First-year Tamaqua girls tennis coach Kathy Odorizzi is well aware of the history of the District 11 Class 2A Team Tournament.

Odorizzi’s Raiders may be the new kid on the block this season – making their first appearance in the postseason in close to a decade – but their opponent in Monday’s quarterfinal is no stranger to the tournament.

No. 1 seed Moravian Academy, a frontrunner in the Colonial League and a District 11 powerhouse, Odorizzi knew that the Lions were a challenging draw for her eighth-seeded Tamaqua squad.

The five-time District 11 Class 2A team champion, and reigning Colonial League champion, the Lions sent the Blue Raiders home early with a 5-0 victory.

“We have a young and inexperienced team, with a number of our top players having only started playing tennis this past spring, so it was a pretty daunting task to come up against the title winners from last year,” Odorizzi said. “Moravian is a super talented team with a long tradition of success.

“They outplayed us today and deserved the win, but we were happy with our team’s performance. The girls always give it their all no matter who they are competing against.”

The Lions (11-1) have been on a remarkable run, collecting a total of 12 district team titles over the last 20 years.

For Odorizzi and her Lady Raiders (6-8), it’s a standard of excellence that her program strives to reach. Reaching the postseason was another step in the right direction.

“The team was thrilled to qualify for districts this year,” Odorizzi stressed. “It was a goal we were chasing since about mid-season when we realized we had a chance at qualifying at the number eight position in the power rankings for District 11 2A schools.

“We beat out five other schools to reach the number eight position, so we are proud we reached our goal this season.”

In her first year as head coach, the Blue Raiders posted a 6-7 record in the regular season to punch their ticket to the postseason.

“We are honored to be the first Tamaqua team since 2015 to qualify for districts,” the proud head coach stated. “I told the girls they should be immensely proud of their accomplishment. Even though we lost today, participating in the tournament gave our players a boost of confidence in knowing they have the ability to compete at this level.

“Hopefully it will inspire our returning girls next year to keep working hard and improving their skills. We have a great group of juniors this year that I’m sure will be very competitive next season. I can’t wait to see how they perform when they return.”

TOP NOTCH TENNIS PROGRAM … Moravian Academy, the five-time Colonial League champions, finished the regular season with a perfect 9-0 league mark. The Lions only dropped one match, and that was to Eastern Pennsylvania Conference nemesis Parkland. Moravian has dropped a single team point to both Blue Mountain and Southern Lehigh in the other matches the Lions won.

SAD TO SEE YOU GO … For Bradyn Brothers, Gabby Eroh (Captain) and Megan Linkhorst (Co-Captain), Monday marked their final match for the Tamaqua tennis program. The Blue Raiders upperclassmen had a big impact for their first-year coach. “These girls were always seeking ways to improve their game. They have set a great example for the rest of the team on how to conduct themselves during competition and at practice,” said Odorizzi. “They practice without complaint and are supportive and inspiring to the underclassmen. And with that, they have made this past season an enjoyable one as they were a pleasure to coach.”

IN THE SPOTLIGHT … Last week, the Blue Raiders’ No. 1 doubles tandem of Eroh and Linkhorst was named Tamaqua Athletes of the Week. The pair capped their senior campaign with an 11-2 overall mark during the regular season and qualified for the District 11 2A doubles tournament. They also played a role in the team earning a berth in the District 11 team tournament.

ADDED KUDOS … “Coaching this past year has been a wonderful experience,” Odorizzi added. “I want to thank the assistant coaches (Rich Gibson and Jim Dean), the team, parents and our Athletic Director, Mike Hromyak, for all of their support this past season.”

Moravian Academy 5, Tamaqua 0

SINGLES

Laura Li (MA) def. Emma Ziajka 6-0, 6-0; Emily Reynolds (MA) def. Bradyn Brothers 6-0, 6-0; Kimi Kiuchi (MA) def. Chloe Ryan 6-1, 6-1.

DOUBLES

Anika Mehta/Penelope Blomfield (MA) def. Gabby Eroh/Megan Linkhorst 6-2, 6-1; Emma Cassady/Sophia Wandall (MA) def. Destiny Steinmetz/Sora Ndikwiki 6-3, 6-4.