Congratulations to Haverford School on winning the 2025 PAISAA tennis championship - PSD Photo by Lennie Malmgren
Photos: Lennie Malmgren
By: Kiki Troilo, Friends’ Central School
PHILADELPHIA- For the final boys tennis battle of the 2025 tennis season, Inter-Academic League co-champion, Haverford School, faced off against Friends School League champions, Germantown Friends (GFS) for the 2025 PAISAA Championship.
Since this final was a rematch of the 2024 PAISAA championship, there was a lot of built up anticipation with GFS being the defending champions. Both teams fought hard all season in both the PAISAA tournament and their own leagues. Haverford lost their final league game to Episcopal Academy with the final score of 4-3, which awarded both schools as Inter-Ac co-champions, but then got the win over Friends’ Central in the PAISAA semifinal. GFS won the FSL title over Shipley in a tough final with the final score of 3-2 and then beat Episcopal 5-2 to punch their ticket to state finals.
2025 PAISAA Championship Highlights & Award Presentation by Lennie Malmgren for PSD:
Evidently both teams have had some very strong wins this season and both certainly deserved to be in yet another championship match.
Last season, the two powerhouse teams faced off in the state final as well. GFS took the victory 3-2 in a very tight match, but it was clear that Haverford wanted their revenge from the second they stepped onto their home courts. The energy was hard not to notice as excitement radiated from players and spectators.
*See summaries below. Matches are in order of when the match finished*
3rd Singles
Right from the start, Haverford’s RJ Neilly was crushing GFS’s Samuel Bekelmen. Neilly was using all kinds of shots from his toolbox and almost every time was successful.
The mix of shots that Neilly was using seemed to be confusing for Bekelmen and building a lot of frustration on his side of the court. Neilly, after a dominant performance took the first set for Haverford 6-2 and not much changed in the second set. Bekelmen continued to over hit, just continuing to raise his level of frustration and the cheering coming from Neilly’s side of the net didn’t help his mindset either. However, Bekelmen was able to compose himself a little, getting the break over Neilly trying to tighten up the match, but Haverford’s No. 3 continued to fight, going up 5-2 and attempting to break Bekelmen’s serve to win the match.
RJ Neilly was proud of his team for winning the PAISAA championship - PSD Video by Kiki Troilo
After a tough game, Neilly ended up winning the match 6-2, 6-2 for Haverford.
1st Doubles
Haverford started off strong on the No. 1 doubles court too with Ian Rosenzweig and Drew Carrasco facing off against GFS senior duo Benedict Tessler and Joseph Helfrich. Haverford’s first doubles pair tried to lob but was unsuccessful as the veteran duo was too strong to get the ball past in the first game. This flipped however with Haverford taking control and taking the early lead 4-1. Tessler tried to hype up his team after a few clean winners, but it simply was not enough as Haverford’s 1st doubles continued playing a very strong game and advanced to a 5-2 lead. Carrasco was hitting clean, firing passing shots down the line past GFS’s 1st doubles, only furthering the lead. Helfrich and Tessler tried again to make the match interesting with Helfrich hitting a clean winner down the line but Carrasco showed some great baseline defense. Rosenzweig also showed some great defense but at the net instead and took the first set for Haverford 6-2. Haverford then went into the second set continuing up a break 3-2 then 4-3. Although GFS’s veteran duo tried to stay in the match, Haverford got the better of them and won the match 6-2, 6-3.
2nd Doubles
Haverford took the quick lead on this court as well with James MacColl and Jonah Grunes winning the first set 6-2 over GFS’s Jack Abend and Kevin Li. After the tough first set loss for GFS, Abend tried to improve his attitude and lift up his team for the second set. He continued to go for big shots too early on in the second set with no patience and it did not seem like the chatter from behind the fence from his GFS teammates was helping.
Second doubles continued on serve with a great comeback effort from Abend and Li following a break from the tough pair to make it 3-2. Li stayed fierce at the baseline, trying to maintain their lead while also hitting winners at the net, truly playing at the top of his game. The score shifted to 5-2 with GFS ahead and fighting to split sets to make the match entertaining. Abend and Li ended up winning the second set 6-2, bringing the match to a decider after an impressive performance following their tough first set loss.
No. 2 Doubles Highlights - PSD Video by Kiki Trolio
Abend and Li tried to start off strong in the third set, going up 2-1 but still on serve. MacColl and Grunes showed off some strong serving but Li and Abend continued to remain dominant during baseline rallies, followed by some perfect poaching from underclassman Abend. GFS fought hard, breaking serve and taking the lead 5-2, especially with some great net play from Abend. They then got broken by Haverford, making the score 5-3 but Haverford was still serving a break down. MacColl and Grunes tried to fight back with MacColl hitting great volleys at the net but GFS remained up a break 5-4. In the end, Abend and Li held strong and took the victory 2-6, 6-2, 6-4.
