Brecksville-Broadview Heights Boys Tennis Team Has Winning Season

It has been another winning season for the boys tennis team.

Like all spring sports programs at schools in the area, however, the Bees didn't exactly enjoy good weather.

"It's been a disaster," coach Dan Reynolds said of the almost daily rains throughout April and into early May. "This is the fewest matches we've completed in my five years here.

"Not only did we want to get outside and play matches, but we couldn't go out and practice. Since this is kind of a rebuilding season, that hurt our development."

The Bees will enter play in the sectional tournament on Thursday at Brush High School. Reynolds has paired his top two singles players, juniors Matt Dietrich and Matt Lionetti, and entered them in doubles. They are seeded No. 3 despite not having played a doubles match until earlier this week.

"They have potential," Reynolds said. "I gave them a match Monday against Medina and Tuesday against Revere to get them used to playing together. The Revere match put them up against the No. 4 seeded pair, which is a good test. We'll see how they do."

Dietrich, who has run track, is very quick at the net. Lionetti's game is a bit more powerful, and Reynolds believes that is a good mix. He only wishes that sunnier, drier weather had permitted those two, along with the entire team, to gain more experience.

Both players went 8-3 in singles matches this season. Dietrich played at No. 1 and Lionetti at No. 2. Sophomore Mark Perisutti had a 6-3 record at No. 3 singles.

The Bees finished 7-6 overall and tied for second place in the Southwestern Conference with a 6-2 record. The Bees won three league matches by impressive 5-0 shutouts, sweeping all three singles matches and two doubles matches against Berea, Midpark and North Olmsted.

"We have had a good run in the conference, finishing first or second every year I've been here," Reynolds said. "We've always been able to get up around the top 10 in the state, though that might be difficult the next couple of years. The rebuilding is going to continue next year, too."

Reynolds says that also will be the case in the fall with the girls team, which is losing four seniors to graduation: No. 1 singles player Elise Griffin, No. 3. Erin Davies and the top doubles team of Lauren Yeh and Lauren Foster.

"We have a couple of juniors in Connor Majstorovic and Alexis Cantu and sophomore Abby Smith ready to step up," Reynolds said.

2011 BEES BOYS TENNIS RESULTS

Defeated Lakeside, 3-2

Lost to Olmsted Falls, 2-3

Defeated Midpark, 5-0

Lost to Westlake, 0-4

Defeated Strongsville, 3-2

Defeated Amherst, 4-1

Defeated Avon Lake, 3-2

Lost to Uniontown Lake, 0-5

Defeated North Olmsted, 5-0

Lost to Copley, 0-5

Lost to Medina, 1-4

Lost to Revere, 1-4