Trust and friendship make for a good equation when playing doubles in tennis.
Mustang seniors Melanie Evans and Amy Bynum have both when it comes to playing together.
The duo will compete in the one doubles division this season once again. They were slated to be the No. 1 and No. 2 singles players last season, but they had different plans in mind. They asked coach Dave Rankin if they could play as a doubles team.
“That's what they wanted to do,” Rankin said. “They had come off of volleyball and really enjoyed the team play.”
Bynum said it just didn't feel right playing singles.
“I got kind of lonely in singles, and I knew playing with one of my best friends would make the season a lot more enjoyable,” she said.
The pair joined up and finished the season to the tune of a sixth-place finish at the state tournament in 2009. Rankin noticed the two made a good match on the court.
“They work really well together, and they're great friends,” he said. “They make it fun for each other.”
The seniors have learned to rely on one another. Bynum pointed out one example.
“I trust Melanie, because she's a great net player,” she said. “If I can just keep it in, she'll take care of the rest — pick it off and end the point.”
The doubles partners met while playing volleyball years ago. Bynum invited Evans to join her in tennis back when the two were in eighth grade. Every since then, Bynum has showed her the ropes.
“Sometimes if I mess up, I'll get frustrated with myself,” Evans said. “Amy is my personal coach. “She'll tell me to 'shape it up' or what I can do to fix it.”
The two are friends on and off the court, but it can still get hectic. They might have a few miscommunications on occasion, but for the most part, they know each other well.
“I know when the stakes get high and tension is there, she is gonna understand what I'm trying to say,” Bynum said.
With six players on the squad, the pair accounts for two of the three seniors. The other three players on the squad are sophomores.
“I know we have a lot of influence on them, which is pretty cool,” Bynum said.
Rankin has high hopes for his senior doubles players. No Mustang girl has ever made the all-state squad, but he said they both have a shot this season.
The duo has their own special celebration when they win a close match. Evans will run up to her teammate, smile and say, “Amy, we won,” and Bynum will hug her.
They don't always win, but they know no matter what happens, they are a team.
“We lose as a team, or we win as a team — it's not an individual on the court,” Evans said.