Tennis telepathy: Wildcat girls in sync at season’s center | Photo gallery

Published 5:34 pm Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Mount Si senior and lead singles player Trina Eck returns a volley on Tuesday, April 10, during play at home. Below, number one doubles player Megan McCulley, a senior, serves.

Above, Kenzie Parker serves at No. 1 doubles. Below, Annie McCall, at No. 2 doubles, serves. Inset: Jessica Crane, No. 2 doubles.

Trina Eck has been waiting a long time for this.

The senior’s patient play, returning volleys and overcoming challenges in a 6-0, 6-4 win over Juanita’s Kelsey Glenn, helped in the team’s 4-3 win over the Rebels on Tuesday, April 10. It was the best match of her life, head coach Jane Job said.

“For a long time, our number-one singles has not won,” Job said. “Number one is a very brutal spot… Trina has made history.”

“I’m so excited,” Eck said following her match, which she described as a confidence booster. Eck, a team leader, focused on outlasting her opponent and waiting to capitalize on mistakes.

“I try to keep a rally going,” she said. “I’m definitely trying to keep consistent, rather than slam it.”

In doubles, the number-two team of juniors Jessica Graves and Annie McCall beat Juanita’s Brittney Hard and Rachel Russell, 6-0, 3-6, 5-3.

After their first-set win, “We kind of psyched ourselves out in the second one,” McCall said. They set up their hopes to come back in the third, and then made it happen, in their first-ever doubles pairing.

“We sync pretty well,” McCall said. “We switch well, and cover each other’s position.”

When one misses a ball, “you’ve got to pay attention and be their back-up,” Graves said.

“It’s kind of like tennis telepathy,’” McCall added.

Mount Si’s number-three team of Peyton McCulley and Schumacher beat Juanita’s Gilbert and Farley, 6-4, 4-6, 10-7.

At number-four singles, Mount Si senior Sam Lindmeier claimed a forfeit after one match against Antoinette Ngo, 6-4.

“That was my first singles match on varsity,” Lindmeier said. “It’s the first game I’ve won this year. I like the competition and how playing singles is so much easier—you don’t have to worry about the other person.”

“I love tennis,” Graves said. “I’ve played other sports, but this one is just fun.”

The team is close, bonding well, despite a switch in coaches. Eric Hansen departed abruptly, citing personal reasons, at the end of spring break, with assistant Jane Job stepping up to take the reins of varsity. Jim Gibowski will finish the season as JV coach.