Staff Report

The Mercer Island High School girls tennis team finished its season with an unblemished 8-0 record with victories over Newport (7-0, 4-3), Sammamish (7-0, 7-0), Bellevue (7-0, 7-0) and Interlake (4-3, 4-3).

Head coach Carol Gullstad said the team’s adaptability made a difference this season.

In doubles, Mira Patel played with seven different partners in eight matches and her duo won each time.

On the singles front, Maya Wong won a marathon fourth singles match in the team’s first meeting with Interlake, which was the Islanders’ first win against the Saints since 2015. One week later, Celia Steinhauer won third singles versus Interlake in a decisive third-set tiebreaker. By defeating an opponent she lost to the previous week, Steinhauer’s mental toughness helped the Islanders net another victory.

“We asked a lot of our players this season and they leaned in. It is a season we will remember for a long time,” Gullstad said.