Falcon doubles team dropped in district, Newman heads to state

Published 3:25 pm Friday, May 18, 2012

Then there was one. After the second and third days of the District 1 girls tennis tournament, South Whidbey had only one girl in the running for a berth to the 2A state tournament.

Falcon junior Hayley Newman will again compete in the 2A girls singles tournament May 25-26. Newman had to win both matches Thursday to qualify, and she swept her Northwest Conference opponents to claim the third and final spot.

Against two baseline players, Newman challenged them to move sideline to sideline, up to the net and back, said her coach Karyle Kramer. In the fifth round match, Newman beat Bellingham’s Kira Vazorka 6-1, 6-0. Newman followed that with a 6-1, 6-3 victory over Sehome’s Kristen Chalmers to secure a place at state.

“She upped her game today, played much more aggressively, came to the net nearly every point,” Kramer said. “Both opponents played backboard tennis and Hayley finished them efficiently.”

South Whidbey’s top doubles team lost both matches Tuesday in Bellingham. Senior Kalie Stayskal and sophomore Amelia Weeks dropped each match in straight sets. In the third round match, Sehome’s Morgan Clarke and Andrew Clawson won 6-2, 6-2. Kramer said Stayskal and Weeks played under their potential and struggled with nervousness.

“It was not their best tennis, and I know they were frustrated,” Kramer said. “It was hard to watch them make so many errors — they are both solid players and had been playing well together.”

The Falcon duo faced Burlington-Edison’s team of Anna Dotlich and Heaven Henry and lost 6-2, 7-5. The loss eliminated the Falcon doubles squad from contention for a spot in the state tennis tournament next week at the University of Washington Nordstrom Tennis Center.

“They were disappointed not to advance and earn a trip to the state tournament, but that’s how it goes sometimes,” Kramer said.

For Stayskal, the season ended short on one goal but high on accomplishment. She had an 11-5 record playing first and second doubles for South Whidbey. Weeks, only a sophomore, will become a prominent player next season after an 11-4 record this year also at first and second doubles.

During the third and fourth round matches Tuesday, Newman cruised against Sehome’s Kristen Chalmers, 6-1, 6-2, before falling to Anna Lefevbvre 7-6 (8-6 tiebreaker), 6-2. The loss was only the second of the season for Newman who swept her opposition most of the regular season and had a bye in the first round of the district tournament.

“The first set was very close, just a matter of points at the end,” Kramer said. “It was tight, within a game or two the entire set.”

Newman led 5-3 in the tiebreaker until Lefevbvre rallied for the lead. Kramer said losing the tiebreaker affected Newman in the second set, in which she settled on pusher tennis, defending the baseline rather than challenging the net.

“I think losing that tiebreaker rattled Hayley a lot,” Kramer said. “She was quickly down in the second set and that allowed Lefevbvre to relax and gain confidence as the match progressed.”

“I know she has aggressive tennis in her, because she’s demonstrated it much of the season. For some reason in postseason, she reverted back to her old style of play.”

Fortunately for Newman, the old habits died hard Thursday, and Newman will try to carry that momentum to the state tournament next week.