News:
Let 'er rip...here we go!
Call me impetuous, but I've got a feeling the 2008 boys season will be MASSIVE! It all begins on Monday, August 25 at 4PM. If it's clear, we'll be on the courts. If it's wet, we'll be in the media center. Practice schedule is listed below:
9/25-9/29: All players practice from 4-6
10/1: Early practice: 2:30-4; Late practice: 4:30-6
10/2: Season and regular practices begin
A couple of important notes.
- You need to be cleared in the business office in order to practice. No clearance. No practice.
- If you have extenuating circumstances that will force you to miss practice, let Coach Ray know either on the first day or practice or before.
- There are only 10 practice days before our first match with Camas. Ten practices are required. Miss a practice and miss the first match.
- We will run two practices during the regular season. The early practice will run from 2:30-4. The second will run from 4:30-6. The later practice will be for varsity and JV players to be determined during the first week or practice. We are a no-cut team. Even if you don't make varsity or JV, you will be able to practice and play matches. Everyone plays!
News:
Banquet recognizes Skyview superstars
A record crowd of Skyview players, parents and friends brought the 2008 season to a close on Tuesday. In addition to individual player recognitions, the following players will be added to the Skyview Tennis Hall of Fame.
Team Captain: Abby Olbrich
Most Improved: Carly Wagner and Marley Hughes
Most Inspirational: Dayle Powell
Varsity Rookie of the Year: Brittany Ellingsen
JV Rookie of the Year: Anna Romanovsky
News:
Abby gets nod for TODAY co-Athlete of the Year
Senior Abby Olbrich was recognized Tuesday night as one of SW Washington's premier high school athletes. Along with Prairie's Ashley Corral, Abby was selected for the 'grand prize' by the TODAY Foundation among top athletes from all high school sports. Way to go Abby!
News:
Banquet/fiesta set for Tuesday, June 10
All Skyview girls tennis players are invited to our team banquet on Tuesday, June 10 at 6PM in the commons. We will sup on tex-mex tacos. Players should sign up with their respective coaches to bring sides, beverages or desserts. Bring friends and family to celebrate another great season for Skyview Tennis!
News:
Fall boys season taking shape
Coming off 2007's breakthrough season, the boys fall season is looking EXCITING! With Zach Lyons coming off a top 8 finish in singles at state, four returning varsity players and promising newcomers, Skyview looks to go from #3 to #1 in 2008. Our pre-season schedule is designed to match our super-strong squad against SW Washington's best: Camas, Prairie, Union and River. (They're all 3A.) Check back later this spring and summer for more updates. Our tentative scehdule is already posted here.
News:
Pickup workouts for tennis
If you are interested in summer tennis workouts, Coach Ray will be arranging weekly open-court sessions at the Skyview courts. This is open to any current or incoming Skyview players and both girls and boys are welcome. If interested, send Coach Ray an email with your name and cellphone number. He'll be in touch! mark.ray@vansd.org
News:
Lyons as darkhorse runs into the top 8
For a player that wasn't supposed to play in state, Zach Lyons did pretty dang well. How well? He is the highest-finishing boys singles player in Skyview's 4A history. He placed in the top 8 at state playing in a very difficult singles draw. While Skyview has had higher-placing doubles teams at state, Zach demonstrated his skills in the lonely and challenging world of state singles. He will return to lead the team in the fall as they attempt to continue to make history for the fast-growing boys squad.
Analysis:
Girls season sets new benchmarks
Despite a state tournament finish that might have been, the 2008 girls season was an unqualified success and will be hard to match in the coming years. Most importantly, it was a team effort that required all varsity players to play at or above their 'personal bests.' Skyview flooded the state girls draw with three entries and showed it could win matches among the best in Washington.
Abby Olbrich finished in the top 8 in state singles matching Kerstyn Dolack's feat in 2003. She proved she could contend in both singles and doubles at the state level and will take her considerable talents to Linfield next year as a freshman.
Brittany Ellingsen took a tough road to state and finished her post-season where it began--in a match vs. teammate Abby Olbrich. But next year, she will return as the prohibitive district singles favorite. Having won tough matches against both Mt. View singles players, stealing a berth from KingCo and playing great tennis in a difficult girls singles draw at state, she will have valuable experience as she leads the team in '09.
Marley Hughes and Carly Wagner both raised the bar in their post-season play. While both players got as high as 4th in past district tournaments, this season saw them earn a coveted district championship in doubles, not to mention a visit to state. Carly caps four years of great tennis for Skyview while Marley will return as a senior to join Brittany as leaders against our new rivals at Mt. View.
Michelle Cho and Dayle Powell were key to Skyview's success both in league and district. They amassed an impressive win/loss record during the season, notched a 2nd place finish at the Heritage Tourney and made a bold run at the district tournament.
Megan Lanigan and Erin Hillman saved the best for last with a great finish both in league and district play. Earning an important point for the team with their first round match at district, they joined the rest of the team with a first round sweep of matches.
Min Min Huang and Tori Patton provided great support in both varsity and JV positions. Both players notched important varsity wins and provided great strength to secure JV victories for the team.
News:
Lyons plays for state
Junior Zach Lyons will play in a District 2/4 playoff Thursday night at 4PM at Club Green Meadows. After coming in third in the fall boys season, Zach got a shot at state due to the withdrawal of the #1 Prairie seed earlier this month. Thanks to a lot of play in the off-season, Zach is looking My-T-Fine entering this loser-out match. If Zach wins, he will enter the main state draw as the GSHL #2 entry on Friday.
