End of a long journey for Haggerty sisters

For Meredith and Melinda Haggerty it has taken a lot in order to make Friday's appearance in the PIAA girls' tennis doubles tournament a reality.

The girls have had to work long hours, both in practice and on their own, and they've had to make plenty of sacrifices.

There was heartbreak, like losing in district doubles last year, and there has been near misses, just one victory away from making it in singles for Meredith Haggerty or a win over Montoursville for the team to qualify for states.

Through it all the sisters had one goal in mind, end this year at the state tournament.

"It's awesome, it's been our goal all year," Meredith Haggerty said.

"It's definitely a huge step for our school, and our league," Melinda Haggerty said. "I think just one other girl from our league has ever made states."

While both girls have had plenty of success on their own, and Meredith almost made states in singles, they know that they are better together.

"We try and say we are singles players when we play singles, but when it comes down to it we are a doubles team," Meredith said. "We have played a lot of doubles together."

PLENTY OF WORK

For the Haggertys the sacrifices to make it to states include giving up basketball before last year to focus all of their attention on tennis.

"All the tournaments, they take a lot of time," Melinda said. "It was a big decision to give up basketball. But, we weren't going anywhere in that sport."

While the sisters put in plenty of time in practice, they also travel all over to play in tournaments and try and improve their game.

"That got us to where we are," Melinda said. "We go up to Syracuse, Elmira, Binghamton to play in tournaments."

Playing in a league that doesn't have the same competition and an area that doesn't have as much youth tennis has been a challenge at times.

"It's definitely a lot harder for us," Meredith said. "On the other side of it, this was our goal."

One of the advantages of playing in all the tournaments over the years is that Meredith and Melinda will know plenty of the competition.

"We probably know a lot of the girls that will be down there," Melinda said. "We have played against a lot of different players in tournaments."

GETTING STARTED

For the sisters it was coach Alison Simms who got them involved in tennis when they were little.

"We took lessons when we were young with Alison Simms," Melinda said. "When we were five years old we took lessons, and actually all the girls on this year's team got started with those lessons.

"Tennis loses a lot of good athletes to soccer and volleyball. I wish we had a good junior high program to help develop players."

While many state level tennis players grew up with the game, the sisters really started playing full-time later in life.

"We don't have the experience some players have," Melinda said. "A lot of them start when they are little, we basically didn't start until ninth grade."

While Meredith and Melinda didn't get the earliest start in the game, future Towanda players may thanks to the sisters' dad.

"My dad has big dreams," Melinda said. "Our parents never miss a tennis match and my dad can't wait to learn to play tennis."

"He wants to get more youths involved in the sport," Meredith said. "I think this program will take off when it starts out."

The Haggertys' dad has been building a tennis dome and in the future he hopes to allow younger players to take the court year long.

For the sisters, had the dome been around when they were little, they have little doubt where they would be right now.

"I'd be Serena Williams," Melinda said.

"We would be Venus and Serena Williams," Meredith added.

OPPOSITE

ATTITUDES

As sisters Meredith and Melinda know each other better then most doubles teams and that works to their advantage on the court.

"We feed off each other easily," Melinda said. "We really get each other up when we are down. It's kind of like a twin telepathy, even though we aren't twins. We know what the other is thinking and we don't need to talk to communicate on the court."

While the sisters are extremely close, that doesn't mean everything they do on the court is the same.

"I like to go after my shots," Melinda said. "I also like to play the net a lot."

"I tend to be a little more conservative," Meredith said. "It works perfectly when we play doubles together."

That aggressiveness is not only on shots, but also on the serve for Melinda.

"That's a huge thing, I always tend to go for my serve and it gets me in trouble," Melinda said. "Meredith knows when to tell me to pull back and not go for it."

Another thing with the sisters is that they are hitting from opposite sides with one being a righty and one a lefty.

"I really think that is a huge advantage," Melinda said. "When we are on our sides we both have our forehands."

"And with the serve coming from two different places, I think that can make a difference," Meredith said.

