Iris Ryckaert and partner Holly Craggs battled through three sets and a do-or-die tiebreaker to come out on top Tuesday. (John Fisken photo)
They stared defeat in the eye and never blinked.
Rallying from a set down, Coupeville High School’s top two doubles duos pulled out heart-stopping come-from-behind victories Tuesday, turning the tide and lifting the Wolves to a 4-1 victory over visiting Lakewood.
It was enough to make CHS coach Ken Stange dance, but we’ll resist the temptation to run the justifiably famous photo of him doing just that for the 5,709th time. For now…
The win, which lifted the Wolves to 7-3 with three regular-season matches left, offered stark contrasts.
Both Coupeville singles players rolled to 6-0, 6-0 wins, while the visiting Cougars, who had loaded up their top players in the doubles matches, looked like they would run all three.
While the third doubles tandem of McKenzie Bailey and Samantha Martin weren’t able to make it back up the hill, the other Wolf duos came roaring back.
Iris Ryckaert and Holly Craggs had to endure a second-set tiebreaker just to keep their match going, while Julia Myers and Maureen Rice overcame early struggles as they adjusted to playing with a new partner.
In the end, with both their personal match and the team battle on the line, both Wolf duos played some sparkling tennis, rolling through their third sets by the time they kicked and clawed to be in them.
“I was thoroughly impressed with my one and two doubles teams,” Stange said. “Sure, they had to raise their levels of play to win. Many players can raise their game when needed. What truly impressed me today was their resilience and perseverance.”
With Ryckaert and Craggs, it was their fight even when way behind. Down 4-0 in the first, they refused to concede the set.
“Iris and Holly could have easily rolled over and lost the match. They did just the opposite,” Stange said. “They ran for errant balls. They picked each other up when they were down. They played as one being during the final two sets.”
And, for Myers and Rice, it was proof they can be counted on when the match is on the line.
“As for Julia and Maureen, they both have had their struggles during matches, and after dropping the first set, they too could have rolled over,” Stange said. “They didn’t relent. They proved that they could deliver in the clutch.”
Complete results:
Varsity:
1st Singles — Amanda d’Almeida beat Hannah Krustinger 6-0, 6-0
2nd Singles — Allie Hanigan beat Violet Jensen 6-0, 6-0
1st Doubles — Iris Ryckaert/Holly Craggs beat McKayla Schwiger/Kylie Staley 5-7, 7-6(7-5), 6-3
2nd Doubles — Julia Myers/Maureen Rice beat Jenny Tsengelmaa/Zaya Tsengelmaa 2-6, 6-4, 6-3
3rd Doubles — McKenzie Bailey/Samantha Martin lost to Jackie Storer/Maddy DeYoung 6-2, 6-4
JV:
4th Doubles — Emily Gallahar/Sydney Autio beat Bea Kiel/Lexi Zbeigien 8-3
5th Doubles — Jacki Ginnings/Micky LeVine beat Erin Espeland/Camilla Madero 8-5
6th Doubles — Ana Luvera/Ivy Luvera beat Micaela Mendiondo/Kathryn Winder 8-2
7th Doubles — Mary Massengale/Breanna Koym beat Apinya Taweesub/Bea Kiel 8-2
8th Doubles — Julia Jones/Samantha Thomson lost to Lexi Zbeigien/Hannah Krustinger 8-0
Coupeville Sports 
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