Jackson, Glacier Peak and Mariner girls tennis secure state spots

MILL CREEK — In a sport often built around resources and a lifetime devotion to the craft, Wednesday’s District 1 4A girls tennis championships saw athletes from varying backgrounds and experience levels secure state spots. Some had played for practically their entire lives, while others started playing well after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Although the competitors in each district title game had clinched state by winning their semifinals, there was a highly competitive atmosphere between teammates and league rivals alike.

In the singles championship match, Jackson senior and tournament No. 1 seed Jasmine Wijaya defeated former doubles partner and No. 2-seeded junior Gracie Schouten in a thriller that lasted well over two hours.

Schouten took the first set 6-3, and a frustrated Wijaya went to the drawing board during the set break. Wijaya came out hitting high-arcing, slow balls to break up Schouten’s rhythm. The adjustment paid dividends, as Wijaya won the second set 6-0.

“COME ON!” Wijaya would roar after tough points, hyping herself up to face another grueling round with an extremely familiar opponent. After some amazing recoveries on well-hit balls from Schouten, Wijaya won the final set 6-2 to claim the district singles title.

In a match with such closely skilled opponents, preparation and adjustments can be the difference.

“Tennis is such a mental game, so it definitely comes down to that. We know how each other plays, so it’s just focusing and playing our own games instead of what the other person wants,” Schouten said.

As a duo, Wijaya and Schouten placed seventh at state last season. With Wijaya entering her senior season, she wanted to give a singles run a chance. The decision to split is certainly working for out for both at the moment.

“I’ve been working a lot off-season … I just wanted to try (singles),” Wijaya said. “Not necessarily go into it and try to place, but just to have the experience.”

Either way, you won’t find Wijaya or Schouten complaining about the nine-day break between districts and state.

“I’m not sore at all, but I know I’m mentally sore,” Wijaya said. “It’s hard playing three sets.”

In the doubles title game, No. 2-seeded Glacier Peak freshman twins Alyssa and Sarah Box defeated Mariner No. 1 seed Aarti Saran and Francys Montilla by set scores of 6-1 and 6-1.

Alyssa and Sarah have been playing tennis together since they were three years old, by their own account, perfecting their communication for years. Meanwhile, Saran, a senior, picked up a racket in her sophomore year while Montilla, a freshman, started playing the game just under two years ago. They started playing together just before this season.

Saran and Montilla had seen the Box twins in league play already this season, handing the duo their only loss in doubles play this year. This time, the Glacier Peak duo leveraged their volleyball background to overwhelm the tournament’s top seed in a convincing win. Both Alyssa and Sarah took turns “spiking” returns back at Saran and Montilla, with one spike bouncing so hard it cleared their opponents completely for a point.

“(Tennis and volleyball) are pretty similar, honestly, just getting up there and just going for the ball adds a lot to the game,” Sarah said.

The aggressive style of play caught Saran and Montilla off guard.

“The first time we played against them, they were hitting soft balls, and they were not aggressive,” Montilla said.

“They know our play style, and we were aware of their play style too. But yeah, they were definitely well prepared in facing us the second time,” Saran added.

Making state in their first high school season was a surprise to the Box twins, as they didn’t have firm expectations set before the campaign. They went through Kamiak’s Anna Kim and Julia Amarsaihan and Cascade’s Sophia Manabat and Yasmina Drissy to clinch the state berth.

“Honestly, it’s an honor to even make it into districts, and being able to play here against such good competition, it’s definitely a step up from what we played before,” Alyssa said. “We told each other we had nothing to lose for this match.”

In winning their first two games of the tournament against Kamiak’s Suah Park and Annemarie Madson and Glacier Peak’s Sofia Carmona and Kumi Jayasinghe, Saran and Montilla secured the first bid to state in Mariner girls tennis history.

The weight of what they had accomplished was clear on an emotional Saran, who wiped away tears when asked about the achievement.

“After COVID, we obviously lost a lot of players and we’ve been building back up … I definitely wanted to instill some encouragement and say, ‘hey, we got this,’” Saran said. “For Mariner to get to state, I think it says a lot for the team as a whole and just going forward for what’s expected.”

Each single and double will get a chance to further their strong campaigns when they head to Kennewick for state competition on May 23 and 24.