Vashon High School’s (VHS) boys’ tennis team now stands at three wins and zero losses after its first three meets of the year.
VHS at Eatonville (5-0 VHS) Win
The season started with the team’s first match at Eatonville High Schoo, which took place after a long but beautiful drive under the gaze of Mt. Rainier. The weather was perfect and the team was anxious.
The number one singles match was contested between Moses Trundle-Strachan (VHS )and Justin Hietpas (EHS) with Trundle-Strachan delivering consistency and deep balls to gain the 6-1, 6-3 win.
The number two singles player for VHS was Finn Hawkins, who secured a win via default. He did get to play for a few games due to the graciousness of the Eatonville coach, Maryanne Baker.
The longstanding and number one VHS doubles team of Hatcher Freda and Danny Baldinger got off to a rocky start due to serving woes, which were corrected in the mid-first set. They went on to a straight sets victory of 6-3, 6-2.
Number two doubles was comprised of Jonas Wahanik and Jack Harvey. This was one of the longer matches, though the final outcome of 6-1, 6-4 wouldn’t suggest that.
Number three doubles was won easily, 6-3, 6-0 by two freshmen, Quill Tegenfeldt-Pfohman and Colt Holloway, who are not yet tall in stature, but are mighty in deed.
VHS vs. Annie Wright (3-2 VHS) Home Win
Trundle-Strachan again played #1 singles, but lost 1-6, 0-6 against the best player in the league, Jacob Oie — Singles District Champion 2022. Thanks, Moses, for taking one for the team.
In number two singles, Hawkins played a strong opponent in Jerry Shang, but out-steadied him for a 6-1, 6-3 win.
In number doubles, Freda and Baldinger also got through in straight sets but had to navigate the booming serve of Jack Bryant and the journeyman play of Wilson Dicks to get to their 6-2, 6-3 win.
The number three doubles contest was between VHS players Jonas Wahanik and Lennon Heinz, and Annie Wright players Jackson Kim and Rowan McEvily. Well-played, but Wahanik and Heinz eventually succumbed to a 3-6, 4-6 loss.
The number two doubles match was very exciting, as the meet was tied at two matches.
All the other matches had concluded by this time, so the fences were lined with players and spectators who were all very vocal in their support. VHS players Nick Zuckerman and Jack Harvey lost the first set 3-6 and then fell behind in the second set 0-2. At this point, the duo rallied and secured the second set 6-3.
A 10-point tiebreaker seesawed in the early points with VHS eventually going up 9-3. Then the Annie Wright team surged with three unanswered points — but then came one well-angled volley from Harvey to seal the match win, 10-6, and take the meet victory.
VHS vs Charles Wright Academy (4-1) Home Win
Nick Zuckerman (VHS) took on the task of playing the league’s #2 singles player from 2022, Parth Jain. After a masterful first set dominated by Parth (0-6), Zuckerman employed a different set of tactics and managed three games before falling in a 0-6, 3-6 loss.
In number two singles, Hawkins performed at a workmanlike pace to out-steady his opponent Matthew Groschel for a 6-4, 6-2 win.
The number one doubles team of Freda and Baldinger were at times dazzling in their match against Sam Brink and Conner Iverson, taking 6-2, 6-4 in the match.
But the number two doubles team of Trundle-Strachan and Wahanik were in for a dogfight against Charles Wright Academy (CWA) players James Zhang and Justin Dunk.
The first set went quickly to CWA as well as most of the second. However, this is when the VHS team fired up and pushed to a set tiebreaker to stay in the match, eventually taking it. The third set, a 10-point tiebreaker, was a nail-biter but Trundle-Strachan placed an “ace up the T” and it ended at 2-6, 7-6, 10-7.
The number three doubles team of Colt and Quill (VHS) dominated in their 6-1, 6-1 contest.
In my five seasons of coaching at VHS, I can’t remember ever beating Charles Wright Academy.
Rick Doussett is the head coach of VHS boys’ tennis. Todd Zimberg is the assistant coach.
