Firebirds relaxed entering girls tennis state tourney

Free State's Ali Dodd hits a forehand during the third-place doubles match at regionals Saturday in Olathe.

After narrowly missing a trip to the Class 6A state tennis tournament last season, Free State High sophomore Kate Piper reached her season-long goal last weekend.

Piper advanced to the state tournament with a fifth-place finish at regionals. Piper and two of Free State’s doubles teams will compete at state at 11:30 a.m. today at Topeka’s Kossover Tennis Center.

“It feels really good,” Piper said. “It’s a big accomplishment. Now that I’m going, I don’t have any more worries.”

Piper — along with doubles partners Gabby Gorman and Anna Peard — earned their first-career trips to the state tournament.

Free State senior Andrea Chen and junior Ali Dodd both return to state, though it’s their first time teaming up in doubles together.

“I think it’s a good learning experience at the very least for them,” Free State interim coach Michael Trujillo said. “The fact that Andrea and Ali have been a few times between them is a good thing to have for those younger girls who don’t know what to expect. They have someone to lean on.”

Free State’s five players — the most state qualifiers in a season since 2013 — were relaxed at practice this week.

Most of the Firebirds said their goal is just competing and making the most of their first state experience.

“State is important so obviously we’re going to be nervous,” Gorman said. “But I think we’ve prepared for this and we’ll just do our best as a team.”

Piper, who had an 18-11 record in singles, added: “We feel really energetic and loose. We’re just out to have fun.”

Dodd and Chen, who took third at regionals, enter state with an 18-6 record together. Gorman and Peard own a 14-11 record.