BETHLEHEM - Jim Thorpe head coach Norb Lienhard views the postseason as "icing on the cake."

The Lady Olympians' already successful 2016 got a little bit sweeter after Monday's first round of the District 11 Class AA singles tournament.Seniors Brittany Marzen and Marni Quevedo were both victorious in the opening round at Lehigh University.Though the pair both lost in the second round, Lienhard couldn't have been prouder of what the two had accomplished."I'm so happy with the results, and the team itself," Lienhard said of the group, which finished 9-7 this season. "This is always icing on the cake. But for them to play like they did, it's just so nice. I'm so happy for them."Marzen topped Wilson's Jenna Galvin 6-0, 6-2, while Quevedo outlasted Notre Dame East Stroudsburg's Jessika Buenaventura 6-0, 4-6, 10-7 in the first round.Their tournament came to an end in the second round when Marzen lost 6-1, 6-1 to top-seeded Leandra Roelker of Salisbury, and Quevedo fell 6-0, 6-0 to sixth-seeded Neelam Ferrari of Moravian Academy."This season has been really good," said Marzen, who entered the tournament with a record of 11-5 playing No. 1 singles' for the Lady Olympians. "We got a lot of new people this year and they've all been so dedicated. We had our first winning season, at least as long as I've played, which was nice as a senior."Marzen, who has only played tennis for three years, has come a long way since she started."Last year, she took her lumps at No. 1," Lienhard said of Marzen. "But this year, she was unbelievable."I think (playing No. 1 singles last year) helped a lot, because she was used to it. She wanted it this year, too. This whole year the seniors were unbelievable."Quevedo showed continued progress in her first round win over Buenaventura, which marked the third time the two had played this season.After splitting the first two meetings, Quevedo knew winning again - and for a second consecutive time - would be anything but easy."I knew it was my last time to shine and I gave it my all," Quevedo said. "Coach always said to me, 'Who wants it more?' And I showed him who wanted it more."Quevedo's mindset has been emblematic of the team's resolve throughout the season."The whole team is that way this year - they didn't give up," Lienhard said. "In the end, we won."While the Lady Olympians have shown development through results, Tamaqua has made great strides since beginning the season unsure of whom its coach would be.Jessica Mazaika stepped in when the program needed her the most and kept the Lady Raiders on track and moving forward.Despite a 6-0, 6-3 first round loss to Notre Dame Green Pond's Danielle Hibshman, Tamaqua's Brooke Williams was thrilled to be able to represent her program in the event."It was of course nerve-racking, but it was exciting to just get a feel for what districts is like," the sophomore said. "I had no idea what to expect."I think it was nice to be out there and see what I have and see what I have to look up to and what I have to look forward to in the future."For a season that started with many unknowns, Monday showed that the Lady Raiders have a solid foundation to build on."We've had a lot of improvement," said Mazaika. "The more that we practiced as the season went on, the girls just kept getting better."I think that that says a lot for the dedication and heart that the girls have."AS EXPECTED? … All eight seeded players made it through to the quarterfinals.UP NEXT … The quarterfinals and semifinals are scheduled for Wednesday, at 11:30 a.m. at Parkland High School, with the finals set for 12:30 p.m. Friday back at Lehigh.