Kamiakin’s Emma Van Eaton looks to add to her sensational tennis career

Sarah Miller has seen a lot of tennis in her 28 years as the girls coach at Kamiakin High School, but this spring has been pretty special for the Braves.

Kamiakin went undefeated in Mid-Columbia Conference play for the third consecutive season, and doubles player Emma Van Eaton finished her senior year undefeated in league play for the fourth year in a row — a 28-0 record.

“In the last match against Walla Walla, we had the team title won and they could have easily tossed in the towel,” Miller said of Van Eaton and her partner Emily Heinrichson. “They lost the first set and came back and won in three. I have never had a girl in 28 years win every match all four years. You have to believe and battle.”

To win three consecutive MCC titles is no small feat either.

“We didn’t lose one girl off of last year’s team,” Miller said. “I have eight seniors this year. The neat thing about the team is two years go when they were sophomores, we won league handily. Last year, it was tough, and this year it was down to the wire with Southridge (5-2) and Richland (6-1). It was really a huge team effort. It shows the importance of each match.”

The 3A district tournament gets under way Saturday, with the girls at Southridge High School and the boys at Kamiakin. The second day of action is Monday, with everyone at Southridge.

Van Eaton played her freshman and sophomore years with Sarah Burns, who plays soccer at Pacific Lutheran University, and the past two with Heinrichson, a sophomore.

“It was a goal of mine to win every match,” Van Eaton said. “If it didn’t happen, I told myself I wouldn’t be sad about it.”

With her impressive career winding down, Van Eaton has a goal of reaching regionals, and hopefully state.

Though she and her doubles partners have been good in the past, they come up against top singles players who team together to play doubles in the postseason.

“I feel like everyone stacks it,” Van Eaton said. “I think there should be certain number of league matches you have to play if you want to play doubles at district. I have been playing with Emily nonstop for two years, and they pair up and they are going to state.”

In the doubles bracket, Southridge’s Grace Hamaker-Teals and Devyn Wolfe, who went to state last year, are the No. 1 seed, with Kamiakin’s Olivia Szendre and Carlin Cooley the No. 2 seed.

“Emily and I really want to make it to regionals,” Van Eaton said. “We have a chance — they take the top three.”

Van Eaton is headed to Whitworth in the fall, but tennis is not in her plans.

“I thought about it, but I never contacted the coach because I committed so late,” she said. “I have enough on my plate.”

In the singles draw, Kara Newcomb of Kamiakin and April Buckingham of Kennewick are the top seeds. Newcomb finished the season 6-1 with a loss to Richland’s Quinci Fisher.

This story was originally published May 12, 2017 at 3:52 PM with the headline "Kamiakin’s Emma Van Eaton looks to add to her sensational tennis career."