The Chambersburg and State College girls tennis squads have been looking for just one thing over the opening weeks of the fall season.
A challenge.
The Trojans have wiped out all four of their opponents by shutout this season, while the Little Lions have also rocked the first five teams on their schedule. The win streaks have been nice, but something will have to give when upstart Chambersburg hits the road on Thursday to take on State College, a premier power in Pennsylvania tennis.
We’ve selected this meeting of Mid-Penn Commonwealth Division contenders as our Match of the Week.
The Little Lions, led by multiple-time District 6 qualifier Joanna Liu, will most certainly be the favorite when they play host to the Trojans. But don’t expect Chambersburg to go down without a fight, not with a roster that includes the undefeated Leah Wadel, Olivia Keller and Nina Kuchar.
In the weeks and months to come throughout the high school sports season, we plan on spotlighting multiple teams and sports with our Game of the Week. Any big upcoming contests we should know about? Send suggestions to Andy Sandrik via email at [email protected].
Chambersburg at State College
First serve: Thursday, 4 p.m., at State College
Records: Chambersburg enters with a 4-0 record, which includes a 3-0 mark in the Mid-Penn Commonwealth Division. State College checks in at 5-0 overall and 1-0 in the division.
Last match: The Trojans handled Harrisburg by a 5-0 score in their last match, while the Little Lions are coming off a 5-0 shutout over Cedar Cliff.
Last meeting: State College knocked off Chambersburg, 4-1, in last year’s match.
Meet the Trojans: After posting a winning record in 2025, coach Niko Mucci’s girls have burst out of the gates this fall with shutout wins in all four of their matches … Chambersburg has been highlighted by the play of senior Leah Wadel, who qualified for districts in doubles last season and was an alternate in the singles bracket … Wadel is 3-0 at No. 1 singles this fall … She’s joined in the singles flight by No. 2 Olivia Keller and No. 3 Nina Kuchar, both of whom are sporting 4-0 records … Gretta Hill and Aria Barberio have gone undefeated at No. 1 doubles, while the No. 2 doubles squad has also been unbeaten and has been fueled by the play of Kendall Temcheck, Sophie Keller, and Callie Yardley-Gontz … We can find no record of Chambersburg ever having beaten State College, although the Trojans were able to take an individual match from the Little Lions last fall.
Meet the Little Lions: State College has been a powerhouse on the Pennsylvania tennis scene on a regular basis since the program’s inception in 1967 … Led by coach Jane Borden, who has guided the Little Lions for more than 30 years, State College is almost always a contender in District 6 and beyond … The Little Lions went 13-2 in 2025 and finished as the district runner-up behind rival Hollidaysburg … State College is back to its usual dominance this fall, as the Little Lions have chopped down all five of their opponents by 5-0 final scores … The squad is spearheaded by junior Joanna Liu, who was a district semifinalist in singles and a finalist in doubles … Liu has exclusively played No. 1 singles this fall and is 5-0, with shutouts over all five of her opponents … Abigail Cao is 5-0 at No. 2 singles and has lost just two games all season … Maya Ilieva has had closer matches at No. 3 singles, but she has yet to lose a set this season … State College has run out eight different girls to compete in the doubles flight, and all are undefeated … Isabella Terrones and Jessica Lee have been the Little Lions’ primary players at No. 1 doubles, while Natalie Labosky and Catherine Ma have primarily shouldered the load at No. 2 doubles.
Sandrik’s pick: State College by 4.