News:
Triple triple...with extra cheese
Skyview continues to make school history with its post season successes. Brittany Ellingsen's thrilling playoff victory made 'three' the number for 2008.
- Three straight league championships
- Three straight district championships
- Skyview captured three of the possible four GSHL postseason berths and will be taking three entries to state
Match:
Ellingsen falls in pit, discovers gold
You can't get much farther behind in a match than 1-5 in the second set after having lost the first. And facing a match point at 2-5 isn't much better. But Brittany Ellingsen battled back to win 11 of the next 12 games to beat her opponent from Garfield HS and advance to the state tournament.
Her 6-7, 7-5, 6-1 victory capped one of the toughest paths to state possible this season. To get to state, the freshman had to beat both of Mountain View's top players, survive a loss to teammate Abby Olbrich and travel to Olympia for a loser-out match. Thanks to the "B-Block" made up of fellow varsity teammates from both the boys and girls teams, Saturday was a grand day out for the Storm.
THREE-PEAT FOR LEAGUE AND DISTRICT
A lone league loss to Mt. View last week awakened a sleeping tiger in the Skyview Storm. It meant the Storm shared a league trophy with the Thunder, but that's all. The Storm dominated the 4A GSHL District Championships to run away with over 30 team points. In any matchup against Mt. View, the Storm prevailed, including two must-win semifinal singles matches.
All Skyview players and teams won first round matches, earning points for the team and advancing to the second day of competition. This is a Skyview first. In the decisive second day, the Storm filled three of four spots in the championship finals, another first.
Abby Olbrich won her fourth district championship and first as a singles player. In a Skyview-Skyview singles final, she overcame teammate Brittany Ellingsen. While Abby has advanced to post-season each of the last three years in doubles, Abby will be Skyview's first state singles player since 2003.
Brittany Ellingsen defeated Chaeran Kim in a pivotal semifinal to advance to the final against Abby. She will play on Monday for second place and a trip to Olympia where she could secure a second berth to the state tournament for Skyview.
Update: Brittany cruised to a second win of the season over Julie Christen to snag a trip to the bi-district playoff and collect Skyview's third girls post-season berth.
Marley Hughes and Carly Wagner won their first doubles championship and maintained Skyview's four-year hold on the doubles crown. Like Abby, Marley and Carly earn a automatic trip to state later this month.
Michelle Cho and Dayle Powell finished 5th in the tournament, despite illness and injury. This outstanding performance capped a Cinderella season for the duo.
Megan Lanigan and Erin Hillman had a tournament of their careers highlighted by a first round upset of Prairie's seeded and heavily favored 2nd doubles team. This match sent them to the second day of play where they finished 7th and earned an important point for Skyview's overall total.
News:
Skyview earns both #1 seeds for district tourney
For the first time in GSHL 4A history, both the singles and doubles draw will feature Skyview players. Abby Olbrich is seeded first in singles while Carly Wagner and Marley Hughes are seeded atop the doubles draw. Brittany Ellingsen earned the #3 singles seed while dark horse doubles phenoms Dayle Powell and Michelle Cho got a #6 seed. Megan Lanigan and Erin Hillman will represent Skyview as our #3 doubles team.
Play begins at 8AM on Friday at the Vancouver Tennis Center and will continue on Saturday. Skyview will be seeking to three-peat as GSHL 4A District Champions.
News:
Skyview notches third straight league title
Sure, we will have to share with Mt. View this time around, but nothing says dynasty like three consecutive league titles. Ten Skyview players celebrated in traditional fashion with a 'sparkling' splashfest at last night's match. Thanks to Abby Olbrich, Brittany Ellingsen, Marley Hughes, Carly Wagner, Dayle Powell, Michelle Cho, Megan Lanigan, Erin Hillman, Min Min Huang and Tori Patton for a stellar league season. All players finished with winning records and contributed to Skyview's 2008 success. You girls R-O-C-K!
Match:
Thunder flies into Skyview's ointment
Just like last year, the tenacious Thunder found a way to confound the Storm topping Skyview's girls 3-2 in the last match of the regular season. Winners were Carly Wagner and Marley Hughes at #1 doubles. They avenged an early season three-set loss to the same team with a clean straight-set victory. Michelle Cho and Dayle Powell put a cherry on top of an amazing season with a solid win against a team they struggled against during the first match v. Mt. View. JV winners were Min Min Huang, Tori Patton, and Krista Griffin. JV won 3-2.
Match:
Skyview earns first Heritage Invite trophy, meets Lance Armstrong
After getting rained out in their bid last season, the Storm returned and walked away with SW Washington's high school tennis tournament crown. With a finalist in each category, Skyview led in team points over Columbia River even before the finals began on Friday. With three wins and and runner-up, it wasn't even close.
Abby Olbrich led the team in her last appearance at The Heritage. In the final against Chaeran Kim of Mt. View, Abby found herself quickly behind as Kim sought to revenge her earlier loss in the season. Down a set and down 5-6 in the second, Abby drew the line and began mounting her counter-offensive. She evened the score to 6-6 and won in the tiebreaker. The third set wasn't even close as Abby used her tenacity as a weapon against her young opponent.
