In a thrilling final week of the Girls Varsity Tennis season, Carly Cassity and Caroline Greenberg won districts, sectionals and placed third at State in electrifying fashion.

After finishing first in districts over the Clayton two seed doubles, Isabella Jacobs and Carly’s younger sister, Connor Cassity, Carly Cassity and Caroline Greenberg continued to defeat a Visitation doubles team and advance through two rounds at State.

In the semifinals, Cassity and Greenberg played a nail-biter against Barstow, but ended up losing in two sets 6-7, and 4-6. The Barstow team continued on to place first at state. In the third place match, Cassity and Greenberg handily dispatch the Pembroke Hill team to place third and complete a podium finish at the 2011 Missouri Girls State tournament.

The road to third place at State was not an easy one, as Cassity reflects.

“We definitely had to step it up once we realized that in order to qualify for State we had to beat the team from Visitation,” Cassity said. “We already knew they were really good so we practiced a lot on our own and set up a ton of practice matches with other high school teams.”

Cassity and Greenberg’s doubles success stems from the close links they have formed on and off the court in recent years, which serve for better communication, trust, and morale when the matches get tough.

“It helps a lot that Caroline and I are such good friends and that we are equally competitive,” Cassity said. “We basically had to work together and practice together every day. In the end, we definitely understood that we had the same goal and helped each other reach it. that’s what’s so great about doubles.”

Greenberg adds that knowing each others’ strengths and weaknesses played an integral part in their success on the court over the season and at State.

In addition to the bonds Greenberg and Cassity developed together to strengthen their doubles game, Greenberg reflects on the season for the team as a whole, which was enjoyable for everyone.

“I really loved our team this year,” Greenberg said. “We really bonded and had fun so I loved being part of it. We lost to Burroughs in districts which ended the season but we had a great record and had a really good time together.”

Finally, Cassity contemplates and touches on team goals for the coming season.

“It was extremely exciting to place third this year in doubles,” Cassity said. “We got so close this year as a team to qualifying for state and I think it would be fun and exciting to not only qualify but win state next year as a team. I know we have a lot of good players working hard for the next season and I think we could do it.