Payton Aparicio, seen here in an earlier match, teamed with Sage Renninger to roll to a win at first doubles Monday. (John Fisken photos)
Julia Borges, here enjoying a moment with fellow foreign exchange student Santiago Ortiz, was on fire on the court Monday.
Who’s the big school now?
Ignoring the disparity in their student bodies, 1A Coupeville went out and drilled 2A Sequim Monday in a battle of tennis titans.
Playing on a surprisingly toasty Whidbey afternoon, the hometown Wolves strolled to a 6-1 non-conference victory over the visiting Wolves, lifting their season record to 9-3.
CHS will close the regular season with a home match against Chimacum Wednesday, then head to the league tourney May 10.
Facing off with a school that came in with a 9-5 record of its own, Coupeville slammed the gas pedal down hard, ripping through its first four matches in near-record time.
Whether it was Valen Trujillo ripping off winners from the baseline, Sage Renninger launching epic moon-balls or Julia Borges having the match of her life, painting the corners of the court with a variety of dazzling shots, the Wolves were red hot.
Complete results:
Varsity:
1st singles — Valen Trujillo won 6-2, 6-3
“Valen faced a hard-hitting but streaky opponent,” said Coupeville coach Ken Stange. “She was very steady, able to break her opponent’s serve at the right times. After a mid-season rough patch, she’s found her groove.”
2nd singles — Sydney Autio won 6-1, 6-1
“Sydney was on and off the court in the blink of an eye.
“Her opponent was a hard hitter, which Sydney loves. She mixed blistering pace with soft touch.
“She’s come up huge for us, all season long. I can’t wait for her to play in the league tourney, where I anticipate she will meet her teammate (Valen) in the finals.”
3rd singles — Bree Daiugneault lost 6-2, 6-1
1st doubles — Sage Renninger/Payton Aparicio won 6-3, 6-1
“They flat out dominated their opponents. They took advantage of our back fences being so close to the baseline by hitting lobs that were high and deep, leaving their opponents unable to get a racket on the ball. They were masters of the situation today.”
2nd doubles — McKenzie Bailey/Jazmine Franklin won 6-2, 6-0
“They were the dominant Salt N Pepa combo that has produced huge wins for two years.
“They were loose, they hit hard, and they had a lot of fun out there. I just adore their ability to take their foes out behind the woodshed for a serious beating!”
3rd doubles — Maggie Crimmins/Kameryn St Onge won 8-5 (pro set)
“These two, after a rough start to the season, have really found their groove.
“Kam plays consistent, while Maggie loves to hit the ball with a great deal of pace.
“I can see her confidence beginning to bubble up to the surface. It’s perfect timing, too. We will need it moving forward!”
4th doubles — Julia Borges/Julianne Sem won 6-1, 3-2 (match called for ferry)
“Both of them played with a consistency that befuddled their foes. They too have peaked at the right time.”
JV:
1st singles — Kenzi LaRue won 6-0
“Kenzi absolutely dominated her opponent.
“She came up big, like she did against Chimacum, when she provided the deciding point in the win.”
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