PARTNERS ARE TWO OF A KIND HARD-HITTING VALENCIA TENNIS PLAYERS EVOLVE INTO TOP COMBO.Byline: Gideon Gideon (gĭd`ēən), or Jerubbaal (jērŭb`āəl, –rəbā`əl) Rubin Ru´bin n. 1. A ruby. Special to the Daily News VALENCIA Valencia, region, Spain Valencia (välān`thēä), autonomous region (1990 pop. 3,902,429) and former kingdom, E Spain, on the Mediterranean. It now comprises the provinces of Alicante, Castellón, and Valencia. - Carissa Carissa see acokanthera. Eisler and Alessandra Horii are fiercely competitive Valencia High tennis standouts who like to attack the net and hit the ball hard. Doubles teams typically profit from having one such player. Two go-getters, such as Eisler and Horii, often clash. It was for that reason, despite their pleas to be paired in the weeks leading to their varsity debuts last year, Valencia coach Annie Kellogg didn't want them playing together. Kellogg begrudgingly capitulated, but after watching them stumble through the first few weeks of the season, she'd had just about enough. ``Sometimes when you have two players who make aggressive shots, when they're (both) hot, it's great,'' Kellogg explained. ``But when they're not, they just make too many errors. I needed them to be consistent, and they just weren't there yet.'' Against her better judgment, Kellogg gave Eisler and Horii a little more time to work out their compatibility issues. Eisler and Horii, Valencia's No. 2 doubles' team, have since blossomed into one of the Foothill League's best tennis twosomes. The seniors are 36-5 this year - 18-0 in Foothill League play - heading into Tuesday's match against Hart, and a league-championship showdown against Monique Palmera and Kristin Anderson Anderson, river, Canada Anderson, river, c.465 mi (750 km) long, rising in several lakes in N central Northwest Territories, Canada. It meanders north and west before receiving the Carnwath River and flowing north to Liverpool Bay, an arm of the Arctic (37-4, 18-0) going into Tuesday), the Vikings' No. 1 team, is looking likely. ``They were just determined to prove that they could do it,'' Kellogg said. ``They worked really hard for that spot and ended up (last) season being really comfortable with each other.'' Not without taking a few lumps along the way. Literally. Eisler still has a bruise bruise or contusion Visible bluish or purplish mark beneath the surface of unbroken skin, indicating burst blood vessels in deeper tissue layers. Bruises are usually caused by a blow or pressure, but they may occur spontaneously in elderly persons. on her upper back from being struck by an errant er·rant adj. 1. Roving, especially in search of adventure: knights errant. 2. Straying from the proper course or standards: errant youngsters. 3. Horii serve. Eisler was playing directly in front of Horii, the two lined up in an I-formation. ``We both like to hit the ball hard, and that can cause some problems sometimes,'' Horii acknowledged. They cite communication as a big factor in their success. ``We're really close friends on and off the court, and that's really brought up our game,'' Eisler said. ``It's really helped out, because we can tell each other anything, and we know we won't get mad. We know how to cheer each other up when we're getting down, and that's important, too.'' Said Horii: ``You have to constantly be talking on the court. You have to know where the other players going to be and what they're thinking.'' Smarts also are a factor. Both are honors students An honors student is a student in elementary, middle, or high school recognized for achieving high grades. Honors students are recognized on lists published periodically throughout the school year, known as "honor rolls". - Eisler in science studies, Horii in liberal-arts classes - who have excelled in advanced-placement course work. According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. Kellogg, they've used their brains to outwit out·wit tr.v. out·wit·ted, out·wit·ting, out·wits 1. To surpass in cleverness or cunning; outsmart. 2. Archaic To surpass in intelligence. opponents who have more ability. ``Doubles is more of a chess-match,'' Kellogg said. ``A lot of strategy goes into singles, too, but if someone's got a great serve and a better stroke than you, there's not much you can do. ``In doubles, someone can have better shots than you, but you can figure out a strategy to take that away from them. (Eisler and Horii) seem to figure out ways to win.'' Gideon Rubin, (818)713-3607 gideon.rubin(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Doubles partners Alessandra Horii, left, and Carissa Eisler are 36-5 this season - 18-0 in Foothill League play - for Valencia's girls' tennis team. John Lazar/Staff Photographer |
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