Birts nudge Dodds for regional title

Free State's Caitlin Dodd looks to return the ball in doubles match Saturday at Kansas girls regional tennis in Gardner.

? Lawrence High seniors Anna and Yelena Birt have played against Free State junior Caitlin Dodd and Ali Dodd a few times this season. This family affair meant a little more on Saturday at Gardner-Edgerton High.

With a regional championship on the line, the Birts played with confidence and never were fazed in a 6-4, 6-3 victory.

It’s only the first year the Birt twins have played together as a doubles pairing, but they looked like seasoned veterans with strong communication calling for the ball and directing where each wanted the other on the court.

“I definitely feel like it’s just a twin thing,” Anna Birt said of their success together. “I know it sounds like a cliché.”

The Birts, who entered as the No. 1 seed in doubles, qualified for their first trip to the state tournament, after playing their “best day of tennis all season.” They never dropped a set on Saturday, playing aggressively and drilling return winners with strong net play.

“Our goal was to come out here and play our best,” said Anna Birt, who wears the more colorful socks compared to her identical twin. “Win or lose, leave it all on the court — and I believe that’s what we did.”

It was a much different path for Free State’s Dodd sisters. Nothing was easy, as they won in an 11-9 tiebreaker during the second set of their thrilling quarterfinals match. In the semifinals, they won both sets by the score of 7-5, finding ways to come back when trailing by a game.

“We didn’t need to think about the score of the game, we just needed to focus on the point,” said Ali Dodd, who was the only freshman from the regional to qualify for state.

The Dodd sisters weren’t the only highlight for the Firebirds. Senior Taylor Hawkins and junior Rachel Walters took third place in doubles with a tough 7-6 (5), 6-4, victory in the third-place match.

The two doubles teams lifted the Firebirds to second place in the team standings, just behind Olathe East.

“Rachel and Taylor are just the scrappiest players,” FSHS coach Oather Strawderman said. “They hustle for everything. They just keep fighting until the very last bit. Looking at the girls (celebrating and taking pictures together), that’s what this is all about.”