Yume Inagawa and Cameron Sowter were double trouble for their opponents throughout the regular season for the Greenwich High School girls tennis team and the duo continued their dominance once the postseason began.

A first-season doubles team, Inagawa and Sowter helped the Cardinals win their first CIAC Class LL Tournament title since 2009 with their outstanding play and Wednesday the talented tandem claimed the winners’ medals at the CIAC Invitational Girls Tennis Tournament.

Sowter and Inagawa won the doubles championship at the CIAC Invitational Girls Tennis Tournament, defeating Phoebe Shostak and Paige Seaver of Fairfield Ludlowe in the title match at Conard High School in West Hartford, 6-4, 6-1.

“It was truly unexpected since it is my first time on this team,” said Sowter, a freshman. “I couldn’t imagine winning the doubles title with Yume in the beginning, but I know that we truly deserve it. It was a very joyful moment and feeling.”

Inagawa/Sowter, who successfully competed at No. 2 doubles for the Cardinals throughout the regular season and FCIAC/Class LL tournaments, went 5-0 in the CIAC Invitational Tournament, winning each match in straight sets.

“Today’s match was expected, as we had played the same team twice before, once in the regular season and once in the FCIACs,” Inagawa said of the title match at the Invitational Tournament. “Though we had won the first time and lost the second time, we had great hope to win. Our tactic was to mainly not go for much and to just play our game without going for too much.”

Challenged in the first set against Shostak and Seaver, Inagawa and Sowter held the momentum throughout the second set of the championship matchup.

“Yume and I had played the Fairfield Ludlowe girls before, so we knew what to expect,” Sowter said. “I went into the first set with the mindset that we were going to win this thing no matter how hard it is. We knew we had to be consistent and just outplay the girls.”

“The first set we struggled in the beginning, but managed to win, 6-4,” Sowter continued. “Going into the second set, we were confident we knew what to do. Yume and I played confident and knew exactly what to do and when, leading to us winning the second set, 6-1 and overall, the match.”

Inagawa/Sowter earned a berth in the title match by defeating their third-seeded opponents from Old Lyme High School in Tuesday’s semifinals, 6-4, 6-0. In the quarterfinal-round of the state Invitational tourney, also held on Tuesday, they were victorious against senior Lily Brown and senior Charlotte Stapkowski from Wilton, 6-3, 6-2.

The Round of 16 match on Monday saw Sowter/Inagawa register a 6-7, 7-6, 10-3 win against second-seeded Lucy Day/Magdalena Murphy from Fairfield Ludlowe. In the Round of 32, the first round, the Cards’ unseeded duo topped their foes from Farmington, 6-1, 6-0.

“Through the Invitationals we have always run after every ball and fought to stay in our matches,” Inagawa noted. “After we had won the match (title match), we felt relieved, as we hoped to win, not only for our team, but also our No. 1 doubles girls, as they had to withdraw after a serious injury.”

Seniors Malena Schraa and Emily Weinstein, who played at No. 1 doubles throughout the season for Greenwich, posting numerous impressive victories during the spring, won their opening-round match at the CIAC Invitational in straight sets against Brookfield, 6-3, 6-0. They were forced to withdraw in the second round, however, due to an ankle injury Schraa suffered.

With each match in the Invitational Tournament, Greenwich’s championship duo played better and gained even more confidence.

“To be honest, we knew we were good but had no idea how far we would make it,” Sowter noted. “We flew through the first match against Farmington pretty easily. We knew that we had to beat Ludlowe’s first doubles in order to have a shot. And even though it took all we had, we managed to succeed.”

“After winning that match, Yume and I had so much confidence going into our next couple of matches,” Sowter continued. “Of course, there is always nerves but the second our match starts, they fly out the window.”

During the course of the regular season, they learned how to compete with each other and quickly became an effective and highly successful doubles team. One the Cardinals could count on for key victories at the No. 2 doubles spot against FCIAC rival opponents.

“Honestly, I think that with the grade gap between us, we had initial levels of respect for each other, but as the season went along, we got closer and started opening up to each other more,” said Inagawa, a junior. “Also, Cameron’s consistent groundstrokes and my aggressive net game were kind of like matching puzzle pieces that needed to find each other.”

Greenwich’s title-winning tandem got the puzzle pieces to fit together as the season progressed.

“We started off this season a little wonky due to Cameron getting injured and being out the first three weeks of the season, but as soon as we started practicing together and playing matches we clicked right away,” Inagawa said. “My season this year as a junior has been somewhat chaotic but joyful with all the new, exciting and intimidating rolls I take on as a rising senior. But the regular season was pretty solid, but as it came to the postseason and specifically Invitationals, it became more hectic as I worried about tests and projects that may affect my grades and most importantly, worrying about my SAT and college process.”

Indeed, Sowter’s freshman season on the Greenwich team was one to remember.

“This season was the best I could ask for,” she said. “I have the most amazing captains, Kyra Dybas and Malena Schraa. They have supported me so much, alongside the rest of my teammates and of course, our coach Jerry Sulli. I was extremely excited to play doubles with Yume. I mean, off the bat we just clicked and I knew we would do amazing. This season was truly unreal. We won the state championships as well as Invitationals and I’m so incredibly proud of myself and the team.”

“I can’t wait to see what next year has in store for me,” Sowter continued. “I’m hoping to play singles next year, but I’m extremely grateful to play doubles with Yume. It was the best season.”

Said Inagawa: “Next season is always up in the air and though we made a great doubles pairing I know that Cameron is a very strong singles player and would do amazing in the singles lineup, so we will see what is in store for next season.”

This spring marked Sulli’s first season as coach of the Cardinals, who finished with a record of 21-1 on their way to winning the CIAC Class LL Tournament championship.

“Coach Jerry has been amazing for this being his first year with the team,” Inagawa said. “He has brought great positivity and inspirational speeches that make me and the girls laugh and giggle and also sometimes forever live in our memories.”