Five advance to Bi-District Five advance to Bi-District

Coupeville High School tennis coach Ken Stange was one happy person Saturday afternoon.

What could be better than an all-Coupeville final in the District-1 doubles competition? Win or lose, both teams would advance to the Bi-District May 17 in Federal Way.

The No. 1 doubles team of Hannah Merrell and Megan Monroe won by default over the No. 2 Friday Harbor team in the opening round and Coupeville’s No. 2 team of Laura Millhouse and Jessica Blanchette recorded a big straight-set victory, 6-2, 6-2, over the No. 1 Friday Harbor duo of Hannah Snow and Jenny Dunn.

“It was a bit odd watching my top two doubles teams play each other for the championship,” Stange said. “I couldn’t really root for anybody because even if I cheered for good tennis, it felt as if I were being mean to two of my players.”

As a result, the coach sat back and watched silently and a bit nervously as the two teams went at one another.

The match was a good one and Merrell and Monroe emerged as 7-6 (7-5), 6-2 winners.

The fifth player headed for the Bi-District is Ashley Sanders, who will be seeded as the No. 2 singles player from the district.

Sanders, the Wolves’ No. 1 singles player, beat Friday Harbor’s Kara Dunn 6-3, 6-0 in the opening round and then lost 6-1, 6-4 to Friday Harbor’s No. 1 singles player, Amanda Root, in the championship match.

“Ashley played one of the best matches of her career in the opening round,” Stange said. “She had played Dunn in earlier matches this season, but this is the first time she’d won in straight sets.”

In the championship match, Sanders played Root for the first time this year.

“Ashley played her usual brand of never give up tennis and won five games for her effort,” Stange said.

Overall, Stange said, the tournament turned out as expected.

“The results panned out as I hoped and anticipated them to,” he said. “Next week’s tournament should be fun. We will be up against stiffer competition, but hopefully we will come out with a state berth or two.”

District 1 tennis tournament

at Coupeville High School

Saturday, May 10

Singles

First round

Amanda Root (Friday Harbor No. 1) def. Jordan Akins (Coupeville No. 2) 6-3, 6-2

Ashley Sanders (Coupeville No. 1) def. Kara Dunn (Friday Harbor No. 2) 6-3, 6-0.

3rd/4th place

Kara Dunn def. Jordan Akins 7-5, 6-2.

Championship

Amanda Root def. Ashley Sanders 6-1, 6-4.

Doubles

First round

Hannah Merrell / Megan Monroe (Coupeville No. 1) won by default.

Laura Millhouse / Jessica Blanchette (Coupeville No. 2) def. Hannah Snow / Jenny Dunn (Friday Harbor No. 1) 6-2, 6-2.

Championship

Hannah Merrell / Megan Monroe def. Laura Millhouse / Jessica Blanchette 7-6 (7-5), 6-2.

Coupeville High School tennis coach Ken Stange was one happy person Saturday afternoon.

What could be better than an all-Coupeville final in the District-1 doubles competition? Win or lose, both teams would advance to the Bi-District May 17 in Federal Way.

The No. 1 doubles team of Hannah Merrell and Megan Monroe won by default over the No. 2 Friday Harbor team in the opening round and Coupeville’s No. 2 team of Laura Millhouse and Jessica Blanchette recorded a big straight-set victory, 6-2, 6-2, over the No. 1 Friday Harbor duo of Hannah Snow and Jenny Dunn.

“It was a bit odd watching my top two doubles teams play each other for the championship,” Stange said. “I couldn’t really root for anybody because even if I cheered for good tennis, it felt as if I were being mean to two of my players.”

As a result, the coach sat back and watched silently and a bit nervously as the two teams went at one another.

The match was a good one and Merrell and Monroe emerged as 7-6 (7-5), 6-2 winners.

The fifth player headed for the Bi-District is Ashley Sanders, who will be seeded as the No. 2 singles player from the district.

Sanders, the Wolves’ No. 1 singles player, beat Friday Harbor’s Kara Dunn 6-3, 6-0 in the opening round and then lost 6-1, 6-4 to Friday Harbor’s No. 1 singles player, Amanda Root, in the championship match.

“Ashley played one of the best matches of her career in the opening round,” Stange said. “She had played Dunn in earlier matches this season, but this is the first time she’d won in straight sets.”

In the championship match, Sanders played Root for the first time this year.

“Ashley played her usual brand of never give up tennis and won five games for her effort,” Stange said.

Overall, Stange said, the tournament turned out as expected.

“The results panned out as I hoped and anticipated them to,” he said. “Next week’s tournament should be fun. We will be up against stiffer competition, but hopefully we will come out with a state berth or two.”

District 1 tennis tournament

at Coupeville High School

Saturday, May 10

Singles

First round

Amanda Root (Friday Harbor No. 1) def. Jordan Akins (Coupeville No. 2) 6-3, 6-2

Ashley Sanders (Coupeville No. 1) def. Kara Dunn (Friday Harbor No. 2) 6-3, 6-0.

3rd/4th place

Kara Dunn def. Jordan Akins 7-5, 6-2.

Championship

Amanda Root def. Ashley Sanders 6-1, 6-4.

Doubles

First round

Hannah Merrell / Megan Monroe (Coupeville No. 1) won by default.

Laura Millhouse / Jessica Blanchette (Coupeville No. 2) def. Hannah Snow / Jenny Dunn (Friday Harbor No. 1) 6-2, 6-2.

Championship

Hannah Merrell / Megan Monroe def. Laura Millhouse / Jessica Blanchette 7-6 (7-5), 6-2.

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