Jan. 7—EFFINGHAM — Mia Kinkelaar and Ellie Link are the Effingham Daily News 2024 Women’s Doubles Tennis Team of the Year.
The St. Anthony junior duo had a spectacular fall season, going 35-12, winning the Mount Zion sectional doubles championship and finishing 4-2 at the Class 1A state tournament. Kinkelaar and Link beat Mahomet-Seymour, Bethalto (Civic Memorial), Glen Carbon (Father McGivney) and Teutopolis junior duo Adi Davison and Anna Probst. They lost to Chicago (University) before losing to Father McGivney in the consolation bracket.
Head coach Darlene Esker has been impressed with the duo’s attitude throughout the year.
“They were very coachable,” Esker said. “If I saw something that I thought would improve their game and asked them to try it, they would always try it. Most of the time it worked; sometimes it didn’t work, but they tried it anyway. They were always up for suggestions.”
Becoming a great doubles team didn’t happen overnight.
Both have worked tirelessly to get to the level they are at.
“They know each other’s moves,” Esker said. “They know each other’s strengths and I think when you play with someone you have to know what they can do and how much you can count on them in every situation. I think they did that for the most part.”
Kinkelaar and Link also want to win.
“They want to win,” Esker said. “They never give up. After almost being eliminated from the match, they won it. I think the pressure they put on themselves is their ‘want’ to win. If they don’t win, they know that the “The other team is strong.”
Even though he is 93-40 over three years, Esker knows there is still much to accomplish.
It starts online.
“They’re both really good baseline players, but I want them to be more aggressive at the net and more surprising at the net,” Esker said. “Right now, if it’s on net, you have to hit it hard and put it away. You’ll get more points if you barely let it go than if you hit it hard. It’s a mix. We’re going to work to be more aggressive at the net and making smarter hits when we are at the net.”
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The duo was asked a series of questions. Here’s how they responded.
AW: What led you to love tennis and why do you love playing it?
MK: “I discovered tennis as a child while attending summer camps. I love playing the sport. It’s so much fun and brings out my competitiveness. Playing doubles with one of my best friends, Ellie , and having so many of my other close friends on the team makes me love the game even more. My dad also played a big role in my tennis journey – along with my awesome coaches We started playing against each other. others when I was in eighth grade for two years. to finally beat him I did it, we both cried.”
EL: “Before eighth grade, I had always played other sports, but some of my friends played tennis and I wanted to try it. I went to open courts with “Dar” that summer and loved learning the sport. I love strategy. involved in tennis and how there is always something happening. I love playing with my friends and improving every practice.
AW: Talk about your season and what you did well. What can you work on?
MK: “For my junior year, I had a singles record of 10-2 and a doubles record of 35-12. Ellie and I were sectional champions and made it to day three at state. We also beat several big schools during our weekend These tournaments have a high level of competition, which has helped us continue to improve. We are usually the underdogs during the weekend matches, so it’s fun to. surprise our opponents. My jump serve is. definitely something that needs to be improved upon for my senior season.”
EL: “This year has been really exciting for Mia and I. We played tough competition in weekend tournaments and that helped us as we moved forward. Over the past three years, Mia and I have trained a great team because we have We have learned to trust and understand each other We all know how we play and work well together Something I have worked on and will continue to work on is my serve. has improved but there is still work to be done.”
AW: What is your greatest strength as a tennis player?
MK: “Overall, my greatest strength is my mental strength. I have learned to take one point at a time and never give up on the end goal: victory. In doubles, the greatest strength of Ellie and I are our chemistry. We work so well together, having played for three years as doubles partners and being close friends since kindergarten.”
EL: “My greatest strength in doubles is my net play. That’s where I’m most comfortable, most confident and have the most fun.”
AW: What have you learned over the past year?
MK: “I learned to be resilient because momentum can change quickly in this sport.”
EL: “Last season I learned to be patient with myself. Some matches won’t go exactly the way I want; some days I won’t play as well as others, and I can’t control this, but I can control my reaction. Staying calm and focusing on the present moment is the best thing I can do.
Alex Wallner can be reached at 618-510-9231 or [email protected].