Marley Hughes was poised to take on Lauren Wetzel in the Singles "B" category, but won in a walkover due to illness. Nevertheless, Marley had cruised to the final with easy straight set matches along the way.
Dayle Powell and Michelle Cho met Columbia River's state qualifying team of Christine Wang and Maria Homnick in their finals. Despite powerful groundstrokes from Cho and quick net play from Powell, the experienced River team won. However, Powell and Cho placed second and left several #1 teams from around the area home on Friday.
Brittany Ellingsen dominated in her 3rd Place playoff against Heidi Mettler of Columbia River. After battling through a particularly rough path to the finals, Brittany cruised to a third place finish in a tough singles field.
News:
Pix are Thursday May 8, rain, sleet, or shine
All players should wear and bring uniforms on Thursday, May 8. We will meet on courts at 3PM sharp. If raining, we will meet in the upper gym. We hope to make this event into a BBQ or picnic for all players. More details to follow soon.
Match:
Storm blows through Battle Ground
With a clean varsity and JV sweep, the Storm battled both BG and a wild south wind to a solid 5-0 late season win. Singles winners were Abby Olbrich and Tori Patton. Doubles winners were Carly Wagner, Marley Hughes, Michelle Cho, Dayle Powell, Erin Hillman and Megan Lanigan. JV winners were Min Min Huang, Krista Griffin, Anna Romanovsky, Grace Provost, Kelly Hobson, Kiersten Harrison and Amy Click. C Squad winners are to be announced.
Match:
Storm rolls through first rounds of Heritage Tourney
Winning six of six first round matches, Skyview dominated play in the first rounds at the Heritage Tournament. Representing Skyview were Abby Olbrich, Brittany Ellingsen, Marley Hughes and Carly Wagner in singles. Doubles teams were Dayle Powell/Michelle Cho and Erin Hillman/Megan Lanigan. Carly, Erin, and Megan all enjoyed first round wins, but finished the tournament after second round losses.
Playing Friday at Prairie at 3:30:
Abby Olbrich made her way to this Friday's final against Chaeran Kim of MV. Olbrich cruised to this rematch thanks to textbook play, giving up a mere three games in three matches. Along the way, she blanked Mt. View's #2 singles star Julie Christen 6-0, 6-0.
Brittany Ellingsen battled to a playoff for 3rd place after navigating a juggernaut in the draw. After a confident win over Prairie's solid #1, she met a familiar nemesis in Mackenzie McWilliams. After losing the first set and getting behind in the second to the tune of a 2-5 deficit, Brit battled back and won in three hard-fought sets. Her prize? Playing Mt. View's #1 player, Chaeran Kim. In her third match of the day, Brittany gamely went after Kim, winning the first set. Unfortunately, the tank was empty and Kim came back to win in three. Brittany will play Heidi Mettler of River on Friday.
Marley Hughes shook off her three set loss v. Prairie to dance her way to the finals of the B Singles draw. She gave up a few games, but was never in danger of advancing to the finals. Strong groundstrokes and volleys made short work of her opponents. She will meet another River finalist, Lauren Wetzel.
Michelle Cho and Dayle Powell shocked the field by advancing to the doubles finals against last year's state team of Christina Wang and Maria Homnick from Columbia River. Along the way, Cho and Powell dispatched MV's #3 team, Prairie's #2, and Heritage's #1. Without dropping a set, they moved up the district seeding ladder and represent a potent new threat for the Storm at district. They will play River on Friday for 1st or 2nd place.
Match:
Storm repeats win vs. Prairie
Solid performances allowed the Storm to again dominate the Falcons. With Skyview's top four players swapping responsibilities, Carly Wagner notched a singles win while Abby Olbrich and Brittany Ellingsen got a doubles 'W.' The rest of Skyview's solid doubles contingent rolled to straight set wins: Dayle Powell and Michelle Cho at #2 and Megan Lanigan and Erin Hilllman at #3.
JV lost 2-3 but Min Min Huang, Anna Romanovsky and Sarah Betts got personal wins.
Match:
Storm improves against Heritage
Despite dropping one varsity match against Heritage, the Storm varsity and JV looked even more confident against the surprisingly strong Timberwolves squad. The 4-1 varsity win was keyed by Abby Olbrich and Brittany Ellingsen at singles. Doubles improved their match scores with solid victories for Marley Hughes, Carly Wagner, Michelle Cho and Dayle Powell. The JV revenged an early season loss with a 4-1 win. Winners were Megan Lanigan, Erin Hillman, Anna Romanovsky, Sarah Betts, Grace Provost and Kelly Hobson.
Match:
Storm dodges raindrops to finish Evergreen
Playing in some of the worst conditions in memory for a varsity match, the Storm played in a storm and beat Evergreen 4-0. Singles winners were Brittany Ellingsen and Michelle Cho. Doubles winners were Abby Olbrich, Dayle Powell, Erin Hillman and Megan Lanigan. Min Min Huang and Tori Patton led their opponents when the match was called.
News:
C squad matches in flux for end of season
With the weather and Coach Ray's attempts to get as many C Squad matches as possible, check back frequently for changes to the schedule. Here are the highlights:
Thursday: Heritage and Prairie. Late C will play Heritage away. Early C will play Prairie at Prairie.
Friday: We will split with Prairie with V/JV home annd Late C going to Prairie. Early C might also join Late C depending on numbers.
