Wonder Twins win! Both Ana and Ivy Luvera came out victors Wednesday. (John Fisken photo)
Call ’em the comeback kids.
Storming back all day long Wednesday, the Coupeville High School girls’ tennis team pulled off a 5-2 stunner over visiting Granite Falls to avenge an earlier season loss.
The victory, the team’s fourth straight, lifted the Wolves to 5-3 and, coming on the heels of a win over South Whidbey, was the second time CHS got payback after taking a defeat this season.
Not that it came easily, despite what the score might sound like.
Granite Falls actually took the first two matches completed and had the edge in numerous other contests as Wolf coach Ken Stange chewed his fingernails down to the quick.
Four of the five wins came from Wolves who trailed in their matches, and the team-wide comeback sparked Stange to go against conventional wisdom and give Player of the Match honors to his entire roster.
“One of the wildest tennis matches I’ve ever witnessed,” Stange said. “The victory was not secured until we pulled wins three and four off, within seconds of each other.
“It seemed that the odds were stacked against us today,” he added. “The seven matches unfolded in an exciting way, creating a tense atmosphere for anyone who was aware of the team score!”
After losses at #1 and #2 doubles, Coupeville rebounded with wins at #1 and #2 singles.
Wynter Thorne, filling in for Valen Trujillo at #2, dropped the first set in her match, then threw down a beat-down in the second and escaped with yet another tiebreaker win in the third.
“Her opponent was pesky and kept getting to everything. She didn’t hit too hard, but she was painting the lines,” Stange said. “Wynter steeled her focus and footwork and had just enough to edge past her foe.”
Playing alongside Thorne, top singles ace Jacki Ginnings gutted out an equally hard-fought win to give the Wolves new life, and her teammates responded with victories of their own.
The match was only decided when the final two doubles duos (Sydney Autio/Micky LeVine and Ivy Luvera/Mckenzie Meyer) pulled out third-set triumphs almost at the very same moment in time.
“Wow. I felt a whole array of feelings during today’s match,” Stange said.
Complete results:
Varsity:
#1 Singles — Jacki Ginnings beat Laura Gilbertson 6-4, 7-6(7-5)
#2 Singles — Wynter Thorne beat Emma Loney 5-7, 6-2, 10-8
#3 Singles — Ana Luvera beat Laura Rachal 6-2, 6-4
#1 Doubles — Payton Aparicio/Sage Renninger lost to Haley Arndt/Katelyn Gresli 6-3, 6-4
#2 Doubles — McKenzie Bailey/Jazmine Franklin lost to Annie Hart/Mckenzie Meyer 6-3, 6-1
#3 Doubles — Sydney Autio/Micky LeVine beat Holly Curry/Brynne Mota-Soriano 6-3, 7-5
#4 Doubles — Ivy Luvera/Mckenzie Meyer beat Shelby Beehler/Danielle Coleman 6-3, 3-6, 10-8
JV:
#5 Doubles — Bree Daigneault/Haleigh Deasy beat Allison Middleton/Feliciana Montes de Oca 9-7
#6 Doubles — Hanna Seiffert/Kameryn St. Onge beat Cassie O’Brien/Taylor Middleton 8-3
#7 Doubles — Maggie Crimmins/Ashley Smith beat Victoria Bell/Pabla Ventura 8-5
#8 Doubles — Kenzi LaRue/St Onge lost to O’Brien/T. Middleton 8-5
Coupeville Sports 