Jeff Fisher, then in his second season as head tennis coach after coaching girls basketball at Humansville, chose to focus more on doubles play in an effort to take some pressure off his players.
It worked, and the Lady Bulldogs qualified for their first-ever semifinal on Saturday with wins over Joplin and Glendale.
“When they realized they were getting here, it was just awesome to see because of the work they have put in since I’ve been here,” he said.
Central High School lays claim to five team state championships: three boys golf titles, one in boys cross country, and one in girls basketball. That came in 1984, the last time any varsity team from Central reached a final four.
“I think we’ve all taken the time to really appreciate this because it’s never really happened,” senior Halena Hadi said.
The Lady Bulldogs had an idea of what this season could be before it began. In the previous three years, they had enough talent to make a run past districts, had fallen to Kickapoo in each of those campaigns.
They knew if they could get past that hurdle, they could potentially find themselves here. It happened on Sept. 28 when they topped Kickapoo 5-2 for the Class 2, District 11 Championship.
“We had to be really mentally tough and that’s something that Kickapoo seems to have had the edge over us. I’m really proud of my team for having the strength to pull through that day. It was crazy. We really wanted it to happen, so when it did it was really rewarding.”
Hadi makes up half of Central’s premiere doubles pairing with Darika Shaibekova, a fellow senior originally from Kyrgyzstan. The latter didn’t pick up the sport until she moved to the U.S. just before her freshman year.
She admits that she has felt the pressure to win districts as a senior and was even losing her singles match when the clinching point was scored against Kickapoo.
“I just ran up to my team and we were hugging, yelling, and just being really happy,” Shaibekova said.
The focus on doubles did not stop Central’s No. 4 player Maddie Fulk, a freshman, from becoming the team’s lone state qualifier in singles with 6-3 and 6-2 wins in quarterfinals.
The Lady Bulldogs also welcomed junior Meera Singhal, a move-in from Texas, who quickly became Central’s top player this year.
“Sometimes when that happens you might get some jealousy from those who were already there,” Fisher said. “We had none of that. The girls welcomed her in and it’s like she’s always been a part of the group.”
Ruth Skolnick-Schur and Avery VanDenBerg round out the state singles competitors for the 19-3 squad. Their tight bond, one that’s been forged with two-plus hour practices every day among dozens of other hangouts, is what the girls call the main reason for their success.
“I think we are more of a team than almost anybody,” Hadi said.”Every time we’re on the court, anybody you’re next to, you’re cheering them on the whole time. You’re rooting for them more than you’re rooting for yourself.”
They will need that support again on Thursday when they face Lee’s Summit West, who beat the Lady Bulldogs 5-3 at the Columbia Invitation in September. It was the first road tournament that Fisher had scheduled at Central, one that was called both an eye-opener and a sign of where this program is headed.
“The bar has definitely been raised for these underclassmen,” he said. “They’ll be chomping at the bits next year.”
