peanut, but she’s strong and fast,” Maiocco said. “She works very hard and is constantly improving. I’m really looking forward to seeing what she can do over the next two years.”
Kolp gave it his all against Honesdale, but won 6-0, 6-2 against Alexis Mazzotta.
Wertman is a slick lefty who possesses serious natural topspin on her groundstrokes. She is part of a talented sophomore class that improved by leaps and bounds this fall.
“We’ll have to watch out for Alecia next season,” Maiocco said. “I like what I’ve seen from her lately. If Alecia continues to work hard and improve, there’s no telling what she can accomplish.”
Wertman never gave up in her third singles match against the Hornets. She fought from start to finish against Casey Morton, but suffered a three-set loss (6-1, 6-1).
On the doubles scene
Western Wayne’s doubles teams are comprised entirely of sophomores, a fact that bodes well for the future.
In Wednesday’s match, the top-tier doubles duo of Mady McClure and Emma Spewack gave Honesdale all it could handle.
McClure and Spewack traded points against Hornets Irene Smith and Dana Martin in two thrilling sets. In the end, the “Cats” lost 6-3, 7-5, but got good marks from their coach.
“They’re playing well,” Maiocco said. “Those two girls played a lot of exhibition matches last year and maybe here and there at second doubles. This year, they’ve made the transition to first doubles and they’re working well together.”
The Wildcat attack is rounded out by Kaylee Fischer and Madison Forgione at second doubles.
This is the first season of competitive tennis for each of the girls, so they had to learn on the job. In Wednesday’s match, the two sophomores gave it their all, but lost in three sets to Honesdale’s Mia Shenacovitz and Tarynn Murray (6-0, 6-0).
“Three weeks ago, they didn’t even know how to keep score,” Maiocco said of his newcomers. “But now they’re competing and holding their own. I’m proud of how much they’ve improved in such a short time.”
This article was originally published on Tri-County Independent: Western Wayne girls tennis team takes on Honesdale Lackawanna in league action
