Harriton freshman Hoog wins Central singles title, Hederick, Lin advance

Getting ready to embark on a difficult journey known as the Central League singles tournament, Harriton freshman Nina Hoog knew it would take precision playing and mental toughness to withstand the two-day tournament held at the Healthplex in Springfield.

Turning to her personal coach Josh Cohen, the head tennis pro at Green Valley and head coach of the Philadelphia Freedoms, Hoog got dialed in and proceeded to win four straight matches without dropping a set en route to capturing the Central League singles crown and earning a spot in the upcoming PIAA District One Class AAA Singles tournament.

“It means a lot to me that I won the Central League singles Tournament as a freshman,” said Hoog, who entered the tournament as the sixth seed. “I was intimidated by some of the talent of the top seeded players so I just tried my best to see what I could accomplish. Throughout the season, the enthusiastic support of the whole Harriton team was extremely helpful to me and that helped me enjoy myself on the court.”

“I realized there were many tough matches ahead but I knew that I was prepared and thought that I had a chance to do well. I prepared for this tournament by having a steady daily practice schedule with my personal coach Josh Cohen. I also worked on my concentration level so that when I played the matches I felt ready.”

Following an opening round bye, Hoog defeated Marple Newtown’s Devin DiCampli in the second round before defeating Radnor’s Grace Hederick in the quarterfinals, Conestoga’s Cassidy Landau in the semi-finals and Lower Merion’s Simone Burde to win the title.

By way of the Central League tournament, the top six finishers qualify for the district tournament. Joining Hoog will be runner-up Burde, Landau who finished third after defeating Harriton’s Connie Richards in the consolation match and rounding out the top six were Hedrick and teammate Jessica Lin, who finished fifth and sixth, respectively.

Second-seeded Cassidy Landau (Conestoga) bounced back from a loss in the semifinals to beat Connie Richards (Harriton), 6-3, 6-4, for third place.
Third-seeded Grace Hederick of Radnor defeated teammate and eight-seeded Jessica Lin for fifth-place, 6-2, 6-3.

Semifinals

Simone Burde (LM) d. Connie Richards (Har) 6-2, 6-2; Nina Hoog (Har) d. Cassidy Landau (Con), 6-0, 6-1.

Championship

Hoog (Har) d. Burde (LM), 6-3, 6-2

Third-Place

Landau (Con) d. Richard (Har) 6-3, 6-4

Consolation Round

Jessica Lin (Rad) d. Emma Lee (SH), 6-3, 6-3, Grace Hederick (Rad) d. Stella Chen (GV), 6-1, 6-3

Fifth Place

Hederick (Rad) d. Lin (Rad), 6-2, 6-3.

Seventh Place

Chen (GV) d. Lee, 6-2, 3-6, 10-5