The same differences that the sisters bring on the court, are also like their personalties off it.

"Melinda is more outgoing, I do try and calm her down on the court," Meredith said. "We are so close, we really get along great. I know how to get her back in the game and she knows how to get me going."

GAINING RESPECT

Coming from the NTL respect is hard to come by for tennis players, but the sisters have started to gain some this year.

"I think we shocked a lot of people," Meredith said. "But, we expected we could do this."

When Meredith and Melinda started playing for Towanda the Black Knights struggled to even get players seeded in the district tournaments.

"That was our coach (Charlie Crawford), he changed that," Melinda said. "It's on a record system now, since we were undefeated as a team, unless someone else was undefeated we were going to be No. 1. It's like that in singles and doubles now too."

"My sophomore year it was really bad," Meredith said. "I wasn't even seeded at districts. It was basically who people liked more."

From those days the Black Knights are now sending Meredith and Melinda to states, but the two still don't believe people will expect a lot from them.

"No one expects Towanda to do anything," Melinda said. "I think we can work hard and have good matches, even if we are big underdogs."

While states is special, it's still just another tournament for the pair.

"It's going to be a big atmosphere down there, but it's still just another tournament," Melinda said. "It definitely helps if you get a good draw. But, we aren't expecting to play anyone easy down there, we know it's going to be tough no matter what."

THE FUTURE

While Meredith and Melinda are so comfortable together on the court, they know their days of playing together for Towanda are near an end.

While Melinda is a junior and will be back next year, Meredith is a senior and this is her last weekend playing for Towanda.

"It's going to be strange," Melinda said. "The only two people I have ever played doubles with are coach Jack Wentzel, who I have played mixed doubles with, and Meredith."

"It's going to be really tough," Meredith said. "It's so sad, I try and not think about it."

While Meredith is the older sister, Melinda believes she will miss her younger sister.

"She will be so lost without me," Melinda said. "I cook her meals, I wake her up to go to bed when she falls asleep on the couch."

Next year Meredith will likely find herself playing college tennis and she knows how important this state tournament is for her.

"I'm definitely nervous, a lot of colleges are going to be here looking at us," Melinda said.

"I'm excited to try and have a good showing," Meredith said. "A lot of the schools I'm looking at will be there."

Meredith is looking at a number of Division I and Division II schools and she knows that playing well at states will help a lot.

"That would definitely be big," she said. "A lot of those coaches will be watching."

COMPETITIVE

While the two sisters are thrilled to be going to states together and they are both happy for the other, that doesn't mean their isn't some competitiveness between them.

"The coaches don't let us play each other," Meredith said. "They think it's a bad idea."

But, that doesn't mean it hasn't happened before.

"We played in a tournament in Elmira, it was really bad," Melinda said.

And the two have squared off for their positions on the Black Knights tennis team.

While Meredith has always won to be the team's top singles player, Melinda is quick to point out she has beaten her sister.

"I win the matches that don't matter," Melinda said. "No one believes me, but I have beaten her. I win a lot during the summer when it doesn't count."

When the matches have mattered for a spot on the team, Meredith wasn't about to lose to her younger sister.

"That was never an option," she said.

And, when the sisters play they also tend to try and get in each others head.

"Tennis is probably 80 percent mental and you can definitely mess with people," Meredith said. "When we play doubles Melinda messes with people more than I do. I just mess with her when we play."

And while Meredith came up one win short of making states in singles this year, her younger sister hopes to one up her by qualifying on her own next year.

"I definitely plan on it," she said. "I'm never satisfied with my game, I definitely plan on working hard and qualifying for states on my own."

While both sisters are looking to go and play in college and be near each other, that doesn't necessarily mean they will reunite at the college level.

"I'm looking to go to school near her," Melinda said. "She's looking at some schools in Philadelphia and I'm looking at some of the other schools there that she's not looking at."

And could that mean that the two may square off in college?

"We are definitely both very competitive," Melinda said. "But, that would be really tough."

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