News:
Girls varsity takes top Skyview scholar-athlete honors
With a 3.730 average GPA, the Storm varsity team had the highest GPA of any team or activity this season. We narrowly edged out girls soccer and their 3.71 average. Kudos to Abby Olbrich, Brittany Ellingsen, Carly Wagner, Marley Hughes, Michelle Cho, Dayle Powell, Erin Hillman, Megan Lanigan, Min Min Huang and Tori Patton. This might put us in running for a state championship....we'll see!
Match:
Storm cruises through Battle Ground
Following its slugfest at MV, the Storm kept its unbeaten string alive with a confident 4-1 varsity win vs. Battle Ground. Thanks to strong singles performances, Abby Olbrich has yet to lose a set this season and Brittany Ellingsen keeps her record spotless. Doubles wins went to Carly Wagner, Marley Hughes, Dayle Powell and Michelle Cho.
JV swept and demonstrated the Storm's depth in the roster. Erin Hillman, Tori Patton, Krista Griffin won in singles. Sarah Betts, Anna Romanovsky, Kelly Hobson and Grace Provost all cruised to doubles wins.
Match:
Storm overcomes the Thunder
In an epic match lasting just under five hours, the Storm prevailed 3-2 over a tough and most tenacious Thunder squad. The win keeps Skyview undefeated in league play and puts them at the top of the GSHL. Additionally, Abby Olbrich and Brittany Ellingsen have made a claim to being among the top singles players in SW Washington.
In play recalling state tournaments, both Abby and Brittany were forced to dig deep for both technical and athletic strength. Both matches were hotly contested. Abby won 7-5, 7-6 and Brittany came from behind to win 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. Clinching the win for the Storm was Michelle Cho and Dayle Powell who also won in three sets. The team match featured four three-set matches and its length is a Skyview record.
The JV iced the cake with a rare win against a traditionally strong MV junior varsity. The Storm won decisively 4-1 with a singles sweep from Megan Lanigan, Tori Patton, and Krista Griffin. A dynamic duo of Sarah Betts and Anna Romanovsky rounded out the wins.
The C squad notched five wins with victories going to Kristina Shin, Phoebe Stracener, Taylor Lannan, Nakisa Nassersharif, Kelli Dircksen, Katelin Kutella, Andrea Nelson, Jiwon Kang, Melani Ortiz and Karlee Hofman.
Match:
Storm C Squad meets Stevenson
Jim Goss' Roughriders traveled to the Gorge to do battle with Stevenson's varsity and JV. Our signature C squad represented just fine. Amanda Miller won her varsity match in a 2 1/2 hour 3-set Skamaniac Slapdown. JV wins went to Katrin Ingimarsdottir, Sara Hargrove, Olivia Lo, Savana Bukant, Heidi Johnson, Rachel McQuivey, and Kara Puryear.
News:
Craig Johnson wins Amber Goheen-Harlan Scholarship
Senior Craig Johnson won local tennis' coveted Amber Goheen-Harlan Scholarship which will be presented on Friday at Club Green Meadows. This scholarship is highly competitive and it has been many years since a Skyview students has been recognized. Craig is planning on continuing his firefighting studies at Portland Community College next year. Way to go Craig!
News:
Plan for pix on Thursday, April 24
We're going to try again...let's hope the weather cooperates. There are no picture packets for this company. They will take pictures and send notification to student or parent's email address. Everything is done online and no money is needed on picture day. How's that for easy? Of course, wear your uniforms!
Match:
Storm frustrates Falcons
In the third straight match of the week, Skyview only looks stronger as it finishes its first week of league matches with a 3-0 record. Singles players Abby Olbrich and Brittany Ellingsen continue to cruise. And the doubles wins looked convincing against Prairie's perennially strong doubles teams. Marley Hughes, Carly Wagner, Min Min Huang and Erin Hillman racked up their third straight victories.
JV wins went to Tori Patton, Krista Griffin, and Anna Romanovsky. The C Squad got wins from Taylor Lannan, Melani Ortiz and Karlee Hofman.
Match:
Storm defangs Timberwolves
In another 5-0 sweep, the Storm varsity continued its confident bid for another league championship. Varsity singles winners were Abby Olbrich and Brittany Ellingsen. Doubles winners were Marley Hughes, Carly Wagner, Michelle Cho, Dayle Powell, Min Min Huang and Erin Hillman. JV wins went to Anna Romanovsky, Grace Provost, and Kelly Hobson. (C Squad names will be posted soon!)
Match:
Storm dispatches Evergreen
The Storm enjoyed a soft landing from spring break with a confident rout of the Plainsmen. All players won with eight donuts handed out. Varsity singles winners were Abby Olbrich and Brittany Ellingsen. Doubles winners were Marley Hughes, Carly Wagner, Michelle Cho, Dayle Powell, Min Min Huang and Erin Hillman. JV wins went to Tori Patton, Krista Griffin, and Anna Romanovsky.
Match:
Storm descends on Kelso
It took two trips to Kelso to do it, but the Storm outshone the rain and cruised to a varsity and JV sweep of the Highlanders. Varsity singles winners were Abby Olbrich, Brittany Ellingsen. and Michelle Cho. Doubles winners were Marley Hughes, Carly Wagner, Megan Lanigan, and Tori Patton. The JV maintained the Stormfront with singles victories from Min Min Huang, Krista Griffin, and Anna Romanovsky. Doubles winners were Dayle Powell, Sarah Betts, Jodi Farnsworth, and Grace Provost. The lone C squad win came from Maritza Hernandez and Nicole Rosendale.
