Heather Nastali’s win at #3 singles Friday clinched Coupeville’s 17th straight win in 1A Olympic League play. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)
The path to a girls tennis Olympic League title starts and ends in Coupeville.
Has for the past three years, and nothing looks likely to change in 2018.
Knocking off both their arch-rivals in a little over 24 hours, the Wolf netters bounced visiting Chimacum Friday 5-2.
The win, coming on the heels of a victory over Klahowya Thursday, lifts CHS to 2-0 in conference play, 3-5 overall.
Chimacum (0-1, 1-6) and Klahowya (0-1, 1-5) sit a game-and-a-half back as Coupeville seeks a fourth-straight league crown.
After enduring an early schedule jam-packed with 2A schools, the Wolves have won three of their last four matches and are now 17-0 all-time against 1A Olympic League foes.
Coupeville’s latest win came thanks to its depth in doubles, where the Wolves swept to four wins, all in straight sets.
With start times staggered depending on court availability and Chimacum pulling out wins at #1 and #2 singles in third-set tiebreakers, the actual clinching point came from Heather Nastali.
Romping to a 6-0, 6-0 win at #3 singles, the Wolf senior slapped a final winner down the line to end her match and give CHS its fourth team point on the afternoon.
The day was a vintage Whidbey production, as rain threatened (but never developed) and gusts of wind periodically swept across the frozen tundra (I mean tennis courts…).
Half the entertainment came in watching players try to knock balls back over the fence when they came flying in from other courts.
The slashing wind made that difficult, with at least three balls not making it back up and over, but instead blowing right back in the face of the girl who launched the shot.
While not hurricane-level maybe, the persistent wind also affected a number of shots during on-court action.
Often players would start one way, then have to lurch backwards or fall forward at the last second as the incoming shot suddenly changed directions.
Which doesn’t mean there wasn’t some great shot-making along the way, especially from the Wolf lefties, who seemed somewhat shielded from the breeze, which came primarily from their right side.
Coupeville has four southpaws — Kameryn St Onge, Sage Renninger, Nastali and Avalon Renninger — and all of them slashed with power and precision, making the Cowboys run from side to side while futilely chasing the ball.
Complete Friday results:
Varsity:
1st Singles — Claire Mietus lost to Makaela Caskey 3-6, 6-4, 10-7
2nd Singles — Genna Wright lost to Vilma Jurmu 6-2, 4-6, 10-7
3rd Singles — Heather Nastali beat Chiara Vignale 6-0, 6-0
1st Doubles — Payton Aparicio/Sage Renninger beat Renee Woods/Emma Craighead 6-1, 6-0
2nd Doubles — Avalon Renninger/Tia Wurzrainer beat Grace Yaley/Chloe Patterson 6-2, 6-1
3rd Doubles — Maggie Crimmins/Kameryn St Onge beat Marley Music/Anna Pace 6-0, 6-0
4th Doubles — Jillian Mayne/Zara Bradley beat Denisse Lopez/Madison Hess 8-2
JV:
5th Doubles — Elaira Nicolle/Nanci Melendrez won 4-1 (Chimacum left to catch ferry)
6th Doubles — Jaimee Masters/Emily Fiedler won 6-0
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