Ally Bauer and Lindsey Greb are a rare pairing heading into the WPIAL Class 2A doubles tournament.
Both players have won the event previously as the No. 1 seed atop the bracket and both did so with their sisters as partners.
But just because they won’t have siblings at their sides doesn’t mean they’ll be any less formidable when the tournament opens on Thursday.
“You just have to figure out how to mold with that different player,” Bauer said. “Obviously, her and her sister and me and my sister were already connected and had that super-close bond. But with someone who’s not that into you, you have to find that middle ground and we’re figuring that out.”
Even with new partners, the former WPIAL champions are the team to beat as they were given the No. 1 seed in the tournament.
In 2020, Bauer and her older sister Brooke went into the WPIAL finals as the No. 1 seed and ousted third-seeded Nicole Kempton and Haley Spitznagel of South Park, 6-1, 6-1, to earn a trip to the state finals.
That was also the year the PIAA only allowed district champions to compete in the state tournament because of COVID-19 concerns. The two ended up losing in the championship match, 6-4, 6-2, to District 3 representatives Alex Pancu and Emma Perkins of Conrad Weiser.
Greb and twin sister Emily were the top seeds in 2021 and captured the WPIAL title with a 6-4, 6-3 decision over Roshni Thakkar and Kirsten Close of Sewickley Academy. They then went on to become the first WPIAL tandem to win the state doubles title since Logan Antill and Caroline Ross of Sewickley Academy in 2011 when they pulled out a 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-4) nailbiter against Perkins and Michelle Timothy of Conrad Weiser.
Lindsey and Emily could have played together again this season had it not been for Emily’s success in the WPIAL singles tournament. After losing to eventual champion Kempton in the semifinals, she beat Cecelia Gurgel of Winchester Thurston in the consolation match to earn a spot in the state singles final.
Though Lindsey would never root against her sister — and she is in a position to potentially repeat as a WPIAL champion — it’s a little bittersweet not having her sister on the court to defend their title.
“There’s always that because we’ve been partners since we’ve been playing tennis,” Lindsey said. “But I’m extremely excited to be playing with Ally. We both trust each other in how we play.”
Considering how strong the Knights program has become, their toughest competition could come from teammates Ava Santora and Jade Nether, who finished second to them in Section 3 and earned the No. 7 seed.
Outside of Knoch, there are other pairings who could challenge for the crown.
Beaver’s Chloe DeSanzo and Anna Mrkonja, the No. 2 seed, both competed in the WPIAL singles tournament and knocked off Sewickley Academy’s Rayna Thakkar and Gwyn Belt in the Section 4 final. They could meet again in the semifinals as Thakkar and Belt are the No. 3 seed.
Montour’s Peja Cruise and Chloe Sadowski, the No. 6 seed, are looking to be the first Spartans to win it all, while Greensburg Central Catholic’s Sarah Hoffman and Gigi Pediconi at No. 5 are looking to end the Centurions’ 13-year championship drought.
Class 3A
There was a time when North Allegheny won four WPIAL Class 3A doubles titles in six years. But that was a dozen years ago and the Tigers haven’t won since.
That could change this season.
North Allegheny seniors Emily Wincko and Abbey Swirsding are the top-finishing complete pairing returning from last year’s tournament. The two lost in the semifinals in a three-setter to top-seeded Elana Sabol and Rachel Nath of Shady Side Academy.
Sabol and Nath lost in the finals to Jenna Bell and Carolina Walters of Latrobe.
Nath is back, but she has a new partner in senior Nichole Poltinnikov, who was the fourth-place finisher in the WPIAL Class 3A singles tournament. They also picked up the No. 1 seed in the tournament with Wincko and Swirsding seeded No. 2.
While Shady Side Academy and North Allegheny may be traditional powers in doubles, Franklin Regional is sending a pair to the tournament with Section 1 champions Ellen Liu and Hannah Zheng and runners-up Lucy Zheng and Michelle Yan.
Franklin Regional has never won a WPIAL title.
Liu and Hannah Zheng are the No. 4 seeds, while No. 3 went to Upper St. Clair’s Evie Ellenberger and Claire Loomis.
First Published: October 5, 2022, 9:30 a.m.
Updated: October 5, 2022, 9:57 a.m.
