Tennis: Newcombs place first in 2A doubles meet

Continued from B1 e Newcomb sisters played next against Anacortes' rst doubles team. e Lions broke serve a few times and did well to outlast some long rallies. However, the Newcomb sisters lost the rst set, 4-6. e Newcomb sisters came back in the second set, throttling the Seahawks and winning 6-1 to force a third-set, 10-point tiebreak. e Newcomb sisters were dialed in, handily completing the tiebreak 10-4, with Adia scoring the winning point at the net.

Later in the evening, Rice and VanderYacht played Burlington-Edison High School's rst doubles team. Unlike the rst match, this one didn't go as planned, resulting in a solid win for the Tigers but a heavy 3-6, 1-6 loss for the Lions.

Day 2: April 22 ough this tournament doesn't count for standings, it does have merit and possible bragging rights, with the district tournament a few weeks away. e rst set for the Newcomb sisters was a breeze as they won 6-1. e Bayhawks didn't go down easily in the second set, staying within one to two games of the Lions. After some hardfought rallies, occasional scrambles, solid teamwork and communication, which is nothing unusual for the Newcomb sisters, they captured the second set 6-4, claiming rst place.

On Saturday, Rice and VanderYacht needed to win to stay alive in the tournament since they were in the consolation bracket. eir rst opponent was Sehome High School's rst doubles team. e Lions started strong, winning the rst two games. e Mariners eventually tied the set at 3-3, but Rice and VanderYacht pushed through to win the next three games. ey dominated the second set, concluding the match with an overall 6-3, 6-2 victory. is put Rice and VanderYacht to play for fourth and fth place.

After a forfeit by Anacortes' rst doubles team due to illness, Lynden won via walkover, capturing the fourth-place spot. On the other side of the bracket, the Newcomb sisters competed in the seminals, where they battled Sehome's second doubles team. Again, from winners down the line by Adia and Kalanie, they went on to win 6-3, 6-3, placing them in the championship match against Bellingham High School's rst doubles team. is situation was unique since Bellingham High School was and still would be the current leaders of the conference with an undefeated 6-0 league and 8-0 overall record.

Looking ahead

Recapping the event, Rice said tournaments like this are good for evaluating other players because it helps to prepare for what's to come in the district tournament.

VanderYacht explained that she and her teammate are focused on learning different types of shots so they will know how to respond when it is hit at them in a match.

Because they have not had many long rallies this season, the Newcomb sisters said having patience and wearing down opponents was essential during the tournament. Continuing to improve at practices and drills while also getting experience playing with different teammates at singles and doubles contributes to their success.

"It was great to get some experience playing more than one match in a day like we do with districts on district courts," assistant coach Tim Newcomb said. "It was nice for Adia and Kalanie to stay undefeated. … [And, the invite was bene cial] for Grace and Mya to prove

Lynden junior Kalanie Newcomb hits the ball during her doubles match. (Taras McCurdie for the Tribune) they belong in that upper group. e doubles invite is fun, but none of it really matters until you get to the district tournament. And that's what all the schools are preparing for." e Lions travel to Anacortes on ursday, April. 27 for their next tennis match. e last regular-season match is on Monday, May 8, against Sedro-Woolley.