Senior Jazmine Franklin is one of seven returning letter winners for the Wolf net squad. (John Fisken photos)
Sophomores Sage Renninger (left) and Payton Aparicio reunite as a doubles duo.
They are the queens of the court and they’re not ready to give up the throne just yet.
The Coupeville High School girls’ tennis squad enters a new season dead-set on defending its 1A Olympic League crown.
And they’d like to do it as convincingly as they won that first title banner a season ago.
“Win the league title again, going undefeated, is first and foremost,” said veteran CHS coach Ken Stange. “I also believe that we have a shot to advance players beyond the district tourney, to state.
“This is a real possibility, and it is a legitimate goal for our players.”
The grizzled tennis guru is in his 11th year at the helm of the Wolves, and coming off a season in which his netters went 11-3 overall, 6-0 in league play.
That included a stunning non-conference upset of the big dogs, South Whidbey, on their home court.
This time around, along with three league matches each against Klahowya and Chimacum/Port Townsend, Coupeville will again be tested by a tough non-conference schedule.
South Whidbey, Granite Falls and longtime rival Friday Harbor are back for home-and-home rumbles, while 2A schools Port Angeles and Sequim will fill slots vacated by Charles Wright Academy and Lakewood.
As they head into their 15-match schedule, the Wolves are talented, but thin.
With softball and track hauling in bigger than normal numbers this year, that may have affected the turnout for tennis.
“Depth will be an issue this season,” Stange said. “With barely enough players to field a full team, and our newcomers lacking in experience, we will have to learn as we go at third and fourth doubles.
“It should be fun, though!”
Seven letter winners return to anchor the Wolf attack and should account for the three singles and top two doubles units.
Juniors Valen Trujillo and Bree Daigneault and senior Sydney Autio are (lightly) penciled in as lone Wolves, while both doubles duos (seniors Jazmine Franklin/McKenzie Bailey and sophomores Payton Aparicio/Sage Renninger) played together last year.
“Our strengths lie with our returning players,” Stange said. “We have lots of varsity experience and they all had great seasons last year. I expect more of the same.”
“We often struggled at the top of the lineup last year, with our top doubles team constantly facing off against difficult foes,” he added. “This year, we turn the tables.”
Three returning players (sophomores Maggie Crimmins, Kameryn St Onge and Kenzi LaRue) and two newbies (junior Kaela Hollrigel and foreign exchange student Julia Borges) lead the players battling for the other varsity slots.
“It is going to be an interesting year,” Stange said. “With so few players, it’s going to be imperative on each team member to pull her weight.
“Sickness and other things that pull kids away from the court could result in losses,” he added. “I hope that is not the case.”
To see Coupeville’s tennis schedule, pop over to:
http://www.olympicleague.com/index.php?league=21&page_name=game_schedule&school=24&sport=18
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