It was another near miss for Coupeville High School senior tennis players Joey Lippo and William Nelson.

The pair, for the second straight year, finished third in the district doubles tournament and missed qualifying for state by one spot.

The Wolves’ other entrants at district, which was Wednesday and Thursday, Oct. 25 and 26, at Tacoma’s Sprinker Center, did not place.

Lippo and Nelson opened the tournament with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Mason Rice and Hank Rogers of Vashon Island.

In a tightly contested battle, the Coupeville duo dropped its next match to another Vashon Island pair, What Kepler and JJ Bogaard, 6-4, 4-6, 7-5.

Lippo and Nelson rebounded to defeat Klahowya’s Morgan Seidel and William Stewart 7-5(8-6), 6-1.

That lifted them into the match for second and third place with Kepler and Bogaard. However, by tournament rules, if two opponents played earlier in the tournament, the winner of the original match is declared the winner in the rematch.

Lippo and Nelson will be alternates to the state tournament. Since some Washington high schools play boys tennis in the spring, the state tournament is held in May.

Other Coupeville results at district

Pedro Gamarra lost 6-3, 6-2; lost 6-1, 6-3.

Jakobi Baumann lost 6-0, 6-0; lost 3-6, 6-3, 6-3.

Nick Ethel/Mason Grove lost 6-2, 6-1; lost 7-6, 6-4.