If there is one thing Judy Liening has been, it's consistent.

In girls tennis for the Todd Beamer Titans, she is going to state for the fourth straight year. The prior three trips were in doubles, but this time she's going in singles to try and do what she and her former doubles partner, Megan Havili, came close to doing the last three years -- win a state championship.

Havili and Liening did great at state, placing fourth as freshmen, second as sophomores and fourth as juniors.

An abdominal strain nearly made it so Liening could not make it to state this year in singles, having a close call getting in after playing so-so at districts to get the No.4 seed in action that happened May 18-19 at the Sprinker Recreation Center. Liening did make it in by winning must-win matches Friday night and Saturday.

How?

She found a method to make it, to get through it.

"Abdominal pull was done several weeks ago and I have been fighting through it," said Liening, a senior on the Titans' girls tennis team this season.

Liening, stomach trouble and all, did win her first match versus Jazmine Ayhart of Kentridge 6-1, 6-3, but then lost her second, to Christy Sipes of Gig Harbor. Then she beat Nicole Morrison 6-1, 6-1, but something was still not sitting right in Liening's stomach.

"I was uncomfortable. I had tried different things to help," said Liening. "I was using icy hot in my Friday matches, and found something better just this morning. I found a patch to put across my stomach."

The patch was not needed against some foes it appeared as she did not have it against Gladys VanDooren, her Friday evening match, a straight set, 6-0, 6-0, win, for Liening.

In the next match Liening needed all the help she could get. And that patch, surely, was a great help.

Liening went against Nell Shonnard of Bellarmine Prep and she cruised through the first set, 6-2. But the second set was much closer. Fill-in coach Andrew Buchan, who is TJ's coach, thought maybe the strain was 'tightening up' for why Liening suddenly found herself no longer in cruise control down, 5-2 in the second set. Liening marched back in it by winning the next two games, 6-4. Then Liening won the next two, taking the second set, 7-5, and completing another good district performance in advance of state.

The Sipes loss was not of so much concern to Liening, who knows that foe is good. Liening did not face Sipes during the regular season because Liening plays in the South Puget Sound League North and Sipes is from the Narrows League.

"I have a better idea of what she does, going into state now," said Liening. "Figuring out what she is going to do."

Liening, all things considered like a stomach muscle pull, was one to beat at districts and no one could unseed her from making state. That was with her hurting not just at districts but she's been hurt, as she said, for "several weeks" now.

"I did pretty well," said Liening. "That last one was a tough match, it's been a long weekend."

Looking back, Liening had a lot of fun with her former teammate, Havili, in doubles as a Titan.

Unselfish fun?

Liening laughed a little, "Yeah, I would have rather been playing singles, but doubles was fun though."

And you liked playing with Havili?

"Yeah, I liked both, and I liked Megan," she said. "I grew up with Megan playing tennis. It was fun. We were really good friends. She graduated last year."

Singles is not so much different for Liening either. She has a chance to play, just has not played in high school until this her senior season.

"I have played in USTA (United States Tennis Association) tournaments outside of high school," said Liening, who will attend Eastern Washington University on both athletic and academic scholarships, being a 3.8 g.p.a student. "It was easy for me to transition from doubles to singles in high school."

The competition at state should not bother Liening so much either.

"I've played against all these girls pretty much in summer tournaments so I know them," said Liening.

Buchan, the head coach at Thomas Jefferson who is helping out along with stand-in Titans coach Fonda Mongrain, thinks that Liening is good enough for a good finish at state.

"Her goal is top six I think," said Buchan. "That is realistic. Clearly the favorite is Sipes from Gig Harbor."