Sage Renninger (left) and Payton Aparicio are the defending Olympic League doubles champs. (John Fisken photos)
Kameryn St Onge is one of six returning letter winners for the Wolves.
Senior Bree Daigneault returns to serve up more winners (and frequent compliments to her foes).
Ken Stange has been around the block a few times.
The tennis sensei has been at the helm of the Coupeville High School tennis programs for a decade-plus, a time period when he’s racked up league titles and guided Wolves of both genders to the state tourney.
But this spring he feels like he’s on the edge of seeing CHS make a true break-through in a sport often dominated by ritzy big city private schools.
“Five times, I’ve been fortunate enough to coach players who have qualified for state,” Stange said. “This year, for the first time, I feel that we have an excellent shot at taking more than one entry into the state tourney.”
“Valen (Trujillo), Payton (Aparicio) and Sage (Renninger) have the ability, mindset, and desire to do it,” he added. “I look forward to seeing them progress toward the end goal.”
That trio, who are the defending Olympic League champs in singles and doubles, lead off a team deep in talent and numbers.
Stange has 18 girls on his first-week roster, led by Trujillo, a senior entering her second season as the team’s #1 singles player.
She’s joined by fellow senior Bree Daigneault and four juniors — Aparicio, Renninger, Maggie Crimmins and Kameryn St Onge — giving Coupeville six returning letter winners.
As he tries to figure out his varsity lineup, Stange has seen three newcomers (foreign exchange student Fanny Deprelle and freshmen Zoe Trujillo and Avalon Renninger) jump to the front during the opening practices.
Competition for the fourth doubles duo is wide-open, with a group of nine first-year players in the mix.
That includes foreign exchange student Sophie Fürtjes, juniors Heather Nastali and Claire Mietus, sophomores Julie Bucio and Abby Hamilton and freshmen Tia Wurzrainer, Nanci Melendrez, Jillian Mayne and Rubi Melendrez.
Coupeville enters play this season having never lost in 1A Olympic League play.
The Wolves are 11-0 over the past two years, the fourth-longest streak of any conference program, behind Coupeville girls basketball (27-0) and Klahowya girls (20-0) and boys (12-0) soccer.
Keeping that streak alive and bringing home another title are big, and it’s a mission fueled by the hard workers at the top of the score sheet.
“We will be strong at the top of our lineup, and that will go a long way to ensuring we can secure a third-straight 1A Oly League title,” Stange said.
“One of our best strengths is our team’s leadership,” he added. “Valen and Bree are vocal leaders who encourage and inspire other players. Then there are Payton and Sage, who lead by quiet example.
“It’s a great balance of styles.”
While he knows what to expect from his top players, after that it’s an adventure, but one Stange always looks forward to helping guide.
“We are untested in our bottom half of the lineup,” he said. “It’s going to be a learn as we play type of situation. I have confidence, though.”
Part of that confidence stems from seeing how his netters, both veterans and newbies, are reacting to playing in “spring”-like weather conditions.
“Another strength is our team’s work ethic,” Stange said. “They’ve been doing some conditioning work, and they have been working hard, despite the wind and rain.”
