POULSBO — Bremerton’s Courtney Wasserburger and Breanna Casias are headed to districts as the Olympic League doubles champions.
The duo swept four matches in four tries at the league tournament May 8 and 9 at North Kitsap High School to secure a berth to the Class 3A West Central District III/Southwest District girls tennis tournament, which begins Tuesday at Sprinker Recreation Center in Tacoma.
Casias and Wasserburger played No. 1 and No. 2 singles, respectively, during the regular season, but coach Casey Lindberg swapped them to doubles for the postseason after deciding that would give them a better chance to make a deep playoff run.
“They play doubles well together after being singles players all season,” Lindberg said. “They are a good combination because (Breanna) is left-handed and Courtney is tall at the net.”
After cruising to a 6-0, 6-0 victory over Olympic’s Hannah Mires and Tanzy Caulkins, Casias and Wasserburger edged the Port Angles team of Megan Hixson and Danika Goodwin 6-2, 6-4 to advance to the semifinals, where they defeated No. 1 overall seed Darlene Dang and Krista Vestman of North Kitsap 6-4, 6-4.
In the finals Saturday, they beat Cassidy Fairchild and Sam Manwell (Port Angeles) 6-1, 6-4 to secure the championship.
“They are both solid tennis players, meaning they can hit groundstrokes and volleys,” Lindberg said. “They both serve well and they compete … Their games’ really complement each other well, they are a joy to coach and fun to watch.”
Draws for districts had yet to be released at press time, but Lindberg said via e-mail Tuesday he expects Wasserburger and Casias to tip off between 9 and 10 a.m. As the Olympic League No. 1 seed, they are set to face the Seamount League’s No. 4.
Wasserburger and Casias are the lone Lady Knights to advance to districts, but they weren’t the only ones competing for spots.
Seniors Sarah Streutker and Megan Arriola, the No. 2 overall doubles seed, were in the mix as well after advancing to the semifinals via a first-round bye and a 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 quarterfinals victory over North Kitsap’s Bryana Bohl and Meghan O’Hara. In the semis, however, they lost a close match against Fairchild and Manwell, 3-6, 7-5, 7-6(5).
BHS third doubles team — Celine Torella and Jasmine Battle — was eliminated in the quarterfinals after a first-round victory against Jessica McMullen and Kristine Garcia of Olympic, 6-3, 6-4.
Ahhria Fosdyck, who eliminated teammate Nikolina Vrklijan in the quarterfinals, defeated North Kitsap’s Sarah Farmer 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the singles consolation final to become a district alternate. The top two singles and doubles finishers received automatic berths to districts, while third-place finishers received an alternate spot.
The top seven finishers at the double-elimination style district tournament advance to state, which is May 29 and May 30 at the Vancouver Tennis & Racquetball Center in Vancouver.
Class 3A Olympic League Tournament
At North Kitsap
Singles
First round—Sarah Farmer (NK) def. Callie Wilson (Brem) 6-4, 6-3; Ahhria Fosdyck (Brem) def. Chantel La (PA) 6-0, 6-0; Nicole Tibi (Oly) def. Mallory Hoch (PA) 6-0, 6-2.
Quarterfinals—Riza Suriben (Oly) def. Laura Gentile (Oly) 6-0, 6-0; Farmer (NK) def. Taylor Skansi (NK) 6-1, 1-6, 7-5; Fosdyck (Brem) def. Nikolina Vrklijan (Brem) 1-6, 6-4, 6-3; Tibi (Oly) def. Frieda Sachenheimer (PA) 6-1, 3-6, 6-1.
Semifinals—Suriben (Oly) def. Farmer (NK) 6-0, 6-0; Tibi (Oly) def. Fosdyck (Brem) 6-2, 4-6, 6-3.
Finals—Suriben (Oly) def. Tibi (Oly) 6-0, 6-3.
Consolation (winner alternate to districts)—Fosdyck (Brem) def. Farmer (NK) 2-6, 6-4, 6-4.
Doubles
First Round—Kerri McGinty/Megan Stickney (NK) def. Kaitlyn Bosshardt/Kaili Flores (Oly) 6-0, 6-1; Breanna Casias/Courtney Wasserburger (Brem) def. Hannah Mires/Tanzy Caulkins (Oly) 6-0, 6-0; Celine Torella/Jasmine Battle (Brem) def. Jessica McMullen/Kristine Garcia (Oly) 6-3, 6-4; Bryana Bohl/Meghan O’Hara (NK) def. Coco Piper/G. Van Rossen (PA) 6-2, 6-4.
Quarterfinals—Krista Vestman/Darlene Dang (NK) def. McGinty/Stickney (NK) 6-0, 6-1; Casias/Wasserburger (Brem) def. Megan Hixson/Danika Goodwin (PA) 6-2, 6-4; Cassidy Fairchild/Sam Manwell (PA) def. Torella/Battle (Brem) 6-1, 6-4; Sarah Streutker/Megan Arriola (Brem) def. Bohl/O’Hara (NK) 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.
Semifinals—Casias/Wasserburger (Brem) def. Dang/Vestman (NK) 6-4, 6-4; Fairchild/Manwell (PA) def. Streutker/Arriola (Brem) 3-6, 7-5, 7-6(5).
Finals—Casias/Wasserburger (Brem) def. Fairchild/Manwell (PA) 6-1, 6-4.
Consolation—Vestman/Dang (NK) def. Streutker/Arriola (Brem) 6-4, 6-1.