Chatham Central seniors Olivia Brooks and Ellie Phillips had already been here before.
O.K. Well maybe not exactly here.
After battling to a 6-6 deadlock in the first set of the 1A doubles state championship match Saturday at Cary Tennis Park, the seniors dropped the first three points of their tie-breaker against Bishop McGuinness’ Isabella Ross and Nina Holton.
Down 3-0, the pair could have crumbled under the pressure. But the two Bears were already playing with house money, of sorts. As juniors in 2021, Brooks and Phillips also made it to the 1A state championship final, losing in straight sets to Mount Airy’s Carrie Marion and Ella Brant (6-2, 6-2). Knowing they had already played in this environment before, Chatham Central’s two seniors locked in and started turning the tide.
Still, every moment was nerve-wracking.
“It was really tense,” Phillips said. “Nobody was talking. We just had to play every point like it was our last.”
That mindset paid off in spades for Phillips and Brooks, who won the next seven points to take the tie-breaker and the first set. With all the momentum on their side after an exhaustive opening comeback, the pair dominated the second set, winning, 6-3, to capture the 1A state doubles title.
“Our experience being there last year I think really helped get us and got our nerves out a little bit,” Brooks said. “I really, honestly didn’t expect to win (a state title), It was always a possibility, but I never thought it was a given.”
It was a far cry from how the two Bears started the 1A tournament. In the first round, Brooks and Phillips dropped their first set, 6-0, to East Wilkes’ Ava Danell and Savannah Sparks. After shaking off some early-tournament rust, though, the pair rallied to win the next two sets, 6-2 and 6-1.
The second round was a less dramatic affair, with Phillips and Brooks defeating Kate Flinton and Cara Freiburger of Voyager Academy in straight sets, 6-4 and 6-2. Heading into Saturday’s state finals, the pair had plenty of confidence.
“Last year, we had to fight for every single point,” Phillips said. “We went to three sets in the first and second round before losing in the state championship. This year was much easier because there was no pressure. We already made it there once.”
The Chatham Central pair was one of three Chatham County duos to compete in the 1A state doubles tournament. The Bears also had Jaylee Williams and Rachel Albright qualify for the tournament, though they lost in the first round to Mount Airy’s Brant and Kancie Tate.
Chatham Charter was represented by Elphie Spillman and Rebecca Brookshire. The pair lost to Bishop McGuinness’ Ross and Holton in the first round.
Phillips and Brooks are the top two players for the Chatham Central girls tennis team, which faced Chatham Charter after press time Tuesday in the third round of the state playoffs. Last fall, the Bears lost to the Knights in the same round, 6-3.
Speaking Tuesday morning ahead of their matches, Brooks and Phillips knew their presence as one of the top doubles teams in the state has motivated their teammates, while also easing some of the nerves they might have in this high-pressure atmosphere.
“I think it takes some stress off the team,” Brooks said. “They know they can count on me and Ellie to pull out the win in doubles, so that’s hopefully one less thing they need to worry about. I think it helps everyone else play a bit looser and not stress about absolutely having to win. Now it’s, ‘I need to win, but if I don’t, we should be O.K.’”
Entering Tuesday’s match, Brooks and Phillips were a combined 31-3 in singles and 17-2 in doubles for the season.
Sports Editor Jeremy Vernon can be reached at jeremy@chathamnr.com or on Twitter at @jbo_vernon.