Visitation Duo To Swing From the Baseline At State

Visitation’s Meredith Lawrence and Morgan Morrison have a surprise in store for opponents in the Class AA girls state tennis meet.

They’re going baseline. As in all baseline, almost all the time.

It’s a strategy that has worked for Lawrence, a 17-year-old junior, and Morrison, 17, a senior, in the past, including last week’s Class AA section meet. The Visitation team went 4-0, didn’t lose a set and knocked off Eagan’s Elizaveta and Varvara Zeleninia in the section doubles finals to advance to state.

It’s also an unusual strategy that throws opponents off guard and plays to the strengths of Morrison and Lawrence, both better baseline players than serve-and-volley players.

“I think there were a few at the section tournament that were surprised that we were the top seed and played two back,” said Lawrence. “But a lot of teams try and over-hit and try and be more aggressive; and we just try and be more consistent.”

Playing two back allows the Visitation team to sustain rallies and chase down balls that a traditional front-and-back setup might not be able to get to.

“Usually in doubles you’ll see pretty aggressive play, teams trying to get to the net and win points at the net,” said Visitation head tennis coach Danny Wilson. “And usually you have someone always starting at the net. And for both of them, just because what they’re good at and their style of play, they’ll play both back the whole time. Occasionally we’ll come in, but it’s not something we base their game plan around.”

Instead, the Visitation team focuses on keeping everything in play and forcing their opponents to make mistakes. Playing two back instead of one up and one back is likely to shake up the tennis establishment.

“I think there are a lot of people that expect if you’re going to play doubles; this is how you play (one up and one back in the court), which I don’t think should be the case.”

It’s a second straight year at state for the Visitation team, which doesn’t usually play together during the regular season. Lawrence usually plays No. 1 singles while Morrison plays No. 1 doubles.

It’s also the fourth-straight state tourney for Lawrence.

Lawrence and Morrison played in the Class AA doubles in last year’s state meet, winning their opening match 6-7 (6-8), 6-1, 6-3 before losing in the quarterfinals 6-7 (5-7), 1-6 to the eventual state runner-ups from Mounds View.

The two-back style isn’t hard to get used to, even for Morrison, who plays traditional one back, one forward, during the season.

“I don’t usually go up even when were we’re playing doubles,” said Morrison. “Usually my doubles partner is at the net. I’m more comfortable at the baseline.”

The meet will be played at the University of Minnesota Baseline Tennis Center Thursday and Friday. Lawrence and Morrison open the tournament with a 10 a.m. match against Roseville Area’s Carly Hayes and Jacqlyn Poss. If the Visitation team wins they advance to the championship quarterfinals at 2 p.m. If they lose they move into the consolation quarterfinals.

Neither Morrison nor Lawrence say they’re going into the state meet with exagerated expectations. Their coach, however, thinks a bit differently.

“I honestly think these two could win,” said Wilson. “But what makes it tough is that there are a lot of good teams, and the reason why I think they could win is because teams have to play very well to beat them. And that’s hard to do.”

The semifinals, third-place and finals will be held Friday.