The right- and left-handed duo complemented each other seamlessly Monday afternoon.
The strengths of sophomore Claire Marshall and junior Meg Crowley on the court are different: Marshall favors playing at the net and winning points off volleys, while Crowley excels at playing on the baseline.
The combination produced a first place win at the USTA/ITA Div. III women's tennis central regional doubles championships at Washington University in St. Louis.
Head coach Scott Riggle was excited to see that the pair matched up on paper and on the court.
"They both bring a lot of positive high energy to the match," Riggle said. "They are doing a great job of keeping each other up. If they have a shaky streak, they don't get down or bring their partner down. They are patient with their partner, and do things to lift each other up."
Marshall and Crowley proved themselves as doubles partners this fall. The teammates complete each other's style of play, and they make a seemingly perfect team.
"Our coach put us together solely by the way the style of our playing matched up," Marshall said. "She's more aggressive, and I'm more passive so when you put us together we worked really well."
Added Riggle, "Claire and Meg have gotten to the point where there are no holes in their play and no worries in any spots."
The chemistry of the girls off the court also contributed to their success. Being best friends and members at Pi Beta Phi sorority allowed the girls to become comfortable with each other on and off the court.
"We have good communication and understand what we need to do to win a match," Marshall said. "She became a big sister for me, and I really followed her and looked up to her, not only in tennis but also in school."
Although Marshall is the younger of the duo, her skill is still at a high level.
"Playing with an upperclassman is harder for me than playing with an underclassman because I feel like I have expectations to live up to," said Crowley, who played with a senior last year. "Claire has made monumental strides at her aggressiveness at the net. I'm proud of her. She doesn't play like an underclassman."
Although the doubles partners have accomplished so much at this point of the season, Riggle has high expectations for them for the spring.
"I want the girls to just keep improving and getting better and better," Riggle said. "They need to approach their potential every time out. They have done a great job of this so far this fall."
Next week, Crowley and Marshall will travel to Mobile, Ala., for the USTA/ITA National Small College Championship that starts on Thursday.