KINGSTON — All season long, Wyoming Area freshman Brianna Pizzano was playing the team’s No. 1 singles matches. Now, she’s the No. 1 player in the district.

Pizzano, who just turned 15 several weeks back, won two matches to capture the PIAA District 2 Class 2A girls tennis championship Friday at Kirby Park. The win marks the first girls tennis district championship in the history of Wyoming Area, covering half a century.

In Class 3A, Hazleton Area’s Stephanie Mazurek got past one Williamsport opponent by downing Kate Meal, 6-1, 6-0 in the semifinals but couldn’t overcome another. Williamsport’s top-seeded Amanda Southard rallied past No. 2 Mazurek, 3-6, 6-1, 6-3 to win the District 2/4 Class 3A title, sending Southard on to the PIAA singles tournament.

Mazurek will face her Hazleton Area teammate Lily Nowak in the District 2 Class 3A title match at a time and site to be determined.

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Pizzano, a freshman won a tiebreaker in the second set of the final match against Scranton Prep’s Gabriella Jakubek to secure the title. Pizzano found herself down 5-2 in the tiebreak, but rattled off five straight points to win the district championship. She won the title 6-4, 7-6 (5).

“I was getting nervous and trying to calm myself down,” she said. “The final was definitely a harder match than before.”

A semifinal win on Friday also sent Pizzano the furthest in the district championship in the history of the school. In 2004, Ashley Callaio, the sister to Wyoming Area head coach Tiffany Callaio, made it to the semifinals before being eliminated.

“I’ve been playing a long time, so to finally get one out of high school at Wyoming Area is huge,” Callaio said. “I’m so happy for her because she really played well and deserved it.”

That doesn’t mean Callaio didn’t see the nerves start to develop in her young player. After coming back to win the first set, 6-4, Pizzano once again found herself down early. She was able to bounce back and take a 5-2 set lead over Jakubek.

The Prep junior, however, started to claw her way back. Four games later, Jakubek took a 6-5 lead in the set looking to force a deciding set. Pizzano, like she did most of the match, rallied to force a tiebreak. The rest is Wyoming Area history.

“I knew she was starting to get nervous,” Callaio said. “I thought we were headed to a third set and then she started to come back. That’s the fight in Brianna we all know.”

Pizzano will be the first Wyoming Area player to head to the state tournament. The championships will begin on Friday, Nov. 4 at Hershey Racquet Club in Hershey.

“This is amazing, especially since I’m a freshman,” she said. “In the beginning of the first set I was playing well, then I started to get nervous because I knew I was one win away.”

The freshman was a quick winner over Scranton Prep senior Tatiana Klacko, 6-0, 6-1 in the semifinal match Friday afternoon.

District 2

Class 2A Singles Tourey

Semifinals

No. 1 Brianna Pizzano (Wyoming Area) d. No. 5 Tatiana Klasko (Scranton Prep), 6-1, 6-1; No. 2 Gabriella Jakubek (Scranton Prep) d. No. 3 Sam Kropa (Mid Valley) 6-4, 6-2.

Finals

No. 1 Brianna Pizzano (Wyoming Area) d. No. 2 Gabriella Jakubek (Scranton Prep) 6-4, 7-6 (7-5).

District 2/4

Class 3A Singles Tourney

Semifinals

No. 1 Amanda Southard (Williamsport) d. Megan Musson (Scranton) 6-0, 6-0; No. 2 Stephanie Mazurek (Hazleton Area) d. Katie Meale (Williamsport) 6-1, 6-0.

Finals

No. 1 Amanda Southard (Williamsport) d. No. 2 Stephanie Mazurek (Hazleton Area) 3-6, 6-1, 6-3.

Hazleton Area’s Stephanie Mazurek advanced to the Class 3A final on Friday.
http://www.psdispatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/web1_d2_tennis2_faa.jpg.optimal.jpgHazleton Area’s Stephanie Mazurek advanced to the Class 3A final on Friday. Fred Adams | For Times Leader

Hazletons Lily Nowak lost to Williamsports Amanda Southard in the semi-final match —————-Fred Adams|for Times Leader 10-14-16
http://www.psdispatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/web1_d2_tennis1_faa.jpg.optimal.jpgHazletons Lily Nowak lost to Williamsports Amanda Southard in the semi-final match —————-Fred Adams|for Times Leader 10-14-16Fred Adams | For Times Leader

Amanda Southard from Williamsport will meet Stephanie Mazureck of Hazleton in the AAA finals at Kirby Park —————-Fred Adams|for Times Leader 10-14-16
http://www.psdispatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/web1_d2_tennis4_faa.jpg.optimal.jpg Amanda Southard from Williamsport will meet Stephanie Mazureck of Hazleton in the AAA finals at Kirby Park —————-Fred Adams|for Times Leader 10-14-16Fred Adams | For Times Leader

Brianna Pizzano of Wyoming Area won her AA semi final match with Tatiana Klacko from Scranton Prep —————-Fred Adams|for Times Leader 10-14-16
http://www.psdispatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/web1_d2_tennis3_faa.jpg.optimal.jpgBrianna Pizzano of Wyoming Area won her AA semi final match with Tatiana Klacko from Scranton Prep —————-Fred Adams|for Times Leader 10-14-16Fred Adams | For Times Leader

Wyoming Area’s Brianna Pizzano captured the PIAA District 2 Class 2A girls tennis championship on Friday. She beat Scranton Prep’s Gabriella Jakubek 6-4, 7-6 (5).
http://www.psdispatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/web1_d2_tennis3_faaCMYK.jpg.optimal.jpgWyoming Area’s Brianna Pizzano captured the PIAA District 2 Class 2A girls tennis championship on Friday. She beat Scranton Prep’s Gabriella Jakubek 6-4, 7-6 (5). Fred Adams | For Times Leader

Hazletons Lily Nowak lost to Williamsports Amanda Southard in the semi-final match —————-Fred Adams|for Times Leader 10-14-16
http://www.psdispatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/web1_d2_tennis1_faaCMYK.jpg.optimal.jpgHazletons Lily Nowak lost to Williamsports Amanda Southard in the semi-final match —————-Fred Adams|for Times Leader 10-14-16Fred Adams | For Times Leader

Hazleton Area’s Stephanie Mazurek advanced to the Class 3A final on Friday.
http://www.psdispatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/web1_d2_tennis2_faaCMYK.jpg.optimal.jpgHazleton Area’s Stephanie Mazurek advanced to the Class 3A final on Friday. Fred Adams | For Times Leader

Amanda Southard from Williamsport will meet Stephanie Mazureck of Hazleton in the AAA finals at Kirby Park —————-Fred Adams|for Times Leader 10-14-16
http://www.psdispatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/web1_d2_tennis4_faaCMYK.jpg.optimal.jpg Amanda Southard from Williamsport will meet Stephanie Mazureck of Hazleton in the AAA finals at Kirby Park —————-Fred Adams|for Times Leader 10-14-16Fred Adams | For Times Leader

By Nick Wagner and Paul Sokoloski

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