When a team is as close as the Columbia River girls tennis players are, of course looking forward to the actual trip to state would be a highlight.
That’s what River freshman Jenny Serebriakova said she is looking forward to — the whole team in one vehicle heading north to Seattle next weekend.
“I’m excited for that,” she said. “It will be fun.”
Serebriakova will be joined at state by juniors Emma Lungwitz and Sydney Dreves, sophomore Annie Morgan, and seniors Shaylin Murphy and Annabella Madrigal as they all were top-four placers at the 2A bi-district tournament on Thursday at Vancouver Tennis Center.
In fact, they all played each other in the singles and doubles finals.
Serebriakova beat Lungwitz 7-6 (4), 6-3 in a two-hour singles final, and the doubles team of Dreves and Morgan beat Murphy and Madrigal for the title, 6-1, 6-0.
“Breathe in and breathe out and set up for a long game,” Serebriakova said is what got her through.
Serebriakova and Lungwitz played many long rallies, and lobbed a lot of tennis balls as the match wore on. However, playing indoors changed the game some.
“The ceiling sucked!” Lungwitz said, who had more than few lobs hit the vaulted ceiling for a lost point.
Last week at the 2A Greater St. Helens League tournament, Lungwitz beat Serebriakova 6-2, 6-3 on outdoor courts at Ridgefield High School.
“She just outlasted me,” Lungwitz said of Thursday’s match. “It was a fairly even match. I can’t even remember the last time I won a tiebreaker.”
This will be the third trip to state for Lungwitz, who placed fourth in 2023 and sixth in 2022.
“I’d like to place fourth or better,” she said. “Just want to do well.”
For Dreves, this will be a chance to defend a 2A state doubles title she won last year playing with her sister Lauren, who was back from Auburn University to watch the district finals.
That experience will benefit Morgan, making her first state appearance.
“I know the path so I can help her,” Dreves said.
With River’s six players advancing, a team title wouldn’t be out of the conversation. Afterall, River finished second last year.
“You prepare for these moments, and we’ve shown it at these tournaments,” Dreves said. “You always want to make it to state.”
And maybe beating your teammates to do it.
“Of course, that’s always the end goal,” Dreves said.
Also qualifying for 2A state by placing third were Ridgefield’s doubles team of juniors Ella Norman and Abigail Vance and Mark Morris senior Madelyn Hetland, who placed third in singles.
4A bi-district
Two-time defending 4A state singles champion Hailey Kerker of Camas won the bi-district title at Kent on Thursday, and teammate Yvonne Yin placed fourth.
Defending state doubles champs Taryn Kerker and Fiona Zou of Camas placed third. Union’s team of Lana and Kayla Saopraseuth also qualified for 4A state as the top seven advanced.
