One match to win for a state tennis berth and down 5-1 in the first set.
Not where 4A district champs Sydney Wallace and Mckenzie Schreiner of Union wanted to be.
What was going through their minds?
“Third set,” Schreiner said.
Added Wallace: “You starting thinking long term.”
Turns out they didn’t need a third set as the Union duo righted their ship for a 7-5, 6-1 win over Kendall Brown and Ali Brazier of Skyline on Saturday at Club Green Meadows to secure a second straight trip to 4A state as a doubles team, and a fourth trip for Wallace.
Also clinching state berths from the bi-district matches on Saturday were Mountain View senior Amila Gogalija and Camas junior Hannah Gianan. Both posted 6-1, 6-1 wins after battling each other for three sets on Friday in the 4A district final, won by Gogalija.
Saturday’s drama was on Court 3 as Wallace and Schreiner climbed back to within 5-4. Wallace was serving to stay in the match, fought off three set points at deuce before holding for 5-5.
“The first time in the match,” Wallace pointed out of holding her serve. “It was one ball at a time, just get the serve in.”
From there they broke serve and Schreiner held serve to take the first set.
They never let Brown and Brazier into the second set, winning the last four games.
For Gianan, Saturday was some redemption for coming up short in Friday’s 4A district final.
She said she didn’t do all she could have to be at her peak on Friday.
“I had to try to fix those things and be mentally prepared,” Gianan said of her Saturday match against Dora Varsa of Skyline.
It will be Gianan’s third trip to state, first in singles. She won doubles state titles in 2014 and 2015.
“This was a good setup for next week,” Gianan said. “I need to hydrate and eat right. Just have to take it step by step.”
Gogalija said she didn’t like how she played Saturday against Julia Lioubarski of Skyline, but she played well enough for a return trip to state. Gogalija placed third at state last year.
The Skyview doubles team of Vanessa Vincent and Sarah Morgan had to win the 4A district second-place match on Saturday morning before thinking about bi-district.
They beat Mountain View’s Anna Lu and Sabrina Wang 6-2, 6-0, but couldn’t get past Eastlake’s Nicole Yen and Kayla Lee in the bi-district match, falling 7-6 (5), 6-3.
The 4A state tournament begins Friday at Richland.
3A bi-district
Columbia River’s Faith Grisham placed third at the tournament in Tacoma, while teammate Lauren Skelly won her consolation match to earn a spot in the 3A state tournament.
Grisham, a freshman who had clinched a state berth on Friday, lost in the bi-district semifinal to Allie Barry of Peninsula 6-3, 6-2.
She then defeated Misa Takami in the third-place match 7-5, 6-4. Grisham trailed 5-2 in the first set before turning things around.
Skelly, a junior, won a consolation semifinal over Auburn Mountainview’s Leanna Harris 6-3, 6-4 for her third trip to state.
The 3A state tournament begins Friday at Kennewick.
4A DISTRICT TOURNAMENT
Saturday at Club Green Meadows
Doubles
Second place — Vanessa Vincent/Sarah Morgan (Skyview) def. Anna Lu/Sabrina Wang (Mountain View) 6-2, 6-0.
Final team scores
1, Mountain View 21; 2, Union 14,; 3, Skyview 11; 4, Camas 10; 5, Battle Ground 6; T6, Evergreen 0, Heritage 0.
4A BI-DISTRICT PLAYOFF
Saturday at Club Green Meadows
(Winners to state)
Singles — Amila Gogalija (Mountain View) def. Julia Lioubarski (Skyline) 6-1, 6-1; Hannah Gianan (Camas) def. Dora Varsa (Skyline) 6-1, 6-1.
Doubles — Sydney Wallace/Mckenzie Schreiner (Union) def. Kendall Brown/Ali Brazier (Skyline) 7-5, 6-1; Nicole Yen/Kayla Lee (Eastlake) def. Vanessa Vincent/Sarah Morgan (Skyview) 7-6 (5), 6-3.
3A BI-DISTRICT TOURNAMENT
Saturday at Sprinker Tennis Center, Tacoma
Singles (local results)
Semifinal: Allie Barry (Peninsula) def. Faith Grisham (Columbia River) 6-3, 6-2.
Third-place: Grisham def. Misa Takami (Hazen) 7-5, 6-4.
Consolation: Lauren Skelly (CR) def. Leanna Harris 6-3, 6-4.
Fifth place: Ainsley Winterrowd (North Thurston) def. Skelly 6-0, 6-0.
Doubles (local results)
Consolation: Gonzales/Doran (North Thurston) def. Melinda Staub/Allison Dillon (CR) 6-4, 6-2; Heilborn/Maracich (Auburn Riveside) def. Staub/Dillon 6-0, 6-1.
