Split helps pair come together

May 22, 1998|By DAN SPEARS

For two seasons, the doubles team of Abby Creek and Amy Spoonire racked up a lot of wins for the Williamsport tennis team, but couldn't get a berth in the state tournament.

So going into Creek's final season, head coach Charlotte Trout asked the two to try a new strategy to fulfill their goal.

Split up.

"We had a few holes, so we asked them ... to do singles. They were worried about how it would affect their doubles," Trout said, "but we convinced them they could do it."

Creek and Spoonire did it all right, reuniting at the end of the regular season to win the county tournament and get to the District One finals to qualify for the Maryland State Tennis Tournament today and Saturday at Essex Community College.

"At first, neither of us wanted to," Creek said, "but the unselfish thing for the team was to do singles. But I think it helped make us consistent at the end."

And after the initial worry, both Spoonire and Creek bought into Trout's theory.

"We're better because of it," said Spoonire, a junior. "We got more exercise, better groundstrokes, more consistency because of it.

"But I'm lazy," Spoonire said with a laugh, "so I'm glad to be back with Abby."

And her senior partner is glad, too.

"We just work so well together," Creek said. "We're really comfortable with each other; it was so easy to get back to the way things were."

Spoonire is confident of their chances, if she can make the 6:15 wake-up call.

"That's a little rough," Spoonire said, "but we can do it. We'll take it one match at a time."

And they'll do it together, one last time.

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