East Valley hands Othello tennis teams first losses of season in real slugfest
Rodney Harwood/Columbia Basin HeraldCollin Freeman vollies a shot at the net during the No. 1 doubles match against East Valley Tueaday at Lions Park.
Rodney Harwood/Columbia Basin Herald Othello’s Katie Walker hits a backhand return during the No. 1 doubles match against East Valley Tuesday at Lions Park. Walker and her partner Tanya Andersen remain undefeated this year with a 7-5. 6-4 victory.
OTHELLO — Husky seniors Tanaya Andersen and Katie Walker have been playing together long enough to know how to knuckle down when the match turns into a slugfest.
Othello’s No. 1 doubles team had blown through the non-league schedule with five straight wins. They made it six in a row Wednesday afternoon, but they had to knuckle down to get past East Valley’s Olivia Daughs and Bayleigh Hams, 7-5, 6-4.
“It’s always a highly mental game, but today really was because of the high level of competition,” Walker said. “On the big points, I try to focus on what we’ve been doing right and make sure we’re playing our game and not trying to do something we don’t normally do.”
This was the final non-league match of the season and the Red Devils handed Othello (5-1, 1-0) its first losses of the season. Both the Red Devil girls and boys teams won 3-2.
Girls
There was just a service break in each set, so the girls No. 1 doubles match was tennis at its best. This one didn’t count in the CWAC, but look for these two teams down the road. The Huskies tandem finally broke through with their most impressive win of the season in gusting wind conditions that made even the most normal of shots a challenge.
“Having played with each other for so long we know each other’s strengths and weaknesses, which definitely helps in a match like this one,” said Andersen. “This was the first time we were really pressed. I like the challenge. We just had to stay focused.”
State participant Zoee Roylance, Othello, came back to beat Allison Manion in three sets 7-6 (5-7), 6-4, 7-5.
Boys
The Husky boys No. 1 doubles team Collin Freeman and Kyler Villarreal suffered their first loss of the early season, falling 6-2, 6-4 to Jask Khinda and Aidan Fallstrom, East Valley, in a rematch of last year’s district championship. This time it was Khinda and Fallstrom staying the course with a consistent return game.
“We’re better at the net for sure, so we tried to come to the net as much as we could,” said Freeman, who was a 2A state participant with Villarreal last year. “We just made too many unforced errors. We needed to play more consistent today.”
Othello No. 2 doubles Josh Valdez and Miguel Lopez beat Matt Gifford and Jimmy Scherschligt 7-5, 6-3. Huskies No. 3 doubles Sterling Roylance and Palani Barragan went three with Hunter Leslie and Alex Nagle, winning 4-6, 6-2, 6-4.
Girls
East Valley 3, Othello 2
No. 1 singles: Zoee Roylance, Othello, def. Allison Manion 7-6 (5-7), 6-4, 7-5. No. 2 singles: Katie Willet, EV, def. Macy Hampton, 6-3, 6-1. No. 1 doubles: Tanaya Andersen-Katie Walker, Othello, def. Olivia Daughs-Bayleigh Hams, 7-5, 6-4. No. 2 doubles: Molly Wellner-Rebecca Faulker, EV, Daishawn Roylance-Janae Freeman, 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (8-6). No. 3 doubles: Crystal Torres-Jenny Walker, Othello, def. Kaitlyn Obara-Hailee Huffet, 6-4 5-7 (8-10)
Boys
East Valley 3, Othello 2 No. 1 singles: Michael Manion, EV, def. Levi Garza 6-0, 6-0. No. 2 singles: No. 2 singles: Ryan Borello, EV, def. Asai Villarreal, 2-6, 2-6, 7-5. No. 1 doubles: Jask Khinda-Aidan Fallstrom, EV, def. Collin Villarreal-Kyler Villarreal 6-2, 6-4. No. 2 doubles: Josh Valdez-Miguel Lopez, Othello, Matt Gifford-Jimmy Scherschligt, 7-5 6-3. No. 3 doubles: Sterling Roylance-Palani Barragan, Othello, def. Hunter Leslie-Alex Nagle, 4-6 6-2 6-4.