Under the scorching Tacoma sun, the Bonney Lake Panthers took on the undefeated Curtis Vikings in an intense SPSL league showdown. With no shade to offer relief on the Curtis tennis courts, the day was as grueling as the matches themselves. Both teams fought for every point, but it was the Vikings who edged out the Panthers in a 3-2 victory, keeping their unbeaten streak alive at 5-0.
The spotlight of the day fell on the #1 singles match between Bonney Lake’s Gavin Orozco and Curtis’ Kai Mueller—both undefeated coming into the contest. All eyes were on these two as they squared off, the last two unbeaten #1 singles players in the league. The opening set was a tug-of-war, with both players trading serves. But once Gavin found his rhythm, there was no looking back. His sharp baseline play and clinical net game allowed him to pull away, handing Mueller his first loss of the season with a 6-3, 6-3 victory. Orozco remains perfect at 8-0, notching the Panthers’ first point of the day.
Bonney Lake’s #1 doubles duo, Thomas Howard and Cameron Munsch, faced a tough task against Curtis’ Nick Markham and Noah McNaughton. Despite their best efforts, they couldn’t crack the Vikings' defense, falling 0-6, 1-6 in a match that felt closer than the scoreline suggested. Howard and Munsch were relentless but ultimately couldn’t find the answers to the precision play of Markham and McNaughton.
The Panthers’ #2 doubles pair, Adam Quinto and Jeremiah Mam, had a similar struggle against Joey Nyman and Ben Miller. Curtis’ relentless dominance in doubles was on full display as they dispatched Quinto and Mam 6-0, 6-1, putting Bonney Lake in a 1-2 hole for the day.
With two matches still in play, Bonney Lake’s hope rested on the shoulders of #2 singles player Evan Lane. In a grueling battle against Curtis’ Cole Vukich, Lane fought tooth and nail in every set but eventually fell short, 4-6, 5-7. The loss sealed the victory for Curtis, but the Panthers continued to battle until the last point.
The final match of the day came down to the #3 doubles squad of Holden Mann and Jacob Acosta, who had developed a strong chemistry and carried a 2-0 record into the contest. They wasted no time in making their presence felt, cruising through the first set 6-0. But Curtis wasn’t going down without a fight, and the Vikings clawed back to take the second set 7-5, sending the match to a decisive third-set tiebreak. The Panthers duo dug deep and emerged victorious in a 10-6 thriller, giving Bonney Lake their second point of the match.
Despite falling just short, the Panthers showed resilience and flashes of brilliance that suggest they are not far from turning the tide in their season.
With the loss, the Panthers drop to 2-3 on the season, while the Curtis Vikings continue their dominant run at 5-0. But the fight is far from over. Bonney Lake will return home this Thursday to take on the Rogers Rams in what promises to be another pivotal match in their pursuit of climbing the SPSL standings.
Come out and cheer on your Panthers as they continue their push through the season!
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