Stevenson-Waldner set to compete in doubles at state tennis tournament

DEXTER, Mo. - Makayla Waldner and Kendra Stevenson continued preparing for the upcoming girls state tennis tournament Tuesday afternoon following school.

"I'm expecting it to be a big deal," Waldner said at the Dexter practice courts Tuesday. "But I'm not so sure what to expect."

Waldner and Stevenson are among 16 doubles teams in Missouri to qualify for the individual doubles state tennis tournament, which will take place Friday and Saturday at Cooper Tennis Complex in Springfield, Mo.

Other Class 1 doubles participants are Notre Dame's Carly Hopkins and Reagan Kapp, Bishop DuBourg's Rebecca Canino and Mary Mazzuca, Lutheran South's Alissa Holthe and Emily Brown, Clayton's Connor Cassity and Cameron Freeman, Visitation Academy's Isabel Newell and Alexandria Squellati, Moberly's Amber Morris and Kelsey Fanning, Marshall's Payton Beeler and Idalia Aguilar, Forsyth's Elizabeth Barnes and Kendra Edwards, Bolivar's Emma Samek and Macy Hall, Harrisonville's Cassandra Long and Jessica Nichols, Thomas Jefferson Independent's Thisbe Scholfield Johnson and Evadne Rodriguez, Barstow's Alena Frye and Madeleine Tadros, Pembrook Hill's Cindy Wang and Ellison Rooney, Savannah's Jenny Cornellius and Shayna Rosenak, and Chillicothe's Kelly Westphal and Chelsea Long.

"I want to win at least one match, if not more," Stevenson said of the competition.

The 16 teams will compete in a double-elimination bracket. First-round opponents will be drawn Wednesday.

First round matches will begin at approximately 10:15 a.m. Friday. Consolation quarterfinal and championship quarterfinal matches will follow on Friday afternoon. Semifinal and championship matches will take place Saturday.

DUSTIN WARD - dward@dailystatesman.com Dexter's Kendra Stevenson eyes a shot.

"You are guaranteed two matches," Dexter girls tennis coach Kurt Lovelady said. "So you will play until you lose two."

Waldner and Stevenson advanced to state after placing second in their district and winning a sectional match against a doubles team from North County.

The score of Waldner-Stevenson's state sectional was 7-6 (9-7), 6-0.

"They lost some momentum in the first couple games," Lovelady said. "North County came out and had good ground strokes. It took them a while to get in a groove, but once they got in a groove they were hitting the ball well. After the first set they were able to cruise easily in the second set. They are well conditioned and a tough team to beat."

Stevenson-Waldner secured the first set of the sectional by winning a tiebreaker 9-7.

Stevenson said: "They looked good and everything, but I knew we were in better shape than them. If we are in better shape than the other team we can easily beat them."

Waldner and Stevenson said they gel well together on the court.

"We are both really aggressive, which helps us a lot," Waldner said.

"When I'm not where the ball is she is and if she's not there I am," Stevenson added. "We just know where to be."

Stevenson and Waldner took home the top prize at the individual doubles tournament in Farmington earlier this season.

"I put them together in the Farmington tournament at the end of September," Lovelady said. "I had the top four playing with each other to see who they like playing with. These two really hit it off and loved playing with each other. I always let my girls choose who they want to play with in individual districts and these two wanted to play together."

Waldner, a sophomore, has competed at state in girls track as a freshman but has not competed at the state level in girls tennis.

It is also Stevenson's first appearance at the state tournament

"I don't want it to be my last tennis match," Stevenson said. "I want to continue to play and I wish tennis was all-year-long just because I like the girls so much."