News:
Olbrich featured in Columbian
Senior superstar Abby Olbrich is featured in the tennis preview in the Columbian. Here's the article. Yay Abby!
Match:
Chieftains drizzle on Storm
An early tough match against some state-bound competitors resulted in the Storm losing their first (and hopefully last) loss of the season. Solid wins from Abby Olbrich at singles and Brittany Ellingsen and Megan Lanigan at doubles weren't quite enough to top the strong foursome at the top of the Chieftain ladder. The sole JV win came from Dayle Powell and Sarah Betts. C Squad wins came from Phoebe Stracener, Christina Shin, Christina Casteneda and Ana Espana. Scores
News:
Lots of C Squad matches added
Please remember to check the schedules frequently as we're adding lots of matches to give our C Squads lots of match action. Here are the adds since our first schedule release:
March 18: Early C Squad at Mt. View
March 26: Late C Squad at Skyview vs. Stevenson
April 14: Early C Squad at Prairie
April 16: Late C Squad at Stevenson
News:
Skyview inaugurates first varsity jamboree
Thanks to a partnership with Prairie, Union, and Columbia River, Skyview will be participating in a unique varsity pre-season jamboree. The top six players from each school will play in a 'compass' tournament, playing sets against different opponents. Everyone gets three sets to help them get ready for the first matches next week. Stay tuned for results!
News:
Paging Amanda Miller....
Congratulations to Skyview tennis player Amanda Miller who will be serving as a Washington State legislative page next week in Olympia. This is a rare opportunity to be part of the legislative process and represent SW Washington youth in government. Perhaps Amanda can try to get some funding for a few more tennis courts....
News:
Big as ever!
We're currently at 60 73 players. Our first practice is full and we're still filling our varsity, JV and late C squad practices. If you are not already cleared, you will need to see Mr. Ray for practice assignments.
In the likely event you have lost the blank permission form, click here.
Have questions? Start here. If that's not enough, go here.
News:
Courts C-L-E-A-N
Thanks to our wonderful Boosters, our courts have been professionally cleaned. They are spiffy, sharp, and you can actually see the lines! (They're white.) Many thanks to the Boosters for helping us fund this important court maintenance. Boosters are our heroes!
Analysis:
Reclassification bodes well for the Storm
Next year , the 4A league will not contain perennial powerhouse Prairie or up-and-coming Union and Camas High Schools. This move makes the 3A tennis scene overcrowded with talent in both boys and girls and opens up the 4A level for a shiny future for Skyview's deep and young squads. Opportunities abound for the Storm.
Girls: While Skyview has won league and district the last two years, Union and Prairie are perennial threats. Christina Le at Union placed 4th in state last season. She will now likely reign as 3A district champion until she graduates. While Prairie lost state champion Natalia Agarycheva this season, Coach Linquist always puts together a strong team. While Skyview looks strong for the coming season, the reclassification will mean that even with the loss of key seniors after this season, Skyview will remain powerful into 2009. Skyview's deep roster and active off-season work by players will help keep it on top for the near future.
Boys: Coming off a best-ever third place finish in both league and district, the boys have the most to gain by Prairie's departure, this year's league and district champions. While Mountain View will retain its strong squad, Skyview will have opportunities from returning seniors Zach Lyons and Bryce Church, not to mention freshman phenoms Chris Erkkila and Nigel Lyons. With Prairie's guns out of the mix and without the growing power at Union. the 4A league provides some open doors to the state tournament for the next three seasons. By contrast, 3A boys will be a bloodbath among Prairie, Union, River, and Camas. I never thought I'd be so happy to play in 4A!
News:
Skyview gets to meet Davis Cup Team
Thanks to our registration with the USTA No-Cut program, both our girls and boys teams received special limited invitations to participate in youth tennis activities associated with the Davis Cup Final in Portland. On Sunday, ten players attended the Davis Cup Carnival which featured a surprise visit by the entire Davis Cup Team (Patrick McEnroe, Andy Roddick, James Blake, and the Bryan Bros.) Players got to shake hands, watch them play, and ask questions. On Saturday, they will get to see the Bryan Brothers play (and hopefully clinch the Davis Cup crown) at Memorial Coliseum.
Here's an article from the Columbian.
News:
Congratulations and thanks!
Returning to a boys tennis tradition, the Storm descended upon the Vancouver Tennis Center on Saturday for pizza, ping pong, tennis, and the celebration of a great season. Congratulations to the following award winners:
Team Captain: Zach Lyons
Most Improved: Sam Bradley-Kelly
Most Inspirational: Craig Johnson
Varsity Rookie of the Year: Chris Erkkila
JV Rookie of the Year: Jack Cabanatuan
And another big thanks to the guys for a fantastically fun and succesful season. Craig and Sam reminded all of us why we play the game and why Skyview Tennis is a wonderful place to be. Good luck to our graduating seniors and for those who are coming back next year...keep hitting those balls! Here are some pix from post-season. See Mr. Ray for more.
News:
Just four months until spring!
Yeah, we have to get through winter, the holidays, and the first of the presidential primaries. But at the end of that long haul, it will be girls season once again! And we're going to be really, really, really ready to repeat in '08. We already have a bunch of ladies playing. If you're interested in lessons, see Mr. Ray for details. Oh yeah!
