Tayvia Yamagata wrapped up a stellar tennis career for Konawaena with a third place finish in the HHSAA state tournament on Saturday at Oahu’s Central Regional Park. The win was the highest individual finish for a Wildcat player in the state tournament.
Yamagata is no stranger to setting records. The Sacramento State signee became the first individual Konawaena player to win a BIIF title in 17 years last season, and she backed that up with another title after going undefeated in league play this season.
Yamagata faced a familiar foe in her third place state match, defeating Waiakea’s Maile Brilhante in straight sets, 6-4, 6-0. The Wildcat senior cruised to the victory, making quick work of the BIIF runner-up with her powerful play.
The state tournament played out just as the seedings predicted, with Punahou’s No. 1 seed Alyssia Fossorier defeating her teammate Katreina Corpuz — the second seed — in the finals (6-4, 5-7, 6-2).
Last season, Corpuz won the HHSAA title with a win over Saint Francis’s Taylor Lau.
Yamagata, who was seeded third for this year’s tournament, lost to Fossorier in the semifinals 7-5, 6-3. The two had met in the third place match last year, which Fossorier also won in straight sets.
Brilhante, seeded fourth, lost in the semifinals to Corpuz 6-3, 6-3, before dropping her final match to Yamagata.
Yamagata also won a BIIF championship as a doubles player during her sophomore season, giving her three league titles. She placed second at states that year in doubles play with teammate Rashai Kailiwai.
On the boys side, an All-BIIF upset came when Hilo’s Gil Assi edged Hawaii Preparatory Academy Standout Ryo Minakata 7-5, 7-5 in the quarterfinals.
Minakata was undefeated in BIIF play this season and had beat Assi — the 2016 BIIF champion — in the league’s championship match the last two seasons.
Assi lost in the semis and was edged for third by Mid-Pacific’s Reyn Miyagawa.
No BIIF doubles team managed a top-four finish.