4th Doubles
Yet again, No. 4 doubles was another close match between Haverford’s Grant MacColl and Shaya Khojasteh and GFS’s Lucas Daniel and Eliot Perlis. The two teams stayed close, continuing on serve 2-3. Khojasteh’s consistency was key for the Fords and truly kept his team in the match. MacColl was hitting some very impressive overhead smashes at the net, trying to break and take the lead. He was hitting smashes over the back fence and it was nothing other than impressive but the two teams continued on serve.
Finally, after relentless net play from Haverford, they took the break to take the lead 4-3 and then 5-3. MacColl and Khojasteh won the first set 6-4 after going back and forth in a tight set with the Tiger’s pair.
The tide shifted completely when GFS quickly went up 5-1 and served for the set to bring it into a deciding third. This time it was Perlis that was going for the impressive overhead smashes instead of MacColl. After a considerably fast second set, GFS won 6-1 and brought the match to a deciding third.
No. 4 Doubles Highlights - PSD Video by Kiki Trolio
Haverford took the early lead going up 4-1 and after losing the second set to tie it up, it seemed as though there was a lot of passion that fueled them to win. Haverford’s No. 4 doubles continued to lead going up 5-2 and then taking the match 6-4, 1-6, 6-2.
3rd Doubles
From early on in the match, Haverford’s No. 3 doubles pairing of Eli Leader and Gabe Crowder took the lead over GFS’s Julian Abbell and Jack Grodin with the score sitting at 4-3 up a break. Crowder was just serving far too strong, with aces left and right.
2025 PAISAA Championship Gallery - PSD Photos by Lennie Malmgren
Leader was showing off some of his great poaching skills but GFS fired back with strong poaching off their own. Abbell tried going for down the line shots, but he was unsuccessful during the first set. Grodin was also poaching with each opportunity showing tireless fighting at the net for GFS. With great effort from both teams, Haverford was up a break 5-4, serving for the first set and some impressive aces from Crowder of Haverford. Leader with an overhead smash won Haverford the first set 6-4.
The second set was very similar with Haverford being too strong for GFS to handle, yet still remaining on serve 4-3. Crowder once again was hitting great serves but just couldn’t close on his points, even when given great opportunities. Crowder saved himself though by hitting great deep backhands and keeping Haverford on serve 5-5. Lots of drama then surrounded the 3rd doubles court due to a call made by the Haverford side of the net. This drama on the court and behind the fence was followed by a delay of game violation, leading to a point penalty, resulting in Haverford breaking to make the score 6-5, then winning 6-4, 7-5.
2nd Singles
The second singles match seemed to go by in the blink of an eye. With lots of controversy going on at the third doubles court resulting in point penalties, the attention was taken off of the No. 2 singles match.
Haverford’s Phineas Manogue took the fast lead 6-0 against GFS senior Trevor Zurcher. Manogue was relentless both at the baseline and the net with just a stunning performance. Zurcher tried to use the changeover in between sets to compose himself but it just wasn’t enough as he went down quickly in the second 3-1. Manogue was in full control and in his own zone and rhythm.
During the changeover at 3-1, Zurcher exited the court and announced to his opponent that he was retiring from the match.
Phineas Manogue was happy to get the win vs. GFS after losing to the Tigers last year - PSD Video by Kiki Trolio
Although the reason for Zurcher’s retirement was unclear, Manogue truly showed up for his match, taking the victory 6-0, 3-1 (ret).
1st Singles
Haverford saved their best player for last with Kaiser Zhao playing against GFS’s 8th grade phenom, Henry Mather. Zhao started off strong, breaking the first game and going up 1-0. He used his forehand and backhand as weapons from the baseline while also attacking at the net over and over again.
He quickly moved up 3-0, simply dominating all over the court. Mather tried to keep the games competitive, hitting some overhead smashes past Zhao, but it was just not enough to stay in the set as Haverford’s No. 1 took the win 6-1.
Right from the start of the second set, Zhao was once again dominating, hitting all the lines in a very impressive fashion.
For the most part, Zhao was taking all the points and sparing just a few for Mather. He continued his path of winning, going up 5-0 and then taking the match 6-1, 6-0.
After the final match came to an end, there was a lot of excitement on the courts as the championship plaque was awarded to the Haverford School.
Neilly made it very clear that this championship match was important to him.
“Especially after last year, when we lost to them (GFS), you know, getting revenge is always sweet. It’s great,” said Neilly.
No. 1 Singles Highlights - PSD Video by Kiki Trolio
Kaiser Zhao said his team fought hard all season long - PSD Video by Kiki Troilo
Congratulations to all the teams and their players for their outstanding effort this year. Who knows what the 2026 boys’ tennis season might have in store - A new champion may be crowned, an existing title holder could return victorious, or a completely new powerhouse team might enter the picture. All will be revealed once again, the same time next year, after 12 months of training and preparation that will lead to determining the next PAISAA champion.
Editors Note: Special thanks to Kiki Troilo, PSD's Jr. Reporter from Friends' Central School, for her outstanding tennis contributions all season long!