East girls tennis excels in postseason
by PATRICK J. NAGY Reporter

Williamsville East's girls tennis team capped off its impressive regular season with a banner postseason.

The Flames, winners of ECIC Division III at 12-0, sent all seven of its starters to last week's Section VI Championships at Lakewood YMCA in Jamestown.

In singles, junior Monica Vieth advanced to the state meet, edging Lancaster's Jenn Ickowski, 7-5, 6-2 for third place. Vieth beat Kenmore East's Brittney Walters, 4-6, 6-2, 6-2, and Chautauqua Lake's Jenna Raynor, 6-2, 6-1, before falling to Williamsville North's Tina Miller, 1-6, 2-6, in the semifinals.

Freshman Miranda Podlas beat Grand Island's Brittany Stallard, 6-1, 6-0 but lost to Ickowski, 5-7, 5-7, in the quarterfinals.

Sheila Joshi, East's third singles, beat Niagara Falls' Andrea Janese, 7-5, 6-2, but lost to Miller, 0-6, 2-6, in the quarterfinals.

In doubles, Cassy Albano and Tiffani Hartman beat Fredonia, 7-6, 6-3, Williamsville North, 6-3, 6-3, then fell to Orchard Park, 3-6, 1-6. In playbacks, they lost to the same Alden team, 4-6, 4-6.

East's other duo, Alyssa Drozynski and Emma Manuel, defeated Olean, 6-4, 6-4 but lost to Alden, 6-7, 3-6.

At the state meet held Friday through Sunday at Eastside Racquet Club in Manlius, N.Y., Vieth lost to the No. 7 seed Jennifer Kellner (Section XI), 1-6, 0-6 and in playbacks, beat Lianna Artessa (Section III), 8-4; Lucy Mehrabyan (Section IV), 8-6; Shraddha Prabhu (Section II), 8-6; then lost to Diana Lorentz (Section I), 3-8.

"We had a strong year," said East coach Mike Vendetti. "Amherst and Williamsville South were probably our toughest competition. I was excited that every starter made it to sectionals."

Joshi and Albano are the only seniors on the team.

e-mail: pnagy@beenews.com