It's a family affair when it comes to area athletes on the tennis court

Editor's note: This is the first in a series of three articles about siblings participating together on spring sports teams.

LAKE COUNTY - Tennis, like no other sport, is an individual game. There aren't 18 holes for the player to escape to, no other teammates to hide behind when tan error is made. Just a 36 by 39 foot patch of green court, uncovered and visible for all to see.

In doubles tennis, attempts at escape are even more futile, as two players must share the small area, using communication and good judgment to prevail. When a coach decides to match up siblings as doubles partners, as Polson and St. Ignatius did this season, the results can get, well, interesting.

Polson

Sisters Kayla, a recent graduate, and rising senior Kendyall Rochin, played doubles together for two seasons. Both began playing the sport freshman year, and both had legitimate success. The duo finished sixth at state in 2009 and improved this season, finishing fourth to help guide the Lady Pirates to a second-place Class A trophy, the best finish in the school's tennis program's history.

As Kayla moves on to life after high school, Kendyall will have another year of eligibility, faced with singles or a season with a new doubles partner. The two-year partnership the girls shared had pros and cons, they said.

"Overall, it's more comfortable because you can say what you feel without hurting their feelings because it's your sister and you know them better than any other teammate," Kendyall said.

Kayla agreed with Kendyall's assessment.

"It's easier to yell at your sister, or get yelled at by your sister," she said.

"Especially if she's younger," Kendyall added.

Both admitted that it's hard to give advice to the other, regardless of age.

"It turns into a fight, so we play the equal role," Kayla said.

The two never played competitively against each other, instead working together. That way of playing has taught them a lot about their respective strengths and weaknesses. Kendyall is fast and doesn't give up on a ball while Kayla is strong at the net with solid volleying skills. Kendyall said Kayla is sometimes inconsistent serving, while Kayla said Kendyall's short temper sometimes hurts the team.

"I'm waiting for a racket to come at my head," she said.

Looking at their time playing together retrospectively, the girls appreciate the chance they've had to play with each other. Times can get tough, but it always works out.

"As long as we don't come home biting each other's heads off, it's OK," Kendyall said. "We've learned a lot about each other, that's for sure. I wouldn't choose another person to play with."

St. Ignatius

The Bulldogs boast two sets of brothers on the tennis team, yet it wasn't until later in the season that the siblings played together. The team plays challenges each week to determine who plays which spot in both singles and doubles, so it was more a stroke of luck that both the Shock and Alexander brothers got a chance to play as a team at some point during the season.

Bryan and Kyle Shock

Bryan, a rising senior, and Kyle, a rising freshman, got quite a "shock" when they found out they'd be playing doubles for the first time a week before state tournament play began. Bryan had played singles all season, while Kyle had spent the season playing doubles with junior Xavier Streets.

"I was nervous and it was frustrating because we'd never played together," Bryan said. "We had fun though."

The boys went 1-2 at state, losing their first and last matches. Their play helped the team in total points as the Bulldogs claimed third place overall in Class B/C. Despite the novelty of the pairing, the boys found that their respective playing characteristics worked well together.

"He's got a different hitting style than I do," Kyle said of his brother.

Both Shocks would like to play singles next season, but chances are they could end up playing with one another at some point during the season. In that case, at least a few fans would be happy.

"[Our parents] like it because they don't have to go court-to-court to see different matches," Brian said. "They just told us not to yell at each other and to have fun together. It's only a game."

Whether they play together again, the brothers admit that it was an interesting experiment.

"You're more comfortable, more honest with your brother," Kyle said. "It was a good learning experience."

Paden and Nikko Alexander

As twins, the freshmen Alexander brothers, Nikko and Paden, have always felt like they were grouped together. That wasn't the case in tennis, until the boys paired up for one match against Valley Christian late in the season. They lost in three sets, but felt good about how they played.

"I'm a lefty and Nikko's a righty, so that worked out well, but we start to argue and that's the only thing that brings us down," Paden said. "If we don't argue, we'll be good. We've got to remember we're on the same team."

The list of what they argue about ranges from who serves first to criticism over a game decision. The arguments probably stem from being close, and being intensely competitive with one another over everything.

"It's usually me against Paden, so we go at it," Nikko said. "It's definitely a rivalry."

The boys moved around, playing singles or doubles. Nikko competed at state with junior Trail Bundy, earning sixth place as Mission took third overall.

While the brothers are only rising sophomores, time will tell whether they can learn to compete with one another, putting aside their rivalry while on the court.

"If we get over arguing, we'll be the team to beat," Nikko said. "Our parents always say, ‘Friends come and go, but your brother will be there forever'."