By TOMMY REZAC
St. Joseph Post
Lafayette seniors Erinn Lotspeich and Brooklyn Lorenz have played tennis for awhile. Lorenz has been playing for the Irish for the last four years, and Lotspeich the last three.
It was only this past summer, however, that they started working together as a doubles team. It didn't take long for them to realize that they had something good going.
"In the summer, we put in some time together," Lotspeich said. "We got more comfortable on the court together and it kind of naturally happened."
Ninth-year Lafayette tennis coach Kara Berry also took notice of this.
"They both like the base line but are good net players, too," Berry said. "I just know that no matter what, they go out there and give 100 percent and want to win when they go out."
Lorenz and Erinn Lotspeich are now headed for Springfield this weekend to compete in the Class 1 individual state tennis tournament.
Lorenz and Lotspeich won a district title against Savannah's Krynna Rudel and Maddie Till, and then won sectionals against Marshall's Avery Evans and Holly Huston, not losing a single point and winning 6-0, 6-0.
"Yeah, we played really well together," Lotspeich said. "We definitely covered each other and moved a lot better than we have in the past. I think it was the best game we played together in a long time for sure, and I think it's just an awesome experience to get to Springfield and compete against different people we haven't played before."
Lorenz says the opportunity to now compete in the individual state tournament is the best way for her and Lotspeich to end their varsity careers.
"We've both been putting in a lot of work over this past year," Lorenz said. "It's just really special, especially since we're seniors. It's our last year together, so yeah. It means a lot."
Lorenz and Lotspeich are the first players to represent Lafayette at girls' state tennis since 2015. Berry says it's exciting to see the Irish and St. Joseph in general represented this way.
"It's not often we get to send girls to competition at state," Berry said. "It's been several years, so it's nice to have some people from St. Joe go and participate in the tournament."
The individual state tennis tournament gets underway on Friday at 1 p.m. at the Cooper Tennis Complex in Springfield.
Lotspeich and Lorenz will face McKenzie Calhoun and Emmy Blevins from Forsyth in the first round.
Savannah's Iris Alvarez is also state bound, competing in the singles bracket.
As for Lafayette, the last two years have been a remarkable turnaround for the girls' tennis program. After a string of tough seasons, including zero team wins in 2015 and 2017, the Irish went 8-8 last year and this season finished as district runners-up to Savannah.
Berry says the progress the team has made, and Lotspeich and Lorenz's trip to state, has already sparked some excitement and optimism for next season.
"It shows the underclassmen that if you work year round and put forth the effort, you have a chance of making it to state," Berry said. "I think that has made some of the others want to step up."
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