A face-off for the Olympic League tennis title edged in favor of Sequim early last week as the Wolves recaptured the title to finish 13-0.
Coach Mark Textor set his lineup looking ahead to the Olympic League meet on May 1-2, in favorable match-ups against the Kingston Buccaneers, who feature some of the best players in 2A.
Sequim took the 4-3 victory and championship on April 29 with Sequim’s singles players playing strong. Hannah Gauthun defeated Miriam Rovertson 6-2 in both sets, Tenisha Powless won over Sarah Zischke 6-2, 6-3, and Andrea Tjemsland overcame Sara Beckstrom 7-6, 6-4 in three sets.
Doubles team Hillary Smith and Anna Prorok helped Sequim get the league title with a three-set win over Paige Heaps and Nicole Wesendorp 7-5, 3-6, 6-4.
The Wolves’ lead doubles team Melanie Guan and Karen Chan fell 6-3, 6-0 to Becca McNurney and Kati Schwabe. Sequim’s other doubles team, Heidi Stallman and Maggie Christie, pushed hard against Chealsey Rosebrook and Emma Saas but lost 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (7-3). Kortney Oen and Anna Mittman lost in three sets.
League meet
Two doubles teams plan to hone their skills for next week as they vie for state at the districts tournament on May 17-18 at the Bremerton Racket Club.
Prorok and Gauthun earned third in the doubles tournament while Guan and Chan placed fifth, with the top five advancing from the Olympic League meet at North Kitsap High School.
Textor said the four girls will work on the fundamentals a lot in that time off and square as doubles against one another.
“We’ve been playing great tennis, but for us to advance to state, we’re going to have to find a way to step it up even more,” he said. “It’s very competitive.”
Each team played five matches to qualify for districts, including Stallman and Christie, who played the last match of the meet against Chan and Guan for the final spot. It went three sets and was close, Textor said. Other Sequim competitors Powless and Oen played singles but lost their first two matches.
Singles player Smith was forced to drop out due to a musical commitment, so Textor sat down with his top players and asked them what they wanted to do for the meet. Prorok, who played with Smith last year in doubles, opted to go into doubles with Gauthun.
Textor said he was proud of how all the girls played at the meet.
Looking back on the season, Textor said this is one of his favorite teams he’s ever coached. “It’s a great group of girls who get a lot out of themselves,” he said. “This year is special because (the league title) was not something I thought was a possibility at the beginning of the year. They overachieved and had a great time. I’m really happy for the seniors and going out undefeated.”
Prorok is the one senior advancing to districts, but Textor said she is part of the quality seniors the team is losing.
“We’re losing some really quality seniors especially, some great leaders because you can’t underestimate great leadership. Andrea Tjemsland gave our team personality and grit and Hillary Smith is an outstanding person, Kortney Oen, too.
