Consol tennis players happy to be on court together

A&M Consolidated tennis players Victoria Liere and Mariah York worked four years to see their names together on the Tigers lineup. They have about three months to put their names somewhere more coveted.

York and Liere have their sights set on reaching the state tournament, an accomplishment that would put a new sign on the fence at the Consol tennis facility with their names on it. The Tigers' last girls doubles team to make state was Lauren Barzilla and Brooke Mills in 2002.

"We want our name on the fence," York said. "That's what we've wanted since freshman year, and we have a good chance this year. We're ready to make it happen."

The spring tennis season will shift out of low gear this weekend, when Consol will host a 13-school field that includes Bryan and Rudder for the Tiger Classic. The tournament will be played Friday and Saturday at five sites in Bryan and College Station.

Both seniors, Liere and York qualified for the Class 5A Region II tournament last year when they played different events. Liere finished second at district in girls singles while York teamed with Mason Cote to win the mixed doubles title.

York and Liere have been high school doubles partners during the fall team tennis season and in USTA events since they were little, but this will be their first spring partnership with the Tigers.

"It's really exciting," Liere said. "She's been my best friend since fourth grade. We've played tennis together a long time, and now we're going to get to play doubles together our senior year and see how far we can get. This is our year. We have a big goal. We want to try and make it to state."

They form a good combination in terms of style, with York the more aggressive volleyer who is comfortable charging the net while Liere is a good baseliner with strong ground strokes.

"Victoria is a little more on the consistent side, and Mariah takes more chances," Consol coach Steve Mercer said. "That's why they work well together."

The girls match up well in terms of emotion and strategy, too. Their long friendship allows them to handle difficult situations better than many doubles teams.

"If one of us gets stressed out, the other one will calm her down," Liere said. "We are able to tell each other what we're doing wrong without getting mad at each other, so we work really well. We don't take our anger and frustration the wrong way."

Along with knowing how to talk to each other, York and Liere can anticipate what the other will do on the court.

"I know where she's going to go, and I know when to move," York said. "Our communication is like we're twins. It's really weird."

*

NOTES -- The Tiger Classic will be played at the Consol, Bryan and Rudder high school courts, along with Sam Rayburn and Jane Long middle schools. The tournament will begin at 8 a.m. Friday and Saturday, with each entrant playing three matches Friday and one Saturday. Consol coach Steve Mercer reduced the format by one round this year, so participating teams can attend the Texas A&M women's tennis match against Texas Christian at 1 p.m. Saturday.