PUHI — Michaela and Mia Fitzgerald were powerful for the Island School girls, each taking their respective singles matches and not allowing a point from their Waimea opponents, Saturday at the Kauai Community College tennis courts. That effort led the
PUHI — Michaela and Mia Fitzgerald were powerful for the Island School girls, each taking their respective singles matches and not allowing a point from their Waimea opponents, Saturday at the Kauai Community College tennis courts.
That effort led the Island School girls to claim a 3-2 win over the Menehune wahine in their first encounter of the Kauai Interscholastic Federation tennis season which started under beautiful, if not hot, conditions with a whisper of wind.
“The players were all excited to start the season,” said Michelle Fitzgerald, the Island School assistant coach. “Head coach Bino Fitzgerald was on Oahu for a tennis match with his boys, and Ernie Blachowiak retired as the coach following last year’s season.”
Michaela Fitzgerald opened the day on the Girls 1st Singles court with a 6-0, 6-0 win over Waimea’s Micah Guillermo, and Mia Fitzgerald controlled the Girls 2nd Singles court with a 6-0, 6-0 win over Waimea’s Ashley Pascual.
The efforts of the Menehune wahine showed its head on the Girls 1st Doubles court when Kari Correa, teaming with Karla Bermudey fought back in the second set against the Voyagers’ Ajia Sciafani and Risa Whetsel who had taken the first set, 6-0.
“This was a very close nail-biting second set,” Michelle Fitzgerald said. “Despite the comeback by Waimea, Sciafani and Whetsel held on for the 7-5 win.”
Waimea picked up wins on the Girls 2nd Doubles and 3rd Doubles courts when Kryshia Pascual paired with Kylah Gruspe for a 6-4, 6-0 win over Island School’s Gabriella LaFratte and Allison Summerhays. On the Girls 3rd Doubles, Waimea took the match by default when Island School had no available players to face Hope Coyaso and Rochelle Dela Cruz.
The boys’ matches, despite the close similarities in the blue uniforms, went to Waimea, 5-0 as Marcus Pereira set the tone with an early 6-0, 6-0 win over Island School’s Manix Wolen on the Boys 1st Singles court.
Waimea’s Joshua Subiate claimed a 6-4, 6-2 win over the Voyagers’ Kahea Kamalani on the Boys 2nd Singles floor.
On the Boys 1st Doubles matchup, Island School came back in the second set against Waimea’s Limar Medina and Edmelle Medina.
But the effort by Eli Leech and Sam Goldberg came up short in the final set, giving the win to Waimea, 6-1, 5-7, 6-3.
Waimea claimed victory on the Boys 2nd Doubles court when Patrick Cowell paired with Riley Saiki for a 6-1, 6-1 win over Island School’s Zebediah Wichert and Dominique LaFratte, and on the Boys 3rd Doubles court, Waimea’s Keegan Donaher paired with Keatin Mariano-Hardy for a 1-6, 6-2, 6-2 win over the Voyagers’ Brandon Beydoun and Tebbo Beyer.
Waimea next hosts Kauai High School at the Waimea High School tennis courts Saturday starting at 10 a.m. Island School will travel to the Hanalei Colony Resort to meet Kapaa with the first balls serving at 10 a.m.
