After two straight seasons in double figures in wins, Wyoming Area again has a chance to rank among the top girls tennis teams in the Wyoming Valley Conference.

The Warriors returned to the District 2 Class AA playoffs last year when they went 10-3 and finished within one match of the WVC Class AA Division lead. A year earlier, Wyoming Area went 11-2 in the conference.

Wyoming Area returns three of seven starters, gets another starter back from an injury and adds a promising youngster at the top of the lineup.

Senior Lea Getz and juniors Emily Cheskiewicz and Nina Minnelli return from starting on last year’s playoff-qualifying team.

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Freshman Brianna Pizzano and junior Allison Lampman, who started as a freshman but then missed all but one early-season match last season because of an injury, are expected to fill the top two singles spots.

Pizzano is an experienced youth tournament player.

“Brianna has played USTA events leading up to this year,” Wyoming Area coach Tiffany Callaio said. “She’s very athletic. She gets to a lot of balls and she has a very powerful serve.

“She just has an overall very good game.”

The three returnees will handle the third singles and first doubles spots in some combination. Callaio said she will have to go with less-experienced players, either newcomers or team members who have not previously made the varsity lineup, for the second doubles team.

Traditional powers Holy Redeemer and Wyoming Seminary are likely to be the top competition on the Class AA part of the WVC schedule. The Warriors play every conference team once.

Much of the league will begin play Monday. Wyoming Area opens its WVC schedule with back-to-back matches Thursday and Friday against Holy Redeemer and Coughlin.

Wyoming Area girls tennis seniors are, from left, Nina Minnelli, Lea Getz and Erin Ainsworth.
http://www.psdispatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/web1_WAtennis1.jpg.optimal.jpgWyoming Area girls tennis seniors are, from left, Nina Minnelli, Lea Getz and Erin Ainsworth. Nick Wagner | Sunday Dispatch

By Tom Robinson

For Sunday Dispatch