Konawaena junior Tayvia Yamagata knows how to win tough battles, but even better she knows how to play with the heart of a champion.
She carries a big bull’s-eye on her back wherever she goes and doesn’t mind playing under a spotlight.
That comes with the territory of being No. 3 in the Hawaii Pacific section of the United States Tennis Association’s girls 18s singles rankings.
But she also has the resolve of a BIIF champion. Last year, she won the league doubles title with Rashai Kailiwai and finished second at the HHSAA tournament.
This season, Yamagata is playing No. 1 singles for the Wildcats, the two-time defending BIIF champion, and her experience was quite helpful against Waiakea standout freshman Anna Oda.
Yamagata served bullets, chased down balls and remained mentally tough to defeat Oda 6-2, 5-7, 1-0 (7) in a BIIF showdown Friday at Waiakea’s campus courts.
However, the Warriors beat the Wildcats 4-1, finished the regular season 11-0 and clinched the No. 1 seed to the BIIF team championships, slated April 15 at Holua.
The Wildcats fell to 6-4.
For the boys, Waiakea defeated Konawaena 4-1, finished with an 8-3 record and earned at least the No. 4 and last seed to the playoffs.
The Wildcats, who captured the BIIF title last season, their first since 2000, dropped to 7-3.
Waiakea’s No. 1 singles player, freshman Keilyn Kunimoto, was out with an injury. She’s No. 1 in the Hawaii Pacific USTA’s 16s singles rankings; Oda is No. 2.
At first glance, the battle between Yamagata and Oda looked like a matchup of power against placement.
Yamagata’s biggest weapon is her powerful first serve. It’s a rifle shot. She hits fastballs that are hard to handle.
But she struggled to get it in and had to rely on her spinning drop serve on her second attempt. Oda timed those and hammered line-drive sinkers to the corners.
When Oda made Yamagata run after balls, the Wildcat right-hander returned fire not with heaters but looping shots.
It’s something of a veteran move.
Why risk an unforced error on a high-risk return shot when you can hit a high rainbow, run back on defense and reset?
It worked for Yamagata, who found her first serve later in the match and forced Oda to play defense on the baseline.
When Yamagata charged the net, Oda showed her shot-making ability with cross-court line drives or perfectly placed lob shots. She also had some untimely unforced errors, too.
“It was tough. We both fought back and forth,” said Yamagata, who was runner-up in BIIF singles as a freshman. “I play in a lot of (offseason) tournaments and usually make it a close match, so I’m used to pulling through when it’s tight. I knew I had to play smart because she would take advantage if I didn’t make a smart decision.
“When I charged the net, I wanted to put away balls with my volley. I didn’t always try to use power. I wanted to place it deep.”
Yamagata is undefeated and beat Kunimoto before. Her Wildcats are probably a long-shot for a three-peat, but she’s a favorite for the BIIF singles crown.
“I do feel a lot of pressure because I’m older and expected to do better,” said Yamagata, who picked up tennis at 11 years old. “Coach Richard Kahalioumi has helped me with my serve and with everything, too.”
Yamagata tried other sports when she was younger but found her comfort zone with tennis.
Kahalioumi just likes the tenacity that she brings to the court. Yamagata may be a late bloomer, but she doesn’t play like one.
“She’s a fighter. She has a good baseline game, ground strokes and all-around game,” he said. “But beyond that, she has mental toughness. She was rushing her first serve. Then toward the end, they started going in. That made a big difference.
“She can also dig deep and run down balls. When she was down 7-3 (in the second set), her demeanor and body language started to change and she had pep in her step. Her technique and strokes are all there. It’s her mental toughness that’s very crucial.”
Waiakea coach Bill Brilhante pointed out the match was a good lesson for Oda, who is usually paired with Maile Brilhante at No. 1 doubles.
“Anna played fantastic. You gain so much more from a close loss than an easy win,” he said. “She learned that she has to play her game. She was a little impatient, then she started to grind away for points. That what she had to do.”
But Brilhante also saw how Yamagata stopped Oda’s momentum cold and raised her game.
“When Tayvia was down 7-3, she showed that heart of a champion. She willed herself and grinded out points,” he said. “She got on a roll and seized the momentum.”
That’s what champions do.