News:
Banquet set for Saturday, November 17
Ping pong, tennis, and pizza. At the Vancouver Tennis Center. We will begin at 6PM with food and recognitions and then spend some time on the courts. As always, parents and friends are welcome. Join us to celebrate a fantastic season!
News:
Storm places five on All-League Team
At the beginning of the season, the boys met in the media center to talk. A new season was upon them. Coach Ray put up a graphic from the website showing the Hall of Fame highlighing some of the past glories of the boys team, not to mention the many glories of the girls. A challenge was laid out: let's work to add some glory to the boys once again. Among the goals: personal bests, league success, placing at district, and all-league recognition. We weren't expecting miracles--just some indications that we could play good tennis and win some matches. And we did just that.
The 4A GSHL All-League Team is voted on by coaches and is an all-opponent vote in which coaches cannot vote for their own players. It also reflects solely on performance during the league season, not district. Given the experience of coaches, all-league selection is a recognition of achievement, work ethic, and sportsmanship.
This year, a record number of nominees was submitted for the coaches' consideration. And the league was unusually deep in talent. Despite those odds, Skyview's boys placed five players on this distinguished team. This is Skyview's best showing in the balloting and is another indicator of just how far our team came this season. Boys tennis is back at Skyview!
Singles 1st Team
Zach Lyons
Doubles 2nd Team
Sam Bradley-Kelly and Craig Johnson
Bryce Church and Chris Erkkila
News:
Storm finishes 3rd at district
Capping a breakthrough season, the Storm met its goal of finishing 3rd behind two very strong teams. Holding off a challenge by Heritage, the Storm easily slid into the bronze medal slot with solid wins in both singles and doubles. It was Skyview's best team finish in their 4A history.
Seniors Sam Bradley-Kelly and Craig Johnson had the match of their lives with a solid string of wins. After advancing to the semifinals, the team lost to eventual 2nd place team, but fought through the consolation draw to make it to the consolation finals where they won in the last match of the day. Their hard work led to a 3rd place finish and possible state alternates.
After losing in the quarterfinals, Zach Lyons had a long road back. But along the way, he knocked off two seeded players, including avenging his Friday loss to the same player when they met in the consolation final. His win also earned him no less than a 3rd place finish with a sudden death playoff match on Monday afternoon to determine who will finish 2nd and proceed to post-season. His opponent from Mt. View is a player that he lost to in the pre-season but beat in their last meeting in early October.
Analysis:
3rd Place is best in history
In savoring our fantastic district tournament, I found several reasons why #3 feels like #1.
- The players that led the team to victory are not freshmen phenoms, newcomers, foreign exchange students, uber-elite club kids, or players that transfered into Skyview. (Not that there is anything wrong with those kinds of players. They are all welcome on our team!!!) The point is that Sam, Zach, and Craig are veterans of the team who have put in a lot of time for the Storm and intentionally worked in the off-season to do something big this year. And it paid off.
- District wasn't a fluke, but the cap to a strong overall season that started with a third place finish at the Mt. View Invite. It was there that Skyview owned the consolation finals, interestingly enough without the same doubles team or Zach in the equation. Next, the Storm posted great wins and a solid dual-match season. And despite losses to Mt. View and Prairie in the main season, when the Storm matched up with their best at district, the Storm showed very well.
- Despite some stellar individual players in the past, Skyview has struggled with depth at district. This is the first year that Skyview brought a team in which all players had a good shot at advancing through the draw. And even those that didn't make it through had great matches, including two outstanding freshmen--Nigel Lyons and Chris Erkkila.
- Last year, we were done with district almost before it began. And we won't mention the season win-loss record. Or the one before that. All three Skyview winners did their time on these 'building' years. They know the agony of defeat.
- We beat the yips. Like many players, Sam, Craig, Zach, Bryce, and Chris had gobs of talent but struggled to convert it into mental success on the court. At district, these five players got their heads into the game and played brilliantly. Sam, Craig, and Zach took it even further by looking losses in the face and saying "No Thanks."
- All players played both singles and doubles during the season, unlike most of the opponents they faced in the district tourney. Everyone played just about everywhere. The upside was fun, variety, and the flexibility to try to beat the top teams. The downside was just a little less experience with your doubles partner or on the singles court. And yet our guys delivered, beating league season favorites.
- Winning on the backside of the draw is always harder than on the right side. You have to play more matches, you have to face sudden elimination, and it's harder to win when you know there's nothing you can do to be #1. Mentally and physically, you have to earn the #2 or #3 spot.
Match:
Storm finishes 9-5
Despite a season-end loss to Mountain View, the Storm finished its season in good form. The overall record was a 9-5 with an even 5-5 in difficult league play. The JV finished with a 5-4 record. Well done, men!
News:
Varsity is 'Outstanding' as WIAA scholar-athletes
With a collective 3.62 GPA, the Storm varsity squad notched the highest recognition that the WIAA gives to teams for their academic success. Congratulations to our team for their outstanding work on the courts and in the classroom!
Match:
Storm secures .500 season with BG win
With a decisive win against Battle Ground at Green Meadows, the Storm varsity did something it hasn't done for many years...finish at least .500 in league play. Overall, the team is 9-4 featuring a solid win over the current 3A leader, Columbia River. The BG match featured a sole singles win from Zach Lyons with three doubles victories. Sam Bradley-Kelly and Craig Johnson cruised at #1 with a 6-0, 6-0 win. Chris Erkkila, Bryce Church, Wes Ballou, and Justin Krug had to work a little harder, but prevailed to lock a convincing victory.
