Payton Aparicio teamed with Sage Renninger Monday for a dramatic win at #1 doubles against 2A powerhouse North Kitsap. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)
Welcome back. Now try and beat the giants.
Coming off a 13-day sabbatical, the Coupeville High School girls tennis squad faced a daunting task as 2A juggernaut North Kitsap swung by the Island.
The Vikings, with a deep, talented roster, entered play Monday boasting a 7-0 mark this season and a 56-2 record over the past five years.
In what could hardly be described as a surprise, North Kitsap kept that streak alive, overpowering the less-experienced Wolves 6-1.
Coupeville, a 2B-sized school forced to masquerade as a 1A school, has faced a brutal early-season schedule.
Five of its first six foes hail from 2A, and there’s still one more big school foe to go with a trip Wednesday to North Mason.
So, when you look at the Wolves 1-5 mark (they toppled previously unbeaten Granite Falls), remember that this early stretch has been mainly about enduring and surviving.
All six matches against Coupeville’s 1A Olympic League foes, Chimacum and Klahowya, are still ahead, with the first two set for the end of this week … if the weather cooperates.
Monday was a chance for the Wolves to see if they could be competitive with a true powerhouse.
The Vikings are led by three-time defending state 2A singles champ Danya Wallis, who is ranked as the #4 college prospect among female players in Washington state.
It doesn’t get much easier after that, as North Kitsap has talented players at every rung and a former highly-ranked college netter, Jordan Prince, installing daily lessons as a coach.
While Coupeville’s inexperienced singles players were overwhelmed Monday, the Wolf doubles duos put up a strong fight, especially at the #1 and #3 slots.
Sophomore Avalon Renninger and freshman Genna Wright teamed for the first time, with Renninger’s normal partner, Tia Wurzrainer, on her way home from a spring break trip to Austria.
Both strong natural athletes who are still coming in to their own as tennis players, the Wolf young guns forced a tiebreak in their first set and made their foes work hard for the victory.
Coupeville’s brightest spot came at the top of the ladder, as seniors Payton Aparicio and Sage Renninger played inspired tennis to topple a pair of crafty sisters.
Mixing guile (Renninger dropping shots behind her opponents backs) with bursts of raw power (Aparicio slicing an overhead off the back line), the Wolf duo pulled out a very-satisfying straight-sets win.
Complete Monday results:
Varsity:
1st Singles — Claire Mietus lost to Danya Wallis 6-0, 6-0
2nd Singles — Heather Nastali lost to Grace Hansen 6-0, 6-0
3rd Singles — Megan Behan lost to Anna Bronchal 6-0, 6-0
1st Doubles — Payton Aparicio/Sage Renninger beat Amalia Barreith/Noelani Barreith 7-5, 6-3
2nd Doubles — Maggie Crimmins/Kameryn St Onge lost to Eunice Moran/Tori Carver 6-2, 6-1
3rd Doubles — Avalon Renninger/Genna Wright lost to Jessica Raper/Rachel Griffel 7-6(7-2), 6-3
4th Doubles — Jillian Mayne/Zara Bradley lost to Jackie Marshall/Riley Rabedeaux 6-2, 5-1 (ferry)
Coupeville Sports 