Free State number two singles player Andrea Chen comes around on a return to her Shawnee Mission South opponent during the LHS quad on Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2014 at Lawrence High School. Nick Krug/Journal-World Photo

It only took one match for Free State High’s doubles pairing of senior Taylor Hawkins and junior Rachel Walters to find its groove.

After an opening-match loss, Hawkins and Walters won their last two matches at No. 2 doubles Tuesday, defeating Olathe South and Lawrence High’s pair of Erin Ventura and Natalie Cote to help the Firebirds to an 1-0-2 record at the Lawrence High quadrangular at LHS.

Hawkins missed the first quad of the season because of a hip injury, but found it was easy to work alongside her new doubles partner.

“I think the loss in the beginning, we were just getting used to each other, and we were a little nervous. I know I was uptight,” Hawkins said. “Then we finally started loosening up at the end, and we did really good.”

In the final match of the day, Hawkins and Walters beat the Lions’ pair with a 9-4 victory, using strong forehand winners down the line and smashing volleys near the net for return winners.

“Rachel was killing it at the volleys,” Hawkins said. “But I just can’t wait to see how much better we get throughout the season. Today, we just improved drastically over three games, so I’m excited.”

Free State sophomore Andrea Chen went 3-0 at No. 2 singles, bouncing back from a 5-2 deficit in her second match of the afternoon against Olathe South’s Rachel Li. The match was the longest of the afternoon, as both players kept the ball in play for long rallies.

“I just needed to keep a positive attitude,” Chen said of her comeback victory. “I talked to myself, which sounds kind of weird. But just keep encouraging yourself and believe you can do it.”

Chen used strong serves, and her forehand was consistent with keeping the ball on the court and in dangerous positions for her opponents.

“I’m still looking at some specific matches that I wish would have gone the other way, and looking at some things we can improve on,” FSHS coach Oather Strawderman said. “But as far as a positive or a negative day for us? It was definitely a positive day.”

The Lions went 0-2-1 in their matches but had to shift their lineup around after senior Kendall Pritchard, who played at No. 1 singles, suffered from cramps and heat exhaustion following her first match.

That forced LHS junior Caroline Baloga to step into No. 1 singles for the last two matches, and freshman Chisato Kimura went from watching the match as a sub-varsity player to on the court at No. 2 singles.

Kimura lost both matches but mostly avoided unforced errors and kept the ball in play as she still works to refine her raw skills.

“I was proud of Chisato and the way she stepped up and stepped in for the team and the way she played for us,” LHS coach Chris Marshall said. “She looked good out there, even though she’s not at the varsity level.”

Baloga, who missed the team’s first quad because of illness, won only one game in the first two matches before topping Free State’s Natalie Myers in a tiebreaker, 9-8 (7-4).

“I thought it was a little hard to get back into it, especially since I had to step up to No. 1 singles,” Baloga said. “I think once I found a strategy that worked for me, that helped a lot. But it was a long, tiring day.”

Baloga developed a strategy during her losses of using topspin on her backhand to force opponents to hit shots toward the net. She would then approach the net and set up easy return winners from the close distance.

“The best thing about today, it showed us where we’re at and what we need to work on, so that’s a positive,” Marshall said. “I think we could have played tennis a little better today.”

The Lions will go on the road to play Blue Valley Northwest at 3:30 p.m. today.