Service tennis hopes senior siblings and standout sophomore make waves at Alaska state tournament

Oct. 6—Allya Pedalino, Azra Pedalino, Service High, tennis

The Service High tennis team is only sending three players to the Alaska state tournament that starts on Thursday and runs through Saturday. But according to first-year head coach Joe Schmid, they all have a chance to be crowned champions even though only two technically can.

Senior twin sisters Allya and Azra Pedalino will be competing in the girls singles division and sophomore Ulysses Escobar will be competing in the boys singles division.

"We have three people that are super skilled, great people, and have a great chance to win," Schmid said.

Escobar made it all the way to the state finals as a freshman last year and is the top seed entering this year's tournament.

"He is so skilled, so good, and the nicest person," Schmid said.

Schmid said he doesn't see any weaknesses in Escobar's game and views him as a great all-around player, which makes him a dangerous competitor in tournaments.

Joe Schmid, Service High, Ulysses Escobar, tennis

"A lot of times in tennis you try to pick up on somebody's specific weakness," Schmid said. "Maybe they can't hit a backhand really well so you hammer that. With Ulysses, there's no real weak part of his game."

Schmid said Allya is much more "powerful in comparison to the other girls she plays" and has a great all-around game as well.

"(She) is able to just push people around the court in a way that other players can't handle," Schmid said.

He praised Azra for her incredible athleticism, which allows her to "get to almost every ball."

While Schmid prevented the twins from playing each other in practice regularly so as to not create any divisiveness, his ideal outcome for the state tournament before the brackets were released on Wednesday was to see the two sisters face each other in the finals as well.

"In my perfect world, (Allya) and Azra play each other in the championship round and I can somehow manage to coach both of them in the match," he said.

Unfortunately, his perfect-world scenario is in jeopardy because the sisters are on the same side of the bracket to start the tournament and are on a collision course to see each other in the second round. However, the loser could still come back and make it to the finals since the tournament is using a double-elimination format.

Allya Pedalino, Service High, tennis

Since the two siblings are on the same team, they never got a chance to play against each other in a match outside of practice. They were hoping to get a chance to do so at the Region IV Conference Tournament but Azra fell in the semifinals.

"I was really looking forward to playing her but I'm really looking forward to potentially playing her at state," Allya Pedalino said.

The Pedalinos would like their friendly sibling rivalry to take center stage at the state tournament by having both of them make it to the finals, where they would face off for not only first place but for eternal bragging rights.

"That would be so awesome and that's my goal," Azra Pedalino said. "Just making it to the last match just so I can play her."

Allya has already earned a state championship in mixed doubles last year.

Best friends since birth

Even though Allya is 60 second older than Azra, a fact the younger sister is often reminded of, they are each other's biggest supporters and best friends on and off the court.

"Being sisters and twins especially, we're always hyping each other up," Allya Pedalino said. "She's my main support system when I'm feeling down in a match. I look up and I see her cheering from the stands and I'm like 'Yeah I can do this.' "

They have been playing tennis since elementary school and started by just playing each other and didn't start competing until they got to high school.

"It's really exciting for me just because we've always played together since we were young," Azra Pedalino said. "Being able to see both of us play and grow just makes it more fun."

They never had any formal training or lessons growing up so the only way they were able to to get better was by pushing each other when playing against one another.

Azra Pedalino, Service High, tennis

"We've made each other the players we are," Azra Pedalino said.

Allya already has a full tuition academic scholarship to the University of Arizona and is considering competing in tennis at the collegiate level as well.

The sisters intend to not only go to the same college but plan on being roommates as well.

"She's my best friend so we want to make that transition together," Allya Pedalino said.

Top seed under no additional pressure

Escobar was the top seed in at regions and will open the state tournament with the same lofty and well-deserved distinction.

Service High, Ulysses Escobar, tennis

"It feels the same as before," he said. "It doesn't matter what seed you're in. Second, third or last place, it just matters that you're able to play your game and no matter what challenges are in front of you that you'll be able to still come out on top by using all your skills.

While he won't be able to avenge his defeat from last year since last year's boys singles champion Charlie Rush graduated from West this past spring, Escobar embraces the target on his back as the top seed and welcomes the inevitable challenges that come with it.

"Feeling more pressure is definitely not going to help you in any way," he said. "You should be able to use that as a confidence booster."

Service tennis on the rise as a whole

Schmid was named Coach of the Year at regions after doubling the size of the program in his first year and having three players make state. But he gives the credit to the kids that make up the entire team.

"It's all because of the players," Schmid said. "I'm here and I help, I coach, and I try to motivate and help them strategically and physically with their skills."

He admitted that it was nice that he inherited a couple of region champions in Escobar and both Pedalino sisters as strong foundational pieces.

Allya Pedalino, Azra Pedalino, Joe Schmid, Service High, Ulysses Escobar, tennis

"I was dealt a pretty good hand and I'm very happy with my players," Schmid said.

The key to the program's rapid growth is the focus on making the sport fun for the players first and foremost.

"Having people enjoy tennis in the program eventually will help build it to where winning comes along with it," Schmid said. "Once fun comes then participation comes and numbers come."

Escobar believes that Schmid's ascension to the role of head coach energized the program in a way it hadn't been before.

"I feel like being able to create this kind of player dynamic where it focuses on each of the players and also on the games we play together is the best way to train," Escobar said.

More than 35 students came out for the team this year, which is the most interest and participation that the program has garnered in over five years.

"Once we get more participation, that just builds the program up and now we also have some really great players," Schmid said.