The WPIAL girls' tennis singles championship tournaments are next week, and don't be surprised if the Class AAA competition has a familiar feel to it.

Seven of the eight quarterfinalists from last season are eligible to compete this season, and it is likely that the same faces will be in contention once again.

"They're all pretty much back," Pine-Richland senior Olivia Heim said of the WPIAL's top Class AAA players. "None of the top players graduated. We're all pretty close [in terms of ability level]. We all know the competition, and it's fun to see how far you can go individually."

The final four of WPIAL Class AAA singles tennis last season all are playing again this season -- barring injury or any monumental upsets in the sectional tournaments yesterday and today -- for a shot at another run. They are defending champion Joelle Kissell of Latrobe, Ronit Yurovsky of Plum (runner-up last year), third-place Kelly Whelan of North Allegheny and Heim.

Also back are Upper St. Clair sophomore Claudia Escribens, Shady Side Academy junior Sara Perelman and Pine-Richland sophomore Taylor Perz, each of whom was a WPIAL quarterfinalist last season.

"We all seem to know each other, if not personally, we know of each other," said Whelan, a junior who teamed with Jen Larimore last season to win the WPIAL and PIAA Class AAA doubles championships.

"Ronit is a great player, as is Joelle, so they will be contenders, but there are a lot of other good players in the WPIAL, also, so we will see how it plays out."

The WPIAL section tournaments started yesterday and will conclude today. The top three finishers from each Class AAA and Class AA section will advance to their respective WPIAL tournaments next Thursday and Friday.

Play through the semifinal round in Class AAA will be at Norwin beginning 1 p.m. Thursday, and North Allegheny will play host to the first three Class AA rounds (plus the preliminary-round matches) that same day.

Keystone Oaks will be the site of the championship and consolation matches in both classifications Friday afternoon.

The format is first-to-10 pro sets through the quarterfinal round, and then the traditional best-of-three-sets for semifinals, consolation matches and finals.

The two Class AAA finalists qualify for the PIAA tournament, which will take place next month in Hershey. The WPIAL's representatives traditionally have done well there. Last season, Yurovsky placed second and Kissell third.

"Everybody's good in the WPIAL, so you have to play every match as focused and as well as possible or you could lose," said Kissell, who has a younger sister, Stacia, who also has the potential to make some noise in the WPIAL tournament.

Oldest sister, Michaela, was a three-time PIAA and WPIAL champion and now plays at Marshall University.

All the returning quarterfinalists are accomplished USTA tournament-level players who often enter dozens of tournaments, some on the national level.

On a match-in and match-out basis with their teams, high school tennis doesn't offer them the same level of competition. But winning a WPIAL championship comes with a prestige on a par with their other exploits.

"I definitely look forward to it so much," Yurovsky said. "It's fun. I know some of the girls there, and now that I went through it once, I know what I'm getting myself into. I'm definitely looking forward to the competition I have to play."

Unlike the Class AAA championships, the Class AA tournament figures to have some new faces. Sarah Shashura of California won the title as a freshman last season, but she will play for the Trojans boys' team in the spring and is not eligible for the girls' tournament. California does not field a girls' team.

Beaver senior Kimmy Borza would be one of the favorites but will be in Florida for a four-week stint, attending the prestigious Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy.

Elise Held of Vincentian, took third place in the PIAA championships as a junior and was the WPIAL runner-up last season. She is capable of doing at least as much again.

In Class AA, the top three finishers qualify for the PIAA tournament.