Prep tennis: Gogalija comes back to win 4A district title

The first set didn’t go well for Mountain View senior Amila Gogalija.

It went really well for Camas junior Hannah Gianan.

Then it dramatically turned around for Gogalija as she won her first 4A district singles title 0-6, 6-3, 6-3 on Friday at Club Green Meadows.

“I gave up on that first set,” Gogalija said. “Then my coach talked with me and I saw things clearer. I started moving my feet and thinking about my shots.”

Both players entered the final having won three matches 6-0, 6-0 and it looked like another one was on tap. Then Gogalija held serve to open the second set, broke serve for a 3-1 lead and held serve to the end for a 6-3 win and the match had turned into the battle everyone expected between the two No. 1s.

Gogalija said during that second set she began to feel she could win.

It was a match that featured great shots, long rallies and many deuce service games.

Gogalija got the service break she needed to go up 4-3 in the third set and went on to win.

The doubles final wasn’t as close as Union senior Sydney Wallace and sophomore Mckenzie Schreiner posted a 6-1, 6-1 win over Skyview’s Vanessa Vincent and Sarah Morgan.

“When you get fired up, it’s hard to stop the momentum,” Wallace said of rolling through the district tournament, dropping just three games. “Communication is the key.”

Wallace and Schreiner, state 4A doubles runner-up last year, played singles all season, but they said it was the off court hours that kept their doubles game strong.

“We put in lots of hours away from high school,” Schreiner said.

The top two placers from the district tournament have one more match before state as they play a bi-district match at noon Saturday at Club Green Meadows. Win that match and go to state. Simple as that.

Gogalija placed third at state last year, and Gianan was half of the state doubles champs that beat Wallace and Schreiner in the state final. All that experience helps going into bi-district.

“It helps with the pressure and expectations,” Schreiner said.

“We just have to keep it up,” Wallace said.

3A bi-district

Columbia River freshman Faith Grisham clinched a berth to state by reaching the semifinals at Tacoma.

Grisham posted wins over Leanne Harris of Auburn Mountainview (6-1, 6-1) and Tayva Jacobsen of Sumner (6-1, 6-4). She faces Allie Barry of Peninsula, a three-time 3A state qualifier, in the semifinal.

Columbia River’s Lauren Skelly went 2-1 in singles, as did the River doubles team of Melinda Staub and Addison Dillon. Both need one win Saturday to earn a place at state.

Skelly, a junior, will be playing for her third trip to state.

Staub and Dillon eliminated Kelso’s Claire Cowan and Kali Rae Prescott in three sets. It was the River team’s first win over the Kelso team in five tries this season.

1A district

Jasmine Nesbitt of King’s Way Christian won the district title without dropping a set and earned a return trip to state at Yakima.

Nesbitt defeated Haley Keeling of Castle Rock in the final 6-0, 6-4.

4A DISTRICT TOURNAMENT

At Club Green Meadows

Singles

Championship — Amila Gogalija (Mountain View) def. Hannah Gianan (Camas) 0-6, 6-3, 6-3.

Consolation — Juwoon Kim (Mountain View) def. Jasmine Lockey (Skyview) 7-5, 6-1; Jamie Ding (Union) def. Amy Schneider (Skyview) 6-2, 6-2; Patrice Huang (MV) def. Kim (MV) 6-1, 6-0; Andrea Besara (Battle Ground) def. Ding (Union) 7-5, 6-3.

Second place — Gianan (Camas) def. Besara (BG) 6-0, 6-0.

Doubles

Championship — Sydney Wallace/Mckenzie Schreiner (Union) def. Vanessa Vincent/Sarah Morgan (Skyview) 6-1, 6-1.

Consolation — Sam Merrill/Lucinda Zhang (Camas) def. Dayna Vitek/Eva Winsheimer (MV) 6-2, 4-6, 6-3; Anna Lu/Sabrina Wang (MV) def. Teresa Gahan/Emily Gonzales (BG) 6-3, 6-2; Merrill/Zhang (C) def. Karly Metz/Julianne Hutley (Skyview) 6-3, 6-2; Lu/Wang (MV) def. Merrill/Zhang (Camas) 6-3, 7-6 (4).

Second place — Vanessa Vincent/Sarah Morgan (Skyview) vs. Anna Lu/Sabrina Wang (MV), 8 a.m. Saturday.

3A BI-DISTRICT TOURNAMENT

At Sprinker Tennis Center, Tacoma

Singles (local results)

First round — Faith Grisham (Columbia River) def. Leanne Harris (Auburn Mountainview) 6-1, 6-1; Lauren Skelly (CR) def. Annika Thatch (Mt. Tahoma) 6-4, 6-0.

Quarterfinals — Grisham def. Tayva Jacobsen (Sumner) 6-1, 6-4; Jade Lancaster (Sumner) def. Skelly 6-1, 6-0.

Consolation — Skelly def. Maddie Lu (Kennedy Catholic) 6-1, 6-4.

Doubles (local results)

First round — Melinda Staub/Addison Dillon (CR) def. Lu/Jergens (Kennedy Catholic) 7-5, 2-6, 6-3.

Quarterfinals — Choy/Hung (Lincoln) def. Staub/Dillon 6-0, 6-4.

Consolation — Staub/Dillon def. Cowan/Prescott (Kelso) 6-4, 1-6, 6-3.