SPANAWAY - Nguyen and Nguyen won key matches to lead coach Doris Burdin's Evergreen Wolverines in state qualifying efforts from the Class 2A West Central III/Southwest II bi-do=istrict tournament.
Fighting fiecely in boys doubles, the unrelated pair of Michael Nguyen and Cong Nguyen opened up with a 6-2, 6-1, triumph over D. Fagan and J. Landram of Klahowya before A. Villanueva and S. Bayna of Lindbergh stroked past the Wolverine duo, 6-4, 6-1. The first set featured some tight action, but the Eagle pair won most of the key points in a rough second set for Evergreen.
Nguyen and Nguyen proceeded to defeat the North Kitsap duo of Steven Breitmayer and Alex Olson 6-2, 6-4, in a loser-out, winner-to-state match. The Wolverine tandem closed out with a 6-2, 6-3, win against J. Motto and E. Radoi of Interlake for the bi-district fourth place.
Reed Welch and EJ Troutman of Bellingham loom as the EHS pair's first opposition at state.
It was a matter of summoning up strategy and stroke for Evergreen High School tennis player Cecilia Vu at the Class 2A West Central District III/South Kitsap District II Bi-District tennis tournament held at the Sprinker Recreation Center on Saturday, May 12, and Friday, May 18 and Saturday, May 19.
Using her all-around game, the Wolverine stroked to a state tennis fifth spot in WCD III/SKII closing action.
Miriam Tuma of Sumner served Vu into the consolation round with a 6-4, 6-2, verdict against the Wolverine. Isabelle Long powered past Vu, 6-1, 6-2, in the third-fifth match up.
Bella Hoyas of Bellingham will be Vu's opening round opponent in state action at the Nordstrom Tennis Center on the University of Washington campus on May 25.
Vu began her trek to success on May 12 with a round of eight opening 6-1, 6-1, win against Anne Marie Herbert of Olympic. Throughout the match, Vu cut her opponent off at every angle, dominating all phases of the encounter.
Buoyed by her opening round success, the Wolverine athlete ran into much touger resistance in the personage of Becca McNurney of Kingston in a quarterfinal face off.
Despite stronger opposition, Vu posted a 6-2 first set win before the second set produced incresed levels of competition and tenacity. McNurney taxed Vu to the limit with opportunities to force a third set. Near the end of the set the EHS ace fought to the win and avoided a posible tie-break and third set as she qualified for state action.
