Dow earns state tennis berth
Published 9:13 pm Tuesday, May 25, 2010
EDMONDS — Josie Dow had one goal in mind from the start of the 3A District 1 girls tennis tournament.
After being an alternate to state last year, Dow wanted to earn a spot on the courts this time around.
Dow came up short in her first attempt in the district finals but then rebounded with the biggest win of her high school tennis career.
The Meadowdale junior defeated Shorecrest freshman Meera Limaye 6-4, 6-3 in a winner-to-state match May 20 at the Harbor Square Tennis Club.
“I was just thinking about it all day,” said Dow, who beat Limaye in the Western Conference 3A South Division title match a week earlier. “It was like consuming my whole day. State has been my dream all year.”
The key in Thursday’s district finals was Dow’s strong start in the first set.
“I knew that clinching the first set was going to be the most crucial thing,” said Dow, who noted that Limaye defaulted in the third set at the league tournament. “She’s a fighter. … When I went up I knew that I could hold on.”
Meadowdale coach Mark Schneider was glad to see Dow was dialed in from the start of the match.
“She came out strong and the second set, Meera came out even stronger and Josie just had to step up her game,” he said.
No one could question Limaye’s tenacity, especially when she fought off six match points in the second set.
“It’s sometimes hard for the person that’s up to finish it off,” Dow said. “So she just kept fighting. She was just waiting for me to make mistakes and I was. I kind of needed that game to be over.”
Once it was over, Dow closed out the match and earned her first berth to state.
“I had confidence,” she said. “Harbor Square is where I play. It’s kind of my home. I had some great fans out here.”
Dow improved to 21-4 for the season and is scheduled to face Capital’s Lauren McCann in a first-round match on May 28 at the Vancouver Tennis Center. Dow got a feel for what the state tournament is like last season as an alternate.
“It’s mostly just excitement,” Dow said of her feelings heading into state. “I’m not putting much pressure on myself. But I know if I go out there and play my best I can make a showing at state. … I watched a lot of the girls’ matches (last year) and just know that consistency is key. So definitely I’ll be working on that.”
She’ll also wants to play her game regardless of the opponent. That didn’t necessarily happen in the district finals, where Dow lost 7-5, 6-2 to Sedro-Woolley’s Kilee Beuse.
“From that match, I got really frustrated,” Dow said. “This one (against Limaye) I knew was just about keeping calm. I knew how much I wanted it. I was going to fight to the end.”
DISTRICT RESULTS: Meadowdale’s Josie Dow defeated teammate Olivia Bates 6-1, 6-3 in a first-round match and then downed Everett’s Katie Stewart 6-2, 6-2 in the semifinals. Bates knocked off Ferndale’s Mattie Carlson 6-2, 6-2 in consolation action but then lost 6-2, 6-3 to Limaye in a loser-out match. Meadowdale’s Vanessa Woo and Natalie Buslach won their first round match before dropping their next two in the doubles tournament.
