Inouye’s effort not enough to prevent Green Canyon from another state tennis title

It came down to the wire in Green Canyon and Orem’s battle for the team title

Published: Sept 30, 2023, 7:57 p.m. MDT

Orem’s Maya Inouye reacts to her victory in the first singles finals against Hillcrest’s Fabiana Gonzalez during the 2023 4A Girls Tennis Championships. — Orem’s Maya Inouye reacts to her victory in the first singles finals against Hillcrest’s Fabiana Gonzalez during the 2023 4A Girls Tennis Championships at Liberty Park Tennis Courts in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023. Inouye won the match during a tie-break game in the third set. Megan Nielsen, Deseret News

By Bruce Smith

It was no surprise Saturday that the Green Canyon Wolves would be a contender for the 4A girls state tennis tournament title.

The Wolves were the two-time defending champions and every player had surged through the first two rounds after Thursday’s play at Liberty Park. Usually, the 4A crown is a heated battle between schools from Cache Valley and the St. George area.

But this season, Orem High was a new 4A member, and the Tigers took advantage of Maya Inouye’s strong effort. She downed every opponent on her way to the No. 1 singles title, and that turned the team title fight into an exciting battle that wasn’t decided until Green Canyon’s Liz Murri and Carly Nielsen won their match to give the Wolves’ girls their third straight award to place in their trophy cabinet.

High school girls tennis: 4A state tournament final results

Green Canyon finished with 52 points, followed by Orem at 48, Snow Canyon (29), and Provo and Crimson Cliffs (23). Hillcrest had 20.

Green Canyon won individual crowns in No. 2 and No. 3 singles, as well as No. 1 doubles — and needed each of them.

“Our doubles team played so clean,” said Green Canyon coach Camille Jeppson. “We planned for week that this would be a tough tournament with Orem. Usually, by the finals, we already know who is going to win, but not this time. We just had to focus on winning each of our matches.”

That was Inouye’s idea, too. A senior, Inouye was 5A state champ in No. 3 singles as a freshman, but had fallen in the quarterfinals in No. 1 singles in 2021 and 2022. She said she prepared for this event by working out with tennis players from 6A power Skyridge.

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“I know I can compete with all of them. Sometimes they win, sometimes I do,” she said. “But state is a lot more nerve-wracking. I was really nervous.”

Right to left, Green Canyon’s Carly Nielsen and Liz Murri compete in the first doubles finals against Crimson Cliffs’ Whitney Matheson and Kate Obray during the 2023 4A Girls Tennis Championships at Liberty Park Tennis Courts in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023. | Megan Nielsen, Deseret News

Hillcrest’s Fabiana Gonzalez competes in the first singles finals against Orem’s Maya Inouye during the 2023 4A Girls Tennis Championships at Liberty Park Tennis Courts in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023. Inouye won the match during a tie-break game in the third set. | Megan Nielsen, Deseret News

Orem’s Maya Inouye competes in the first singles finals against Hillcrest’s Fabiana Gonzalez during the 2023 4A Girls Tennis Championships at Liberty Park Tennis Courts in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023. Inouye won the match during a tie-break game in the third set. | Megan Nielsen, Deseret News

Green Canyon celebrates after Carly Nielsen and Liz Murri’s victory in the first doubles finals against Crimson Cliffs during the 2023 4A Girls Tennis Championships at Liberty Park Tennis Courts in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023. | Megan Nielsen, Deseret News

Left to right, Crimson Cliffs’ Whitney Matheson and Kate Obray compete in the first doubles finals against Green Canyon’s Carly Nielsen and Liz Murri during the 2023 4A Girls Tennis Championships at Liberty Park Tennis Courts in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023. | Megan Nielsen, Deseret News

Orem’s Maya Inouye hugs her coach and father Kevon Inouye after winning the first singles finals against Hillcrest’s Fabiana Gonzalez during the 2023 4A Girls Tennis Championships at Liberty Park Tennis Courts in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023. Inouye won the match during a tie-break game in the third set. | Megan Nielsen, Deseret News

Provo students watch their team in the second doubles semifinals against Green Canyon during the 2023 4A Girls Tennis Championships at Liberty Park Tennis Courts in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023. | Megan Nielsen, Deseret News

Orem’s Maya Inouye shakes hands with Hillcrest’s Fabiana Gonzalez after Inouye’s victory in the first singles finals during the 2023 4A Girls Tennis Championships at Liberty Park Tennis Courts in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023. Inouye won the match during a tie-break game in the third set. | Megan Nielsen, Deseret News

Hillcrest’s Fabiana Gonzalez reads a note from her family during the first singles finals against Orem’s Maya Inouye during the 2023 4A Girls Tennis Championships at Liberty Park Tennis Courts in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023. Inouye won the match during a tie-break game in the third set. | Megan Nielsen, Deseret News

Hillcrest’s Fabiana Gonzalez reacts to her loss in the first singles finals against Orem’s Maya Inouye during the 2023 4A Girls Tennis Championships at Liberty Park Tennis Courts in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023. Inouye won the match during a tie-break game in the third set. | Megan Nielsen, Deseret News

Green Canyon’s Kate Reeder competes in the second doubles semifinals against Provo during the 2023 4A Girls Tennis Championships at Liberty Park Tennis Courts in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023. | Megan Nielsen, Deseret News

Left to right, Green Canyon’s Kate Reeder and Emma Murri compete in the second doubles semifinals against Provo during the 2023 4A Girls Tennis Championships at Liberty Park Tennis Courts in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023. | Megan Nielsen, Deseret News

Left to right, Green Canyon’s Carly Nielsen and Liz Murri compete in the first doubles finals against Crimson Cliffs’ Whitney Matheson and Kate Obray during the 2023 4A Girls Tennis Championships at Liberty Park Tennis Courts in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023. | Megan Nielsen, Deseret News

Crimson Cliffs’ Whitney Matheson, hitting, and Kate Obray compete in the first doubles finals against Green Canyon’s Carly Nielsen and Liz Murri during the 2023 4A Girls Tennis Championships at Liberty Park Tennis Courts in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023. | Megan Nielsen, Deseret News

Green Canyon’s Carly Nielsen, front, and Liz Murri compete in the first doubles finals against Crimson Cliffs’ Whitney Matheson and Kate Obray during the 2023 4A Girls Tennis Championships at Liberty Park Tennis Courts in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023. | Megan Nielsen, Deseret News

The tennis courts reflect in the sunglasses of one of the coaches during the 2023 4A Girls Tennis Championships at Liberty Park Tennis Courts in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023. | Megan Nielsen, Deseret News

Inouye said she also had a dream recently in which she won state, but nobody cheered when she won the final volley. Ironically, when she downed Hillcrest’s Fabiana Gonzalez late Saturday afternoon, her winning shot clipped the top of the net and barely fell forward, preventing a return.

Inouye said the crowd watching the match barely responded until Inouye finally sprinted toward the net with her biggest emotional outburst of the season.

“That’s not how I wanted it to be, but then I just got so excited,” she said. “I didn’t know what to expect; it just happened, and I just ran to the net as fast as I could.”

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