Warren’s District 10 Class 2A 2022 singles participants, from left, Iris Kiehl, Grace Carr and Lucy Harrison. File photo

Last season was one of the best in the Warren girls tennis program’s history.

“We made it to the AA D10 team title for the first time in program history, had two D10 quarterfinalists in singles for the first time in close to 20 years, a D10 doubles quarterfinalist pair, we beat McDowell for the first time in eight years, swept Mercyhurst Prep (private school), defeated the Region 1 champion, Hickory, in the D10 semifinals, as well as a second-place finish at the Tri-County team tournament in Buhl,” said Warren coach Thomas Pellegrino.

Somehow, the Lady Dragons want a teeny, tiny bit more.

“Although we are very happy for our accomplishments last season and that we are taking this program to new heights, last year we saw a common occurrence, and that was Cathedral Prep,” added Pellegrino. A private school, “Prep took everything from us last year; they swept all three district events, won the Tri-County Tournament, and beat us three times last season — all 5-0, including the D10 final.

“Since we got a taste of that title match, our girls haven’t stopped playing,” added Pellegrino. “Season ended late last October and the girls were back to playing three or four days a week by the start of November… The progression this squad has made since last fall is something I haven’t seen out of this tennis program in a very, very long time. These girls are hungry and driven and all they can think about is that D10 team title.

“We know the odds are against us,” he said. “In fact, the private schools (Cathedral Prep or Mercyhurs Prep) have won the last 19 team titles in a row. The last time a public school has won the team tournament was back in 2003 when Wilmington won it. But before anything, you need to believe in a common goal and our team — from one to 20 and the entire coaching staff — believes this is possible. Yes, it’s going to be extremely challenging, but we believe we can do it.

“When it comes to the Warren tennis program, we aim to be different than the majority of the Erie schools,” said Pellegrino. “What I mean by that is that we are very team-oriented. This is high school team tennis and we are going to treat it as such. We only have seven starters, but we make sure the other girls play just as much as a part of winning by constantly encouraging, supporting their teammates and being very involved with the matches. Travis (Myler), Norm (Dziendzel) and myself are all former college tennis players and push our girls to have that same energy, passion, and competitive mindset you see at the next level. Coach Mike Kiehl also has a background of coaching multiple team sports, which has really helped these girls understand one singular win means nothing if we don’t come together and win enough matches to get the overall team win. Many of these schools tend to forget that this is not a private country club tennis lesson or match; this is a team of girls representing their schools and trying to bring home some hardware for those schools at the end of the season.”

The roster is comprised of eight seniors, including captains Iris Kiehl and Izzy Heacox, Natasha Ferry, Mackenzie Lester, Kaelin Hatfield, Winnie Wolf, Hannah Pearson, and Laney Budd; seven juniors, Grace Carr, Maddy McDunn, Anna Courson, Ella Card, Madison Cornman, Ella Getner, and Mary Gerace; sophomores, Grace Carlson, Lucy Harrison, Sarah Harve, and Lily Seyler; and freshman Alannah Garza.

“This season, we are bringing back 15 letter winners and five of the seven starters,” said Pellegrino. “In singles, we have two of last year’s D10 quarterfinalists, Iris Kiehl and Lucy Harrison, looking to lead the charge for the Dragons this year. Both are playing at an extremely high level right now and actually met in a USTA tournament final the weekend before the season started, each taking out multiple Pittsburgh opponents to get there. In doubles, we have our top team back in Izzy Heacox and Grace Carr. These two were an absolute powerhouse last season and were easily one of the best pairs in the district, grabbing us a massive win in the D10 semifinals last year. Izzy will hold us down at first doubles all season while Grace, who played both singles and doubles for us last year, may be getting some playing time in singles as we are still working on our lineup.

“Mackenzie Lester, who missed (nine of 10 weeks) due to a fractured ankle last season has now had the proper time to rehab and is ready to make her final season the best one yet as she looks to help us in doubles this year.

“Natasha Ferry, who saw some starting time last year, will also be helping us in doubles this season and will be making a big impact in our lineup as she is a doubles expert who has some of the best hands on the team.

“I expect Maddy McDunn, Kaelin Hatfield, Winnie Wolf, Anna Courson, and Ella Card to also see some varsity time this season.

“Grace (Carlson) is a sophomore for us this year and after just picking up a racquet for the first time last Fall fell in love with the game,” said Pellegrino. “Her work ethic is next level, and this girl put countless time into improving her game this off-season with us fully expecting her to play a big role in the starting lineup this season. Unfortunately though, a few weeks before season started, Grace tore her ACL in a singles tournament in Erie and will be out for the season. Grace plays a big role in this team regardless as the girls are even more motivated to try and win every match for her now. We plan on getting her back on court when the time is right, but for now, we will be utilizing her as part of the coaching staff.

Top newcomers include Mary Gerace and Alannah Garza.

“Mary has just moved to Warren over the summer and has already made a major impact on our team,” said Pellegrino. “She will be looking to hold down one of the singles slots for us this season and I expect we will see great things from her in her first season as a Dragon. Alannah is our only freshman this season, but has played the game for a couple of years now, so she is an experienced player. She’s currently overcoming a wrist injury right now, but once that’s healed up and she’s 100 percent, she will have an opportunity to make an impact.”

I’m addition to Kiehl and Myler, “after years of harassing him, I have finally convinced my former high school tennis coach, Norm Dziendzel, to join our coaching staff this season,” said Pellegrino. “Once he saw the group we had and how driven they were, he was all about it. Norm has helped coach multiple D10 singles, doubles, and team champions in the past and is a massive pick-up for this season. Now, if we could only convince Jeff Bartsch to come back…

“We easily have one of the toughest schedules of all Warren sports as our region consists of two private schools who currently hold the last 19 team titles and McDowell and Fairview hold the last 20-plus titles in AAA,” said Pellegrino. “On top of this, we have Erie High, another AAA school, and set up matches with the top two teams in Region 1, Grove City and Hickory. We love the challenge but, unfortunately, this does not give us many matches to play with our lineup as we always need to be at our best.”

Team goals include a minimum of 12 team wins, Warren’s first-ever Region 2 championship, and to have singles and doubles competitors advance to the district semifinals and beyond. Along the way, team goals will include defeating Fairview and Prep, winning the Tri-County tournament, and ultimately the D10 team tourney.

“Our strength is in numbers,” said Pellegrino. “We continue to have a roster of 20-plus girls, which keeps our pipeline full of talent (and) allows this program to keep climbing to new heights. Compared to previous teams, I can confidently say this is easily one of the best, if not the best, teams this program has seen. We have the skill and talent with multiple girls being recruited to play in college. But skill means nothing. Coming together as a team and pulling together wins is what matters. We plan on improving every single week and chasing our hefty goals for this season.

“For me, one of the most gratifying things with this tennis program is what we have been able to accomplish without any of these kids taking private lessons and picking up the game at 15-16 years old,” added Pellegrino. “The majority of the Erie schools are all blessed with kids who have played the game since they were 5-7 years old and we are now at the point where we are beating them. To me, that says everything you need to know about our program.

“This is a very special group of kids this year,” he said. “In my five years as a coach, I have never had a group like this that has truly dedicated themselves to the game and their craft. They have put in countless hours on the court, track, and in the gym and it shows. They support one another and have become a true team, which is all you can ask for as a coach. When you have a group like this, that gives 110 percent effort and dedication at all times, it makes this job so enjoyable and gratifying.”