In securing the East Penn Conference regular and postseason championship, the Parkland girls tennis team received outstanding play from everyone, including its three singles players.

Those three players participated in last week’s District 11 Class 3A singles tournament with one finishing runner-up.

“Singles-wise we’re as good as anyone,” said Parkland head coach Michael Hingston. “We have a pretty good one-two-three punch. We’re talking about two juniors and a sophomore.”

Junior Erin Joo, Parkland’s number one player all season, had a solid tournament winning three matches. In her first-round match she dismissed Nazareth’s Jessica Rodriguez 6-1, 6-0. Next up was Emmaus’ Jocelyn Chow and Joo rolled 6-0, 6-0. Then came a semifinal match against fellow Trojan Leah Zolotareva and Joo again had no trouble, winning 6-1, 6-1.

However in the final Joo ran into a buzzsaw named Paras Briegel. The Stroudsburg senior did not have an easy time with Joo, but she was the better player on this day, thanks in part to a superior long game. As a result, Briegel claimed her third consecutive district title 6-1, 6-3 and secured a spot in the state tournament.

Zolotareva, a junior who played number two singles this year, also played good tennis last week.

Freedom’s Navya Manne presented no trouble in the first round as Zolotareva won 6-0, 6-1. Just like her battle with teammate Joo in the semifinals, Zolotareva met a Parkland teammate in quarterfinal round. The battle between Zolotareva and Gigi Leonzi was one of the tournament’s best matches.

Out of the gate Leonzi was strong, winning the first set 6-0. The match’s second set may well have determined the winner. It was a tense affair with episodes of drama. Eventually it went to Zolotareva 6-4 and she went on to win the third set 6-2.

Leonzi, a sophomore who Hingston has complimented for her inspired play during the regular season in the number three slot, was unseeded in the tournament and won her opening round match over the tournament’s No. 2 seed, Easton’s Ellyana Jacobs 6-3, 6-0.

“All three girls have worked hard,” said Hingston.

The District 11 Class 3A team tournament is scheduled for Oct. 11-14.