Eatonville Tennis Shows Grit at SPSL Tournament, Andersen, Two Doubles Teams Advance to Districts

The Eatonville High School girls tennis team delivered a gritty, hard-fought performance at the 2A South Puget Sound League (SPSL) tournament held Wednesday through Friday at Clover Park High School. Several Cruiser athletes stood out, with three entries — including the team’s top singles player and both doubles squads — advancing to next week's West Central District 3 tournament.

Eatonville doubles team of Lillian Bickford and Alayna Meyer pose for a photo following their district berth clinching 4th place finish at the 2A SPSL tournament this past Friday. Photo: Melissa Bickford

Senior Bailey Andersen headlined Eatonville’s showing with a run to the league singles championship match. Her path through the bracket was anything but easy. After a tense, nearly two-hour semifinal victory over Franklin Pierce, 6-2, 7-6, Andersen dug in for a marathon title match against a Steilacoom opponent that stretched three hours and 20 minutes. Despite pushing both sets to the brink, she came up just short, falling 5-7, 5-7.

“I cannot recall a match that was so physically and mentally demanding as this championship match,” said head coach Alex Christensen. “Bailey just kept fighting. She’s so tough. The shots ultimately ended up not going her way, but I’m so proud of her effort. She just doesn’t quit.”

Andersen’s runner-up finish clinched her a spot in the district tournament, where she’ll receive a first-round bye as a top seed.

In doubles, Eatonville’s top team of Alayna Meyer and Lillian Bickford rebounded from an early setback to claim fourth place and a postseason berth. After dropping their opening match Wednesday, the duo was forced into a must-win scenario for the remainder of the tournament. They responded with three consecutive victories over the next two days.

Meyer and Bickford opened Thursday with back-to-back wins over Franklin Pierce and Foss, each by a score of 6-2, 6-3. On Friday morning, with a spot at districts on the line, they battled Washington High School in a tense three-set match. The Cruisers took the first set 6-2 but dropped the second 1-6. They regrouped in the third, dominating 6-1 to punch their ticket to Bremerton.

Not satisfied with just qualifying, the pair put on their best performance of the tournament in the fourth-place match — a rematch against Franklin Pierce. This time, they were nearly flawless, winning 6-0, 6-1 to solidify their spot.

Also advancing are the team’s No. 2 doubles pair, Tia Schanbeck and Tierney Amaral, who took third place in the tournament. After a tough semifinal loss to Fife (6-7, 6-3, 3-6), Schanbeck and Amaral bounced back with a decisive straight-sets win over Steilacoom, 6-2, 6-4, to close their tournament on a high note.

Four additional Eatonville players — Isabel Volk, Megan Blake, Amelia Ferreira, and Kate Marsh — also competed in the league tournament. Each earned at least one win during the week but did not advance to Friday’s action.

With the SPSL tournament in the books, attention now shifts to the West Central District 3 tournament, held May 16-17 at the Kitsap Tennis & Athletic Center in Bremerton. Andersen will enjoy a first-round bye as the league’s No. 2 seed, while Meyer/Bickford and Schanbeck/Amaral are slated to face the No. 5 and No. 6 seeds respectively from the Olympic League. The tournament is double-elimination, and only the top four finishers in each bracket earn a coveted spot in the 2A state tournament.