This year the girls tennis team was forced overcame lots of adversity. This team took strides toward improvement, winning three more games than it did last year.

One of the positives for the team had nothing to do with anything on the court — it is they had a total of 30 players, making them one of the largest in the WPIAL. Most tennis teams are composed of 10-12 players.

Unfortunately the team will lose 10 of its players after this year to graduation. Two of those seniors are captains Alexis Frisbee and Ashlyn Busha. When junior Grace Grabowski, the team’s top player, went down with an injury, these two captains did a great job at keeping the team together.

“An injury to our top player, junior Grace Grabowski, forced lineup changes and thrust some players into starting roles they were not expected to fill. Overall, I am tremendously proud of the way the girls handled the adversity tied to lineup changes,” said head coach Mr. Brian Duermeyer.

Even with Grabowski’s injury at the beginning of the season, she led the team in aces for this season. She showed how big of a player she really is on this team. She should be poised to have a huge part on this team for her senior season next year.

After her injury, Frisbee moved right into that No.1 spot, where she and the Titans picked up a big section win against Moon in the top court.

“It is challenging to win on the top court, so that moment is one I will always appreciate,” said Mr. Duermeyer.

Prior to the match against the Titans, Moon had only lost one game. This was a quality win for the Titans and only boosted their confidence.

Busha teamed up with fellow senior Gabi Navas in doubles. Those two together picked up big wins for Shaler in section matches and non-section matches.

Other players stepped up for the Titans this year as well such as junior Brooke Bankowski and senior Chloe Mauer. Both of them won singles matches this year. Bankowksi looks to be poised to be a big player for the Titans next year after transitioning to No.2 singles from doubles.

The player who made the most strides this year was junior Grace Fisher. As a pair, Fisher and Grabowski worked great together, really becoming a dynamic duo. These two as a duo could also see time being No.1 doubles next year. 

Despite losing some valuable seniors, the coaches have all the faith in the world in next year’s squad. 

“Those kids are hooked and improving every day. The program is in great shape moving forward,” Coach Duermeyer said.