IDAHO FALLS – By the time the Idaho Falls doubles team of Katie Woodhouse and Addi Westwood reached the final set of their state championship match, coach Jenell Lester had seen what she needed to see.
A hard-fought championship match against top-seeded Kayla Nielson and Sofia Guzman of Bishop Kelly was close, with the teams splitting the first two sets.
Up 6-5 in the third, Woodhouse stepped up to serve with a chance to close out the match.
“You could see it in her eyes,” Lester said. “She dominated.”
Woodhouse and Westwood, both juniors, won the 5A girls doubles title in their first season playing together.
Pairing the two was something Lester started to think about after last season.
Woodhouse had teamed with Max Traynor to win a mixed doubles title last season and Westwood won the singles consolation title.
Traynor move on to play boys singles this year, where he eventually finished runner-up at the state tournament.
The pairing of Woodhouse and Westwood for girls doubles this year seemed like a perfect move, Lester said
“Katie and Addi have been friends and started playing tennis around seventh grade,” she said. “They have amazing chemistry and great positive energy out on the court.”
It didn’t take long for both to get on the same page, Lester noted, as the chemistry and energy the coach envisioned finally took over.
“They both are hard hitters and they just fit together,” Lester said. “Addi is a die-hard heavy hitter from the baseline. With her amazing forehand and backhand strokes and Katie’s all-over-the-court skills they figured it out … They had one off day, but after that they just steamrolled through their matches.”
Woodhouse and Westwood finished the season 22-2.
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