ALLENTOWN — Tamaqua’s 2025 girls tennis season was literally one for the “road.”

The Blue Raiders had to travel for every match this fall while their home courts were being redone.

On Tuesday, Tamaqua made one last trip as the Blue Raiders competed in the quarterfinal round of the District 11 Class 2A Team Championships for the second straight season.

Unfortunately for the seventh-seeded Raiders, second-seeded Allentown Central Catholic ended their “ride” — which stretched over eight-and-a-half weeks — with a 5-0 setback.

The victory advanced the Vikettes into Wednesday’s semifinals, where they were set to face Blue Mountain. The third-seeded Eagles defeated Notre Dame-Green Pond by an identical 5-0 score.

“Central is a great team with a lot of talented players,” Tamaqua head coach Kathy Odorizzi said. “Even though we lost to them, our girls had a great experience participating today. It was beneficial to have the younger players experience district play. It gives them something to strive for when they make the starting positions.”

Rather than dwell on Tuesday’s result, Odorizzi wants her team to cherish every “trip” they took during a memorable season — one that marked Tamaqua’s first winning campaign since 2014.

The Blue Raiders overcame the challenge of being on the road, posting a 10-4 record in the regular season — their most victories since the compiled a 10-7 record 11 years ago.

“There were a lot of factors that contributed to the team’s success this year, but the main reason, I believe, is the team’s strong work ethic and their desire to improve their own game,” Odorizzi said. “Our preseason workouts were well attended. We practiced indoors during the winter and multiple times a week in the summer before mandatory practices started.

“Some of the girls also took private lessons and attended clinics. Tennis has a short season, so the hard work has to be done in the preseason to get results. They put in the time and effort, and it showed.”

Without a league playoff opportunity, Tamaqua’s goals centered on achieving a winning record and earning a district berth.

A year ago — in Odorizzi’s first season as head coach — the Raiders ended a 10-year postseason drought by qualifying for districts with a 6-8 record. Doing it again, this time with a winning mark, underscored the program’s progress.

“For the team, making districts was the main goal this year, so they were very happy to have qualified,” Odorizzi said. “A couple of the girls kept track during the season of where we were in the power rankings, so they were definitely into it.”

For Tamaqua’s seniors, the only disappointment was not being able to play a single home match. But their success helped overshadow that fact.

“Overall, it’s been a great season. I couldn’t have asked for a better group of girls,” Odorizzi said. “It was an atypical year. Because our tennis courts are being redone — which we are grateful for — all our matches were on the road. We also had to practice with 16 girls on two community courts.

“Through it all, I did not hear one complaint from the team. Not one complaint. They made the best of an unfortunate situation, and I am proud of them for it.”

MADE AN IMPACT ... Six of Tamaqua’s seven starters were seniors, leaving a lasting mark on the program.

“Our senior co-captains, Emma Ziajka and Alison Arthurton, did an excellent job leading the team,” Odorizzi said. “They were great role models for the rest of the players — through their encouragement, enthusiasm and by making every player feel included.

“All our seniors did a wonderful job creating a sense of unity on the team. They are a hardworking group.”

Seniors Ziajka, Arthurton, Chloe Ryan, Skora Ndikwiki and Jasmine Eberts were all two-year members of the program, while Destiny Steinmetz played for three seasons.

GIVING CREDIT WHERE IT’S DUE ... “I’d like to give a big thank you to the team, the parents, the administration at Tamaqua, and my assistant coach Rich Gibson for helping make this season such a success,” Odorizzi added. “I hope the girls look back on this year as a special time in their lives — when they worked as a team, reached their goals and created lasting friendships.”