High school tennis: Highland’s freshman phenom shows her talent but Green Canyon wins another 4A girls title

It may take something — or someone — special to get Green Canyon off its perch as the top 4A team in high school girls tennis.

Tennis fans who braved Saturday’s rainy weather got a look at Highland’s Soo-Ah Byun and had to be impressed. The freshman rolled through the state tournament and earned her first trophy. She didn’t lose a single game until the championship match.

Still, it wasn’t enough to dethrone the Wolves, who reached the championship round in four of the five divisions to earn 56 points.

Desert Hills followed with 33, followed by Highland (31), Judge Memorial (23) and Ridgeline (21). It was the fifth consecutive state crown for the Green Canyon, and coach Camille Jeppson said this was especially satisfying because it came during her daughter’s senior season.

Tori Jeppson was the Wolves’ leader and, although she fell to Byun in her finale, her efforts inspired the rest of her team. Highland coach Long Le called it the “Caitlin Clark effect,” after the WNBA star.

“She’s a great player who also influences her teammates to be better,” Le said. “That’s how we expect to be in the next few years.”

Saturday’s heavy rain forced the tournament to move indoors, instead of being played at its usual site of Liberty Park, and the players had to adjust. The title matches were held at the University of Utah’s Eccles Tennis Center.

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Byun accumulated 16 of Highland’s points, and the Rams also had players reach the semifinals in No. 2 and No. 3 singles. Le said Highland likely benefited from recently moving down from the 5A division, but he has several other talented players expected to return next season and, of course, he feels Byun will likely be the favorite to earn championships as she gets better and matures.

“Our goal will be to win region,” Le said. “Then we can focus on accomplishing more after that.”

Building depth is an important part of winning titles, and Green Canyon showed that was its strength with another fine performance by Macy Huish in No. 2 singles and by the team of Laycee Falslev and Norah Washburn in No. 1 doubles.

For Huish, it was her third straight championship trophy, and her graduation will be a spot Highland will try to covet next year.

“She believed she could do it,” said coach Jeppson. “She had done it already before, and having that confidence is the first step. If you at first believe it, then you can do it.”

That’s been the case for Green Canyon, which has already established itself as a tennis power despite its young age (8 year-old school).

Desert Hills sophomore Stella Shiozawa took home a trophy in No. 3 singles and Emma Evensen and Sophia Valles combined to give Judge Memorial some points in No. 2 doubles.

4A state tournament

Team scores

1. Green Canyon, 56

2. Desert Hills, 33

3. Highland, 31

4. Judge Memorial, 23

5. Ridgeline, 21

6. Provo, 13

6. Timpanogos, 13

8. Orem, 12

8. Mountain View, 12

8. Snow Canyon, 12

First singles championship

• No. 1 Soo-Ah Byun, Highland def. No. 2 Tori Jeppson, Green Canyon, 2-6, 7-5, 6-1

Second singles championship

• No. 1 Macy Huish, Green Canyon def. No. 2 Macy Wittwer, Desert Hills, 6-0, 6-0

Third singles championship

• No. 1 Stella Shiozawa, Desert Hills def. No. 2 Ruby Warner, Green Canyon, 6-4, 6-2

First doubles championship

• No. 1 Laycee Falslev/Norah Washburn, Green Canyon def. No. 7 Megan Carlson/Annabelle Baker, Orem, 7-6, 6-3

Second doubles championship

• No. 5 Emma Evensen/Sophia Valles, Judge Memorial def. No. 2 Taylor Southam/Erica Wang, Ridgeline, 6-2, 7-5