Match:
Prairie beat us
Sometimes you lose. Other times you get beat. And despite a throrough loss to Prairie, the Storm varsity showed well, suggesting that they are peaking at the right time. Good tennis flowed across the universe (Dock Blastic moment). The Storm played high performance tennis with two matches going three sets. Against a Prairie juggernaut, the Storm showed they have what it takes to get a win next time around. Let's see what happens in another week at district.
Match:
Evergreen felled
Another day. Another win. The Storm finally topped the league .500 mark in many seasons with a decisive 5-0 win over Evergreen. Leading the effort were Zach Lyons and Stuart Ostby. At doubles, all three teams won easily-- Sam Bradley-Kelly/Craig Johnson, Bryce Church/Chris Erkkila, and Justin Krug/Wes Ballou.
Match:
Heritage hammered
Avenging a surprise loss to begin the season, the Storm fired back with a confident 4-1 victory. Leading the Storm at singles were Zach Lyons and Stuart Ostby. At doubles, Sam Bradley-Kelly and Craig Johnson took on a stacked doubles team, winning in three. At #2 doubles, Bryce Church and Chris Erkkila made it look easy with a straight set win.
Match:
Tigers de-clawed
Squeaking three full matches before the rain began, the Storm got the job done vs. Battle Ground. While all varsity players were on their way to victory, three completed matches made it official. At #2 singles, Bryce Church cruised back into winning ways on the singles court. At #1 doubles, Craig Johnson and Zach Lyons had their way while Justin Krug and Wes Ballou cleaned up at #2. Not completed, but well on their way to a win were Chris Erkkila at #1 singles and Matt Mullen and Stuart Ostby at #3 doubles. JV winners were Kevin Harris and Jack Cabanatuan, both winning 8-0.
Match:
Lyons roars.
Well, the Storm learned just how deep and tough Mt. View has become with the defections from Evergreen this season. But despite a day of losses, at #1 singles, Zach Lyons showed he's got some serious game. Revenging an early season loss to Aaron Blevins, Lyons completely dominated #1 Mt. View's #1 player with an aggressive assault on Blevin's defensive play. Work in the off-season has given Zach a hard flat forehand winner and a much improved, if still uneven service game. These weapons combined with a great court sense and speed have put some teeth into his game. And last night, he pounced.
Analysis:
League season serves up a mixed bag
Well, Prairie beat us, even without their #1 playing. Heritage snuck one away from us. But we whomped on Evergreen in record time and with record scores. So, I'd say we're still on our way to a strong season, particularly if you look at a few key areas.
First, freshman Chris Erkkila is unbeaten. He's won at singles and doubles and has stuck several tough three set matches. Wes Ballou is quietly getting business done too. He teamed up with Chris at #3 doubles for the only win vs. Prairie. He's 6-1 with his only loss coming in a three-set loss against Heritage. Another journeyman, Wes has played well in both singles and doubles. Finally, a lot of matches are being lost in three sets. While that's not good news, it does signal that our guys are not overmatched. Four three-setters have been lost in the first three matches. That means with a little more work and a some velcro, we can close some more tight matches to make the difference.
News:
Prairie match gets split
Thanks to the nice folks at Prairie and Coach Blastic, we will be sending all of our C squaders to Prairie on October 9th. This helps guarantee that they get their matches in. This will be a split match with varsity and JV staying at Skyview. Bus leaves at 2:30 with Mr. Blastic.
News:
Varsity stats are up
Mostly. Pix, most line scores, and information are found here.
Match:
Prairie prevails
Despite some strong matches, the deep Prairie squad bested the Storm 4-1 at Prairie. Lone winners for the Storm varsity were Wes Ballou and Chris Erkkila at #3 doubles. JV was swept. Hmm. That team's pretty good.
Match:
Evergreen browned
Shortest match in Skyview history. Most 6-0, 6-0 wins. Not bad for a Monday afternoon. Winners were Sam Bradley-Kelly, Wes Ballou, Zach Lyons, Craig Johnson, Bryce Church, Chris Erkkila, Justin Krug and Stuart Ostby.
Match:
Snap! Timberwolves sting the Storm
Losing three tough three-set matches, the Storm came up short 2-3 in their league season opener. Winners were Chris Erkkila at #2 singles and Zach Lyons and Craig Johnson at #1 doubles. The JV handled matters with a little more ease. Winners were Justin Krug, Matt Mullen, Jack Cabanatuan, Keith Ellis, Kevin Harris and the twin towers--Matt Dahlstrom and Andrew Baylous.
Analysis:
Preseason highlights
The Storm is back. After a few years of wandering in the desert, the reign of the rain has returned. (Okay, enough with the forced metaphors.) Skyview's boys have earned their way to a fantastic 4-0 start. And there are several reasons why the guys are legit.
Dominant team wins. Skyview has only dropped two matches in four team matches. To a coach that suggests depth, will to win, and the ability to close the deal. A whole box of donuts have already been passed out and Coach Ray already owes a few more. Every player is turning in 6-0 or 6-1 wins. That's a good sign.
