It’s not much of a reach to say the class of 2020 might be one of the best groups of high school girls tennis players to compete in the WPIAL in recent years.
Of the top six players in Pennsylvania, four of them have taken the court and all have achieved a modicum of success. In their first two years, they have played in WPIAL semifinal and finals singles and doubles matches and won WPIAL and PIAA Class 3A individual and team titles.
Yet half of them won’t be playing for their high schools this year.
Last week, the latest to opt for USTA traveling matches over team tennis is Fox Chapel junior Charlotte James, the state No. 2 who teamed with Foxes alumna Amanda Nord to win the past two WPIAL and PIAA Class 3A doubles championships. James joins Upper St. Clair’s Marlo Schiffman, the No. 4 player in the state, who made the decision last month not to return to the Panthers this season.
Bethany Yauch, the top player at Baldwin and No. 3 in the state who made it to the WPIAL singles semifinals as a freshman before missing last season after an appendectomy, and Rebekah Rest, ranked No. 6 and North Allegheny’s third singles player who was part of two WPIAL and a state team title for the Tigers, will be back for their teams.
“After talking with my parents and my coach, we decided that I want to give myself the best chance to play top-level college tennis, which is my goal,” James said. “I played the national tennis circuit and that schedule won’t allow me to fulfill my commitment to the high school team.”
James was projected to be the No. 1 singles player for Fox Chapel this year and, with Nord’s graduation, leaves a gaping hole at the top of the lineup.
“Obviously it hurts and she’s a very tough player to replace, but we have a lot of girls that are planning on trying out for the team and maybe 10 coming into ninth grade,” Fox Chapel coach Alex Slezak said. “There was some discussion even at the end of last year and it wasn’t like it was a blindside thing for us.”
James and Schiffman aren’t the first to decide not to play for their high schools. One of the biggest reasons for opting out is that there’s no benefit to their state, regional or national ranking by winning matches at that level. Wins in WPIAL regular season and tournament matches don’t count toward USTA victories and aren’t really used by colleges to make their final recruiting determination.
Had those matches counted toward her USTA ranking, James said she would have reconsidered her decision and played for Fox Chapel this year. Instead, there is a strong possibility she will come back for her senior year after she makes her college selection.
“I love high school tennis so much, my team is amazing and I love playing for coach Slezak. It was a tough decision,” James said. “Depending on how the recruiting process goes and if I’ve committed to a college next summer, I would like to return to the Foxes my senior year and be a part of the team again.”
First Published: August 10, 2018, 11:00 a.m.