Conditions just right for Glenbard West's Reedy, Hennessy
Thursday's rainy conditions worked out just fine for the Glenbard West doubles team of Samantha Reedy and Molly Hennessy.
With the early round matches of the state tennis tournament pushed indoors, Reedy, a sophomore, and Hennessy, a freshman, didn't have to worry about sun, wind or cold weather, and they breezed through their first two matches to advance to today's third round.
IHSA officials canceled the tournament's back draw, and while most of the doubles teams got two matches in, a few and some singles players were able to play only one match due to the limited court space at many of the indoor venues .
After traveling to the indoor facility in Hanover Park and waiting a short time, Reedy and Hennessy defeated Alysha Spencer and Kelsie Abolt of Charleston, 6-1, 6-1 and then went on to top Leslie Sibener and Brianna Solola of University High 6-1, 6-2.
"Molly and I have been training together for a long time and the results showed today," Reedy said. "Our serves were really working, we were putting away volleys. It's really fun to play when you're both on. And we didn't have to worry about the conditions. It was great playing indoors."
The girls attribute a great deal of their early tournament success to their coach, Rob White, who has been encouraging them to "play simple and play solid."
"He's been working with us on changing plays and practicing slicing and just getting the ball in," Reedy said. "We're both really hard hitters, and Rob just wanted us to slow down. It was good advice, because it helped us keep more balls in."
"They're great tennis players. They listen and they can change things dramatically," White said. "They're as quick as anyone out there, and they have ice water in their veins. They can serve with great pace, and now they vary the serves and put good spin on them. They can also hit the second serve just like the first. They're not afraid of anything."
White also tells the girls not to worry about their opponent and to just concentrate on what they're doing.
"My serves set Molly up to poach for the point," Reedy said. "We can both get to shots nobody thinks we can get. And when one is running to return a shot, the other knows how to cover the court."
Glenbard West sophomore Meredith Maltby also recorded a pair of wins on the first day of competition.
The Hilltoppers doubles team of Olivia Schwartz and Madeline Morris won their first match and lost in the second round.
Wheaton Warrenville South's Andrea Kerwin and Melanie Milling, Neuqua Valley's Ali Peters and Aileen Hoffman and Benet's Kelly Carney and Joyce Hanlon also delivered two victories on Thursday to remain alive.