Tough individual wins. Skyview is winning close two- and three-set matches. Sure, you could argue that we should be winning more easily. No argument there. But both singles and doubles players are not conceding wins when the going gets tough. Both veterans and rookies are showing grit and determination. They are working points, keeping their head in the game, and changing their gameplans to beat their opponents. When the going starts to get tough, we have the stuff.
Underdogs bite. Despite a solid start, the guys know there are tough matches ahead. Due to the unusual league makeup this season, there are likely to be three strong teams. And based on the Mt. View tournament outcomes, the Storm is #3. If the guys can stay focused on their game and stay hungry, we might bring a big Storm to Mt. View and Prairie. Zach Lyons, Sam Bradley-Kelly, and Chris Erkkila have all turned in very strong singles performances so far. Doubles has shown promise. Craig Johnson/Nigel Lyons placed 4th at the Mt. View tourney and Bryce Church/Chris Erkkila showed good strength in a few matches.
Regardless of what happens next, the Storm have started out strong and notched more wins than they have in many moons. Keep up the hard work!
Match:
Kelso buried
The Highlanders are six feet under with a solid 5-0 win from the Storm. Leading the team at #1 singles, freshman Chris Erkkila dropped the first set but dominated in the last two for a 3-6. 6-2. 6-1 win. Also at singles, Bryce Church and Wes Ballou cruised to straight set wins. At doubles, Zach Lyons and Sam Bradley-Kelly easily won at #1 while Craig Johnson and Nigel Lyons took a little longer, winning in three.
The JV corps won 4-1 with victories going to Justin Krug, Matt Mullen, Stuart Ostby (8-0 win, thankyouverymuch) and the twin towers--Matt Dahlstrom and Andrew Baylous.
Match:
River flooded
How about three in a row? How about beating River for the first time since BB? (Before Britney)? Skyview stomped River 4-1 with commanding wins by singles players Zach Lyons and Sam Bradley-Kelly. Both players survived tough challenges in the match to clinch the victory. Adding insult to injury, Chris Erikkila, Bryce Church, and Wes Ballou made the match a meal.
The sole JV win went to Matt Mullen but the C Squad went on a tear, winning like crazy men.
These great men were Keith Ellis, Jack Cabanatuan, Ryan Budnik, Lukas Kleinman, Andres Restropo, Gabe Olano, Kevin Harris, and Ethan Young.
Match:
Bay sinks
Make it rain, baby. The Storm was too much for the Bay. Every match went to Skyview. That kind of dominance hasn't been seen since the Viking days....
Varsity ran the table. Winners were Zach Lyons and Sam Bradley-Kelly who got his second 6-0, 6-0 win. Doubles wins went to Craig Johnson, Nigel Lyons, Bryce Church, Chris Erkkila, Wes Ballou and Justin Krug.
The JV also swept with winners Matt Mullen, Stuart Ostby, Keith Ellis, Kevin Harris, Jack Cabanatuan, Zach Silvey, Reilly Peavey, Ryan Skordahl and Ryan Budnik.
Match:
Fort flattened
Opening their season with a decisive win, the Storm easily dominated the Trappers at Skyview. The 4-1 varsity win was fueled by a 6-0, 6-0 singles win from Sam Bradley-Kelly and three doubles wins from Craig Johnson, Nigel Lyons, Bryce Church, Chris Erkkila, Wes Ballou and Justin Krug.
The JV demonstrated Skyview's depth with wins from Stuart Ostby, Keith Ellis and Reilly Peavey. Adding insult to injury, three Skyview JV and C squad players had to play varsity players due to Fort's small team. And they beat them, Kevin Harris, Jack Cabanatuan, and Daniel Harris all racked up wins against members of Fort's varsity. Yeah baby!
Match:
Storm slugs it out at MV Tourney
In their best showing ever at the competitive Mountain View Invitational, the Storm were the Kings of Consolation, sweeping the fourth place slots thanks to hard work, determination, and guts. After losing their first round matches, six players advanced to win their respective consolation finals, playing three matches along the way. All players contributed wins that gave the Storm a third place finish in a very competitive field.
Sam Bradley-Kelly cruised to a 4th place finish in the very competitive "A" singles bracket. Bryce Church battled to his final where he had enough left to stomp his opponent 6-0, 6-0. Now that's a statement. In the doubles bracket, Craig Johnson and Nigel Lyons had a somewhat easier time and dominated through the back side of the draw. Chris Erkkila won the slugging contest by advancing to the semifinals. All three of his matches were over two hours. His last was a three set loss. Also representing Skyview were Zach Lyons, Wes Ballou, and Justin Krug.
The tournament structure makes Saturday a marathon for players. To place, those in the consolation draw must win three matches in close succession. Sometimes with only 30 minutes between matches. Winning in the cons is no easy task. Kudos to our guys for not giving up and playing like stars!
News:
Practice schedules
Beginning Tuesday, August 21st we will run daily practices from 4-6PM. Due to teacher training and other professional conflicts, we may adjust this on certain days, but will notify players well in advance. Once school begins, practice is scheduled to run from 2:30-4:30 daily.
News:
Boys season is HERE!
First practice is on August 20th at noon. Bring your clearance slip, racket, water, sunscreen and desire to whoop. Beginning on Tuesday, the practice time will shift to 4PM each afternoon. If you have not cleared, please attend the beginning of first practice to get important information about practices, matches, and the whole shebang.
For archive of Spring 07 Season, click here
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