Coronado knocks off Palo Verde for 5A girls tennis title — PHOTOS
There was a sign that there could be a new Class 5A girls tennis team state champion when Coronado defeated five-time defending state champion Palo Verde in the regular season.
“It showed our girls that we were capable of winning. It showed our girls that we were at the level and no longer the little sister,” Coronado coach David Willingham said. “We were there.”
Willingham’s team showed that its regular-season win was no fluke Friday when No. 1-seeded Coronado defeated No. 2 Palo Verde 10-7 to win the 5A state title.
“I want to say I’m so excited, but (I’m as) much excited as I am relieved because of the fact that we worked so hard to get to this place,” Willingham said. “Palo (Verde) is a great team, they’ve been a great program for years. To finally come to a point where we could take the championship, it means a lot for all the hard work these girls put in.”
Palo Verde had won the previous five girls team state titles in the top classification. Coronado lost to Palo Verde 10-8 in another nail-biter last year for the title.
It’s the fourth girls team state title for Coronado. The Cougars were the last team not named Palo Verde to win the title in the top classification, when they won back-to-back 4A titles in 2017 and 2018.
“Everyone on our team has such a great bond with everyone, and every single person on this team does something, and without every single person, we wouldn’t be here,” Coronado doubles player Gigi Smart said.
Smart and Isabella Gallegos won all their doubles matches, scoring three points. Coronado led 7-5 going into the final round. Elyse Rygg and Elektra Ferry’s doubles win in the last round clinched the 10 points Coronado needed to secure the title.
“It gave us a lot of drive to keep us training so we can win the state title, “ Gallegos said of her team’s battles with Palo Verde. “We have a lot of expectations to win our matches, but it gives us more drive and stay hyped, and always supporting one another is always the best.”
Palo Verde’s Remi Rice won all three of her singles matches. Rygg and Ferry won two of their three doubles matches for Coronado, and Erika Gallegos and Kamilah Saine both won two of their three singles matches for the Cougars.
Willingham, who also coached Coronado to its 2017 and 2018 titles, said this year’s squad had a little bit more depth, especially on the doubles teams, to help the Cougars have a strong lineup from top to bottom to match Palo Verde.
“In our doubles specifically, everyone is put with someone that they vibe with,” Smart said. “Me and (Isabella) play with each other a lot so when we play together, we know how we play.”
A dark rain cloud loomed over the skies at Coronado as the match on Friday went on. It concluded about 10 minutes before a brief, but heavy, shower soaked the entire Coronado campus. But nothing was going to dampen the Cougars’ celebration.
“It’s amazing,” said Isabella Gallegos, whose doubles team with Smart is the No. 1 seed heading into next week’s individuals state tournament. “We’ve been training for this all year. Palo beats us every year, so finally beating them is amazing.”
Rain impacts title matches
Friday’s rainstorm and Thursday’s brief afternoon showers caused postponements for the 5A boys team state title matches, and Southern Region title matches for 4A and 3A boys and girls teams.
Thursday’s 5A boys state semifinal between Coronado and Faith Lutheran was originally postponed to Friday, and was later postponed again to 3:30 p.m. Saturday.
The winner will play Palo Verde — which defeated Bishop Gorman 12-3 in the other semifinal late Thursday — at 3:30 p.m. Monday at Palo Verde for the 5A state title. Faith Lutheran defeated Coronado for the state title last year.
The 4A boys and girls team Southern Region title matches, both featuring The Meadows against Liberty, were postponed Friday to Oct. 21. The 4A team state tournament is Oct. 23 and 24 at Liberty.
5A is a Southern-only classification. The top classification of Northern teams play in 4A.
In 3A, Boulder City defeated The Adelson School 14-4 on Friday in a Southern League semifinal that was postponed from Thursday. Boulder City hosts Coral Sandy Ridge at 3 p.m. Monday for the league title. Both teams advance to the 3A state tournament.
The one other match that was played was the Boulder City girls defeating Moapa Valley 13-5 to win the 3A Southern League girls team title. Both teams advance to the 3A state tournament.
Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on X.
