The Hazleton Area girls tennis team went from worst to first. Winless a year ago, the Lady Cougars are 14-0 in league play, and just captured their first ever Wyoming Valley Conference title.
"It feels good to have a win especially after last year, not having won any matches," Stephanie Mazurek, a sophomore with a 15-0 record said. "We do play better now that we're winning more matches."
"To be on this team, it has been an amazing experience," added Lily Nowak, a freshman with a 14-1 record. Just for my first year, this team being undefeated and going to no wins last year to undefeated this year. It has been incredible."
So how'd they do it? In her 12th year with the program, head coach Amber Corrado explains.
"We have a pretty new team this year as well," Corrado said. "We only had four returning players from last year. So, I think the teamwork and working together is what made them improve the best and being competitive."
A larger roster also helped the lady cougars this year. Six players a year ago to 12 on this year's team. They knew they had the talent. But not even they expected this kind of success this quickly.
"It's definitely a surprise," Mazurek said. "But we definitely worked for it and I think we really did have to work for our wins to change our record so quickly."
"I think I'm in shock most of all," Corrado added. "It really hasn't set in yet that we're champions of the Wyoming Valley Conference."
They did it with just two juniors and the rest freshmen and sophomores. There's not a single senior on this team. So the future is bright in Hazleton.
"The next five years, I think it's going to be another, hopefully more winning seasons from next year on," Corrado said.
"We are going to be here. We're going to stay for the next two to three years. So watch out," Nowak warned.
