photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence senior Asher Sikes, front, and Josh Lavin are competing as the team's No. 1 doubles pair for the first time together.

The No. 1 boys doubles team at Lawrence High School has been in the making for three years.

Josh Lavin and Asher Sikes, both seniors, started high school playing on the soccer and tennis teams. While they’ve spent a lot of time alongside each other on the soccer field, they’ve yet to work together extensively on the tennis court. This year, however, they make up the top doubles team.

Sikes played singles for the first few years, whereas Lavin played doubles with other partners. They came close to playing together during their freshman year, but Lavin was matched with others on the team.

“We could’ve had four years together, but that’s OK,” Lavin said. “This is three years in the making.”

The duo has had to learn a lot about themselves and each other this season. One of the things they’re learning is what upsets each other and how to keep each other engaged. For Sikes, he has had to learn a lot about how to play off of another player, which has been a challenge, although he said it is nice to not have to navigate a match by himself.

“In doubles, you have to hit it in the right way and work with someone else on the court and be connected,” Sikes said. “I think doubles makes every player better when they play it.”

Chemistry is always a crucial part of a doubles team, and Lavin and Sikes are learning to build that on the court. The good thing is they already have a chemistry together from soccer that they can build on. And for Lavin, this isn’t the first time he’s had a new partner — every year of his high school tennis career he’s had a new doubles partner — but this is the first time it’s someone his same age. Their connection is strong because of it.

“On and off the court we connect,” Lavin said. “We both play on the same soccer team, and we have a lot of the same classes, so I think we connect. I’m trying to teach him a bit and hopefully learn a few things from him.”

While Sikes might have some inexperience in playing doubles, he has a lot of experience on the court. Lavin said he’s the most consistent partner he’s had, which can help them succeed with a few adjustments to their game.

The doubles team has had some ups and downs so far. After a quad in which the duo went 3-0, they went 1-2 in a quad on Monday.

The pair understands it’s a process, and that there’s a lot of season left. To finish strong and keep improving, it’s about finding consistency in their game, and particularly their serves.

“We’ve got to find the comfortable position going into the next couple of meets and do the same thing over and over again,” Lavin said. “That’s the whole thing with this sport is consistency.”

Lavin said the serves in the second quad were an issue and something they have to win at going forward. To find that success, Lavin said it’s all about not overthinking things, which can be easier said than done. Between the toss, the footwork, the jump and the different types of serves, it can be a lot to think about — or not think about. The two have to trust themselves — and each other — and take advantage of the reps they get in practice.

Tennis is a short but condensed season. It can be a grind, particularly in a single day when they are playing multiple matches. Sikes said that bringing energy in those moments and pushing each other will be key to continuing to grow in each meet.

By pushing each other in practice and matches, the duo together can reach the heights they have thought of for the past three years. For now, it’s about taking it one day at a time and continuing to work on the little things so they can finish their senior season with a good seed in the state tournament.

“We’ve got to be able to get that consistency, because once we do, we will probably get a good seed and not have to worry about (seeding),” Lavin said. “It’s all right to not be playing our best tennis at the start of the season — we want to be playing our best tennis at the state tournament.”

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence doubles player Asher Sikes serves in a tennis quad at Sports Pavilion Lawrence on Wednesday, April 2, 2025.