Conestoga captures PIAA 3A boys tennis state team tournament title
The Conestoga High School boys’ tennis team captured the PIAA 3A state team tournament title May 18 at the Hershey Racquet Club, defeating Lower Merion, 3-2, in the championship final. It is the second consecutive PIAA boys tennis state team title for the Pioneers. For the third year in a row, these two familiar foes competed against each other in the state final.
Lower Merion, who won consecutive state team titles in 2021-22, was the No. 1 seed at the top of the 3A bracket and won 13 straight matches to get to the finals. Conestoga was the second seed out of District I. Conestoga also won 13 straight matches to get to the finals.
This championship match lasted nearly two hours. In the end, Conestoga took the final match on the
court, first doubles, as the Pioneer duo of senior Basil Lubiniecki and Francis Qin defeated LM juniors Hayden Masotti and Noah Sicouri, 6-4, 7-6 (3).
The Pioneers also won third singles and second doubles. At third singles, Conestoga senior Voyin Markovic rallied to defeat Lower Merion junior Charlie Bittinger, 6-1, 7-5. At second doubles, Conestoga junior Raphie Lubiniecki and senior Derek Qin defeated LM’s Devon Christini and Nathaniel Gao, 6-4, 6-3.
Lower Merion’s Brian Yi won first singles, 6-0, 6-1; and at second singles, LM’s Nathan Dolgushev came back to win, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2.
In the PIAA 3A state quarterfinals May 17, Conestoga defeated Manheim Township, 5-0, and in the semifinals May 18 the Pioneers defeated District 7 champion North Allegheny, 3-0, with third singles (Markovic), first singles (Basil Lubiniecki/Francis Qin) and second singles (Raphie Lubiniecki/Derek Qin) all winning in straight sets.
Lower Merion defeated Downingtown East, 4-0, in the state semifinals to advance to the state championship final.
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