SHORELINE — At this time last year, Shorewood was perched atop the Wesco 4A South Division girls tennis standings with a glistening 9-0 record.
To be fair, that mark was a bit deceptive.
The Thunderbirds squeaked out five hard-fought victories by narrow 4-3 margins to keep their unbeaten streak intact.
“We were 9-0, but it was tough to get there,” Shorewood coach Arnie Moreno said. “This year we’ve gone the other way. We’ve lost the close ones.”
As a result, rather than leading the pack the T-birds (6-4) are engaged in a four-team tussle for third place behind league-leading Jackson and Edmonds-Woodway.
All four of Shorewood’s losses have been by 4-3 scores. On two occasions, the T-birds owned a 3-2 match lead but weren’t able to close out the victory.
“We’re going to come around,” Moreno said. “The girls are still thinking they’re going to be in the top three and they’re working hard at it. They haven’t lost confidence in themselves. They know they’ve had some tough matches.
“We’ll come back. The girls are disappointed, but they’re not giving up by any means.”
Junior Kali Chamberlin and senior Erin Link have come on as one of the league’s standout doubles teams. The duo took first at the Stanwood Jamboree to open the season and has yet to drop a match.
Chamberlin and Link recently challenged for and won the top spot on Shorewood’s doubles ladder after compiling an 8-0 record at No. 2.
“They complement each other’s play. They’re good friends and they talk real well,” Moreno said. “They’re both good, steady players and they’re smart about how they play. They aren’t overpowering everybody, they’re outplaying them.”
Sophomore Samantha Lim has won all but two of her matches at No. 1 singles. In just her second year of competitive tennis, junior Anastasia Shatilo has moved up to No. 2.
“She’s really improved from last year. She’s just gone up another level,” Moreno said. “We have a really good singles lineup. If we can stay healthy, we match up with anybody.”
Moreno also noted the consistent play of sophomore Jordan Reni, who has occupied the second and third singles slots for the T-birds.
“She’s a fun player to watch because she’s totally different from a typical baseline girls player,” Moreno said. “She goes to the net all the time. She loves to volley.”
Lim and Reni both pulled out crucial three-set victories to help Shorewood clinch a 4-3 win over crosstown Shorecrest (5-4) last week.
It was the fourth loss in a row for the Scots, who bounced back to defeat Lynnwood 4-3 on Tuesday.
“We have good depth,” Scots coach Barry Majorowicz said. “There isn’t anybody that really stands out. Our (No.) 1, 2 and 3 are all close. When we challenge, it stays the same, but it’s real close.”
Juniors Ashley Opdyke and Gina Auriemma have each won roughly half of their matches at No. 1 and No. 2 singles. While Opdyke played singles all of last season, it’s new territory for Auriemma.
“She was playing third doubles last year, so she’s really moved up,” Majorowicz said. “I think the second singles may be the toughest spot on a team because you’re playing somebody who maybe doesn’t hit the ball hard, but they’re definitely consistent.”
In doubles, sophomore Roxanne Sharkey and junior Laurel Foster survived the first half of the season undefeated at No. 3. Majorowicz expects the duo will take over the second spot by season’s end.
“We had one challenge match that they lost, but it was real close,” he said. “They’re both aggressive and they’re both positive. They don’t get on each other’s case and they don’t get down.”
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