Stanwood seniors Bradie Ferguson and Melissa Ness have played tennis together as a doubles team since they were sophomores. It’s been easy for first-year Spartans coach Sean Cunningham to see they have strong chemistry and complement each other’s skills nicely as they started this season with a 7-0 record.
“They never get upset at each other, and they know their strengths,” Cunningham said. “They have an intuitive sense of where the other is going to be. They switch naturally, and most double teams need to communicate that. It’s fun to watch because they clearly understand their roles. Melissa is the bigger hitter, and Bradie is consistent and mentally tough.”
The Spartans also have talent on the singles side, where Taryn Smith and Lucy Cunningham have enjoyed strong campaigns. Sean Cunningham said he believes his team could qualify as many as six players for the 3A District 1 tournament, and that Ness and Ferguson have a chance to advance to the state tournament.
“We’ve got three solid singles players and three solid doubles teams. We have a shot to win every time we go out there,” Sean Cunningham said. “I’ve never been around a more positive group in my life. That’s why they win. They don’t get down on themselves. That’s a great characteristic to have in tennis and in life. They can handle adversity.”
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