Su MEH, Johnson 2, Gaozhia VUE, Harding 1 (19-21, 21-16, 26-24)
Su Meh of Johnson outlasted Gaozhia Vue in an exhausting three set championship on Thursday. Meh now joins the Governors’ six other singles winners for a grand total of seven titles (Olamide Fadahunsi has two crowns). This was the Governors first championship since 2018 when Nou Chee Yang defeated Harding’s Jumy Miko in two sets. For the third straight year a Harding Knight came in second. Vue is the eighth Knight to get second. This also snapped a three-year streak by Highland Park with champions.
The first year the state singles title went to a 21-point format was 2007. In the 17 contests since then eight have gone to three sets. 2025 made it nine. And in the process Meh and Vue established new records. The 127 combined points smashed the old record of 114 established in 2023 when Highland Park’s Sunshine Vang beat Harding’s Kanlaya Thao with a combined 114. Also, in an historic first, 2025 was the first to go to extra points in the third set making it the longest point final ever. Only one other third set was decided by two points and that came when Ka Neng Vue of Como Park derailed Olamide Fadahunsi’s quest for three straight titles (Fadahunsi won as a Sophomore and Senior) with a 21-19 third set victory in 2010. There have been other extra point sets in these three setters, but they came in the second sets in 2011 and 2023. There were five match point chances in that final set with Meh getting three chances, and Vue two.
During the season these to rivals faced each other three times with Meh winning twice. The tight extra point final should not have been a surprise since two other sets also went long. In the first meeting of the year at the Edina Invitationals Meh won in three sets with a loss in the second set 26-24. On April 8, the first city meeting at Harding Meh won in two sets. In the return match at Johnson on May 1 it was Vue with victory although Meh won the first set 23-21.
The first set slipped away from Meh. An early five-point run gave Meh operating room at 6-1. Her biggest lead was six 11-5. Vue responded with a run of five (11-10). The first lead for Vue came after a run of three put her in front 17-16. Meh reclaimed lead 18-17. But a two-stroke smash plus two more put Vue on the verge at 20-18. Meh held off set point once, but a four-stroke smash gave Vue the victory.
Another six point lead in the second set stayed with Meh this time. Meh’s first six-point margin came at 14-8. Vue did close to 18-15 with her only run of the set. Meh even the match with a three stroke drop to Vue’s left front corner.
The dramatic third set started off with both players looking for traction as side out play ruled. Meh broke the four all tie with the first run on her fifth service. Meh led at eleven, as she had done the previous two sets 11-8, but this was the closest and the players traded sides. That sparked an immediate surge by Vue with a run of three followed by a run of four and the Knight was now in front 15-13. Vue’s biggest advantage came at 19-16, two points away from victory. Vue used a two-stroke clear to get the bird back, followed by a block on the seventh stroke of a Vue smash attempt and then evened it at 19 on a hitting error off a clear. The first match point belonged to Vue after getting the bird back on a two stroke smash. Meh survived that with a drive and then had her first match point opportunity after a Vue smash attempt was netted. Vue tied it at 21 followed by Meh’s second match point chance after a six-stroke drop. Then my camera ran out. I had to get the alternate up and that was the only point I missed. It went to Vue to tie it at 22. Meh had her third crack at ending the night after a smash. Vue tied it up again on a two-stroke drop, and then had her match point chance after Meh found the net after blocking a smash by Vue. Meh got a two-stroke smash and then capped the comeback with two more points finishing with a soft drive to Vue’s right front corner.
Both players had to endure five previous matches to get to the final game. Meh opened with a victory over Samantha Thiegs, the Washburn 2; followed by wins over Minnetonka 1 Isabel Chen, Roosvelt 1 Sophia Mitchell; Highland Park’s Nica Johnson in the quarters and Harding’s 2 Linda Chang in the semis. Meh won each match in two sets with the most points allowed in any one set 14—in the second set to Chen and in the first set to Chang.
Vue’s path to the final match followed a similar story line. She opened with a win over Eagle Ridge 1 Lashitha Potini, followed by wins over Highland Park’s 3 Harper Franz; Washington’s 1 Bao Nhia Moua; Johnson’s 2 Gaonou Vang in the quarters; and Como Park’s 2 Tsuki Solheid in the semis. All her wins were two-setters with her max allowed coming in the second set to Franz as it went to extra points 22-20.
Both players were sharp on the side out game with Meh ahead .731 to .619. Meh had four more service points in the match and two more winners. 19 of her 40 winners came in the final set. Her favorite winner came on the soft drive with 11, five of which came on the two stroke. Vue on the other hand, had 16 smashes, seven of which came on the two stroke.
Next up will be the doubles initial breakdown followed by a little deeper analysis of strokes of both finals and the overall recap, streaks, and records for the year. This will be a long process, which I hope will be completed by Memorial Day.
| Category | MEH | VUE |
| Side out | 30/41-.731 | 26/42-.619 |
| Longest side out string | 6 | 7 |
| 3+ Runs | 6 | 6 |
| Longest point string | 5 | 5 |
| SERVING | ||
| First serve | 3 | 1, 2 |
| First point | 1, 2, 3 | |
| Service points | 25 | 21 |
| Serving % | 62/65-.954 | 56/62-.903 |
| Point generated off serve | .379 | .344 |
| POINTS | 66 | 61 |
| Points after 11 | 33 | 41 |
| Points after own errors | 16 | 15 |
| Winners after own errors | 11 | 10 |
| STROKES | 278 | 230 |
| Strokes per point | 4.212 | 3.770 |
| 5+ rallies (%) | 26 | 21 |
| 2- rallies (%) | 23 | 22 |
| WINNERS | 40 | 38 |
| Aces | 0 | 1 |
| Blocks | 1 | 3 |
| Clears | 7 | 7 |
| Drives | 6 | 0 |
| Drops | 5 | 8 |
| Soft drives | 11 | 3 |
| Smashes | 10 | 16 |
| Even Stroke Winners | 24 | 23 |
| 2nd Stroke Winners | 13 | 16 |
| Odd Stroke Winners | 27 | 15 |
| ERRORS | 23 | 26 |
| Deep | 5 | 2 |
| Net | 10 | 12 |
| Wide | 4 | 6 |
| Serve | 3 | 6 |
| Unknown | 1 | 0 |
| Even stroke errors | 10 | 13 |
| 2nd stroke errors | 3 | 4 |
| Odd stroke errors | 13 | 13 |
| Largest Lead | 6, 6, 4 | 2, 1, 3 |
| W:E Ratio | 1.739 | 1.462 |
| Margin | 1.6667 | |
| Set Point % | 2/5-.400 | ¼-.250 |
| Time | 34:50 |