Schools
PHOTOS: Late Rally Lifts Wayzata Girls Tennis Past Eden Prairie
Hallie Koehn and Haley Nichols' come-from-behind win at No. 2 doubles was the decisive victory in the Trojans' 4-3 win on Tuesday
All things looked equal to the untrained eye.
Wayzata girls tennis teammates Haley Nichols and Hallie Koehn were gridlocked in their No. 2 doubles match with Eden Prairie’s Susie Pederson and Layla Safinia, headed into a decisive third set with both teams tied 3-3 overall.
But the Trojans had the upper hand on Tuesday at Wayzata High School—a little home cooking, so to speak.
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They had cookie breaks.
Nichols and Koehn turned their between-game snacks into just enough energy to win their No. 2 doubles match 6-7, 6-3, 6-4 on Tuesday, giving the Trojans a 4-3 win over Lake Conference rivals Eden Prairie. The duo won the third set in the spotlight, with both teams’ players, parents and spectators looking on.
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“(The cookies) give you some sugar and energy,” Nichols said, laughing.
“I don’t think we need it,” Koehn said. “We’re hyper anyways.”
Nichols, a sophomore, and Koehn, a freshman, spent much of the offseason playing together and learning the ins and outs of being doubles teammates. Even though they fell behind and lost the first set 6-7, the two showed their resiliency and ability to battle back on Tuesday.
They evened the match at 1-1 with a 6-3 victory in the second set, then overcame a 2-1 deficit in the third to pick up the win.
“The most important thing to do is never give up no matter how far down you are, because in tennis you can always turn things around,” Koehn said.
Trojans coach Marci Weiner said the pair show signs of being a special doubles team.
“You can see they have so much joy and energy when they’re playing,” Weiner said. “They’ve played together for a year off the court in the offseason. They make a really energetic, competitive team to watch.”
Wayzata also picked up victories from Lucia Solis 6-2, 6-0 at No. 2 singles, Ali Heiring and Carol Coutinho 6-2, 6-2 at No. 1 doubles and a 6-1, 6-2 win by Caitlin Eichten at No. 3 singles.
The victory is the Trojans’ (6-0, 1-0 Lake Conference) first of the year in conference play. Up next for Wayzta is a home matchup with Elk River at 4 p.m. on Thursday.
The Trojans hope Tuesday’s early-season thriller gives them momentum moving forward—most notably, a run at perennial state power, and conference foe, Edina.
“It feels great—it’s our first conference match and it’s a good win,” Nichols said. “And (the Eagles) are good competition, so it feels great. And Edina’s next.”
INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
No. 1 singles: EP Maddie Buxton def. WAY Kelly Yang 7-5, 6-1
No. 2 singles: WAY Lucia Solis def. EP Allison Malmsten 6-2, 6-0
No. 3 singles: WAY Caitlin Eichten def. EP Cassy Deng 6-1, 6-2
No. 4 singles: EP Eleanor Martin def. WAY Nirupa Galagedera 6-0, 6-1
No. 1 doubles: WAY Ali Heiring/Carol Coutinho def. EP Sophie Farmer/Megan Phillips 6-2, 6-2
No. 2 doubles: WAY Haley Nichols/Hallie Koehn def. EP Susie Pederson/Layla Safinia 6-7, 6-3, 6-4
No. 3 doubles: EP Ali Horner/Sam Lee def. WAY Aneesha Ahluwalia/Stephanie Heiring 6-7, 5-7
