One season after winning the championship at the CIAC Invitational, Yumi Inagawa and Cameron Sowter of Greenwich High School doubled their pleasure when they, once again, tested their skills in the ultra-competitive tournament, recently.

Inagawa and Sowter, Greenwich’s No. 1-seeded doubles team, won the title at the CIAC Invitational Girls Tennis Tournament for the second straight season, concluding their undefeated 2025 season with another championship.

Inagawa. a senior, who will graduate from Greenwich High tomorrow (June 17th) and Sowter, a sophomore, played senior Emme Pecorin and junior Maddie Wilber, also of GHS, in the title match at the CIAC Invitational at Conard High School in West Hartford on June 12th. That’s right, the doubles final featured an all-Greenwich High School matchup.

“It was really interesting playing them in the finals because it almost felt like practice,” Inagawa said of competing against Pecorin and Wilber in the doubles final. “I think because we always do play them in practice me and Cameron didn’t have much of an issue and we didn’t get into our heads too much.”

“We knew we would be happy even if we had lost because we would be losing to teammates we knew were amazing players,” Inagawa continued.

It isn’t often when doubles teams from the same squad faced each other in the championship match of the CIAC Invitational.

“I honestly couldn’t be happier to have played them in the finals,” Sowter said. “I’m so happy to say we had an all Greenwich final. The match was definitely still but we made sure that we knew it was all respect.”

In the all-Cardinals doubles championship, Sowter/Inagawa won the CIAC Invitational title with a 6-2, 6-1 win over Pecorin and Wilber. During the CIAC Invitational, the top-seeded Inagawa and Sowter registered a record of 5-0, winning all five matches in straight sets.

Such was the theme of the season for the Cardinals’ dynamic duo, who went undefeated for the season, winning their matches in straight sets. Indeed, it was certainly a memorable two seasons for the tandem, whose skills complemented each other perfectly.

“I think it mainly comes down to our chemistry off the court,” Inagawa said. “It feels like she is a little sister to me, so even when we do argue and get into little tiffs, we always knew that we loved each other.”

Inagawa/Sowter earned a return appearance in the CIAC Invitational doubles final by posting a 6-3, 6-1 victory against senior Caitlin Smith and freshman Allegra Early in the semifinal-round. The quarterfinals saw Cameron and Yume sweep Guilford’s Katherine Gasparini, a junior and Breann Shelton, also a junior, 6-0, 6-0.

In the Round of 16, Greenwich’s top doubles team were 6-1, 6-2 winners over Laurelton Hall seniors Lily Garate and Madelyn Wolfe. The CIAC Invitational doubles tournament began with Inagawa/Sowter defeating South Windsor juniors Lassya Challa and Amanda Marques, 6-1, 6-2.

Also an outstanding, highly successful doubles team for Greenwich, Pecorin and Wilber went 4-1 in the CIAC Invitational. The Cardinals’ duo won their first round match versus seniors Abigail Raffone and Laura DeGennaro from Woodland High School, 6-1, 6-1.

The Round of 16 saw Pecorin/Wilber earn a 6-4, 6-3 win over senior Cassy Polansky and Genesis Cruz-Lugo, also a senior, of South Windsor, 6-4, 6-3. In the quarterfinals, Emme and Maddie edged junior Paige Seaver and senior Ellery Walker of Fairfield Ludlowe, 6-2, 2-6, 13-11. Last season, Inagawa and Sowter defeated a doubles team from Fairfield Ludlowe in the CIAC Invitational finals.

Pecorin and Wilber won their semifinal-round match in straight sets, 6-2, 6-0. Greenwich also brought two singles players to the CIAC Invitational – junior Shining Sun and Caitlin Mahoney, also a junior.

Sun won her first three matches of the CIAC Invitational to advance to the quarterfinals. She topped Izabelle Tidlikyte of New Fairfield in the opening round, 6-1, 6-2. In the Round of 32, Sun beat Darien’s Julia Glowonia, 7-5, 6-2 and in the Round of 16, she was a 6-3, 6-4 winner against Newington’s Neha Vishwanath.

Sun was defeated by Leah Zheng of New Canaan in the quarterfinals, 6-3, 6-0. Zheng, the tournament’s No. 1 seed, went on to win the CIAC Invitational singles championship, winning against her Amity opponent, 6-3, 6-3.

Mahoney won her opening-round match versus her foe from Berlin, 6-2, 6-0, then lost to Sarah Siolkowski from East Catholic, the No. 2 seed, 6-1, 6-1.

It was a storybook season for Greenwich’s varsity girls tennis team. The Cardinals went a perfect 15-0 during the regular season, won all three matches on their way to winning the FCIAC Tournament championship, then finished 4-0 in the CIAC Class LL Tournament, capturing the state title for the second straight season. Inagawa/Sowter were in the middle of all the success, making the spectacular look routine while they defeated every doubles team they faced during the regular season and postseason.

“This year was amazing all around,” Inagawa said. “The amazing team and teammates that I was surrounded with was incredible. This year was so exciting as I was finally able to win all three tournaments.”

“From not winning states or FCIACs during my freshman year, to now winning FCIACs, states and Invitationals my senior year,” Inagawa noted.

Said Sowter, as she reflected on the Cardinals’ 2025 campaign: “The season was a great experience as always. Our bond has definitely tight. We did go undefeated again and I think we just made sure to keep communicating in our matches and to just enjoy our matches with each other.”

“Yume has whole heartedly been my rock this season,” Sowter added. “I think she is an extremely supportive person and has been there for me since beginning of my freshman year. We keep saying that we don’t know what we will do without each other next year but I know we will keep in touch and continue to have our friendship.”