Grabbing three of the four slots available for tri-district, the Coupeville girls tennis team dominated sub-district play Saturday, May 8, on the Wolves’ courts.

Singles player Julia Sierra Castaño finished first at sub-district and the two Coupeville doubles teams of Jessica Riddle/Amanda d’Almeida and Jordan Akins/Jessica Blanchette finished 1-2 to earn tri-district berths.

The tri-district will take place at the Nordstrom Center at the University of Washington Friday, May 21. The top four of the eight participants in both singles and doubles will earn a trip to the state tournament.

The sub-district featured the district’s only two 1A girls tennis teams, Coupeville and Friday Harbor.

Singles

Castaño defeated the Wolverines’ Emma Ytander 6-2, 6-2 in the first round; Friday Harbor’s Rebecca Leff topped Lily Doyle 6-3, 6-1.

Castaño grabbed first by stopping Leff 6-4, 6-0. Ytander defeated Doyle 6-4, 6-3 in the consolation match.

In the championship match, Leff stayed close early before Castaño pulled away and topped the Wolverine for the fifth time this season and remained undefeated. With the score knotted 4-4 in the first set, Castaño won eight straight games to take control.

Coupeville coach Ken Stange said, “I was proud of the way Julia was able to maintain her focus during the tournament, as well as the entire season. Going unbeaten is fun and exciting, but a player can easily get overconfident or lose interest. Julia has not done that. She remains focused on the tough matches that lie ahead.”

Doubles

Freshman Riddle and d’Almeida started the season as Coupeville’s No. 3 doubles team and ended sub-district as the champions.

The pair stated sub-district by dispatching Friday Harbor’s top duo 6-4, 6-3. Then they defeated teammates and Coupeville’s No. 1 doubles team Akins and Blanchette 6-7(3-7), 6-3, 6-4 for the title.

The freshmen played so well in the first-round win, Stange said the Friday Harbor coach predicted they would win the finals as well.

Akins and Blanchette reached the finals by winning their first-round match 6-2, 7-6(8-6).

After losing in the finals, Akins and Blanchette had to defeat Friday Harbor’s Fabi Bell and Sierra Dawson, who came through the consolation bracket, to earn the second berth in tri-district. They won 6-3, 1-6, 6-4.

Stange said, “What a day! Two singles spots and two doubles spots were up for grabs, and we came away with three of the four spots at tri-districts.

“I was pleased with the all-around efforts of my players. Julia did what she was supposed to do. Amanda and Jessica had a coming out party of sorts. Jordan and Jessica, although not happy about losing the finals, came out with a vengeance to snag the final spot in doubles.”