HS TENNIS: FC goes all in with doubles

By MIKE HUTSELL
Mike.Hutsell@newsandtribune.com

May 06, 2008 12:58 am

— FLOYDS KNOBS — Ask Floyd Central girls’ tennis coach Rick Miller what spot in his lineup he’d be most willing to bet all his chips on and he’d likely be quick to answer his No. 1 doubles team.
The tandem of Kayla Prusinski and Emma LaDuke just keeps finding ways to pay off.
On Monday, the duo provided the decisive third point by outdueling Providence’s Elyse LaGarenne and Stephanie Smith in a three-set match to give the Highlanders a 3-2 victory.
“That could be an all-state doubles team,” said Miller. “They’re that good. I like their chances whenever they’re out there.”
Prusinski and LaDuke have won all but one match they have entered this season, losing a third-set tiebreaker against Indianapolis Cathedral in a tournament last month.
“They’ve just gone out there every match and competed against some of the best teams in the state,” said Miller. “Providence’s girls played them very well, it certainly was not an easy victory.”
With the score 4-3 in the final set, LaDuke and Prusinski broke serve and then closed out the final game with Prusinski serving.
The win was pivotal in a tight contest between two clubs that could match up in the first round of regional play later this month.
Two singles matches ended rather quickly, with the two sides each grabbing one victory. Jill Grable scored for Providence as she beat Chelsea Burch 6-0, 6-2 at No. 2 singles. That win was followed quickly by a Floyd triumph, when Jessica VanWinkle topped Rachel Gish, 6-1, 6-1 at No. 3.
The final three matches were very much in doubt throughout. Providence seized the first set at both No. 1 singles and No. 2 doubles, but managed wins at only one of those positions. Floyd’s doubles squad of Annie Hunt and Alyssa Botkins stormed back to score a 2-6, 6-4, 6-0 win over Hanna Gish and Kelli Case.
“That doubles team had never played together before today and Annie had never played varsity doubles before,” said Miller. “You don’t know what you’re going to get there really. For them to come back like that, win a set and then win the third set 6-0 — you don’t see that a whole lot.”
At No. 1 singles, Whitney Thomas of Providence survived a tough second set, rallying from down 6-5 to win a tiebreaker and beat Kelsey Wisman 6-4, 7-6 (7-3).
“We thought they would have the advantage over us at No. 2 because Jill is really a girl who could be No. 1 — they’ve got two girls good enough to play that top spot,” said Miller. “We hoped to win one singles but Whitney’s a tough player. We were confident at No. 3 singles and we felt good going in with No. 2 despite our inexperience there.
“That really left us with (one doubles) where we like our team every match. But this one was close all the way through — if we play them again at regional it could easily go the other way in a couple of those tight spots.”
That’s the message that Pioneer coach Barry Decatur was quick to convey to his squad following the loss.
“This is definitely a match we can build off of,” said Decatur. “We feel like we left some points in spots where we had opportunities to win.”
Floyd begins play in the Hoosier Hills Conference tournament today against Madison. Providence will continue its season on Thursday against Silver Creek.

Floyd Central 3, Providence 2
Singles — Thomas (P) d. Wisman 6-4, 7-6 (7-3), Grable (P) d. Burch 6-0, 6-2; VanWinkle (F) d. Gish 6-1, 6-1
Doubles — LaDuke-Prusinski (F) d. LaGarenne-Smith 7-5, 5-7, 6-3; Botkins-Hunt (F) d. Gish-Case 2-6, 6-4, 6-0.

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