PIAA TENNIS: Abington Heights, Scranton Prep begin quests in team tournaments
Abington Heights faces a familiar opponent, and Scranton Prep takes on an undefeated opponent as the PIAA Tennis Team Championships start Tuesday afternoon.
In Class 3A, Abington Heights plays Unionville, the third-place team from District 1, for the third straight season in the first round. The Comets, who won an 11th straight District 2 championship, bring an undefeated record into the match against Unionville (17-2) that is at Birchwood Tennis and Fitness Club at 12 p.m.
Scranton Prep (14-1), the champion in District 2, plays District 11 champion Moravian Academy (14-0) at Lehigh University at 3:45 p.m.
Winners in the first round advance to the PIAA Team Championships at the Hershey Racquet Club on Friday.
Praneel Mallaiah, the District 2 Class 3A singles champion, leads Abington Heights into its clash with Unionville. It is the third straight season the two teams battle in the first round.
In 2022, Unionville defeated the Comets 3-0, and last spring, they won 5-0.
Mallaiah is unbeaten this season at No. 1 singles. He has earned a rematch with Matt Miller in the team tournament. Last season, Miller won the matchup, 6-3, 6-3. Miller lost to Conestoga’s Ethan Sun in a grueling 3-6, 7-6 (7), 6-3 semifinal in the District 1 Class 3A Singles Championships.
William Arp takes on Andrew Ou at No. 2 singles. Ou played No. 1 singles for Unionville in 2022 and No. 2 last season. Domenic Peters plays Andy Ye at No. 3 singles.
Ou and Ye teamed up for the District 1 Class 3A Doubles tournament and reached the semifinals.
Abington Heights’ team of Brady Comstock and Liam Farrell faces sophomores Tucker Carroll and Luke Tierney at No. 1 doubles. The Comets’ team of Michael Klam and Dakota Kilonsky plays Elijah Yoon and Brendon You at No. 2 doubles.
Moravian Academy defeated Dallas in the first round last season.
Senior Ford Koch is at No. 1 singles for Moravian Academy and faces Scranton Prep’s Ethan Borick, the District 2 Class 2A singles champion. Koch lost in the District 11 singles final to Saucon Valley’s Deven Pandey, 6-4, 6-2.
Scranton Prep’s Akhilesh Velaga plays sophomore Aveer Chadha at No. 2 singles. Chadha also lost to Pandey in the District 11 semifinals, 6-0, 6-4.
Koch and Chadha teamed to win the doubles title at the District 11 Championships.
Moravian Academy freshman Max Abia plays Scranton Prep’s Ved Dave at No. 3 singles.
In doubles, Scranton Prep’s Matt Cohen and Dylan Tost plays the team of Brian Yang and Harry Vicic, and David Geyfman and Jackson Keating plays Moravian Academy’s team of Hunter Zicherman and Jackson Reid.
