Emerging doubles partners Nicole Kempton and Alissia Kivi both have different roots in their tenure at The Rock. Still, they have quickly built strong chemistry, becoming one of the strongest teams to step on the court in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) tennis.
SRU earned respect from Kempton because of a family tie to the school, but she also liked the school as a whole.
“I liked it overall, and I was like I could really see myself thriving here,” Kempton said.
Kivi, a Harjumaa, Estonia native, had no idea what SRU was until she was recruited through an agent. She credits Coach Meredith as a reason she chose Slippery Rock.
“Our coach seemed very nice, so that played a factor,” she said.
The duo has been very successful in their first season together, compiling a 19-5 record in doubles’ play. Kivi believes their powerful chemistry is a crucial factor to their success.
“We have really good chemistry on court together,” Kivi said. “It makes playing doubles fun and not as stressful.”
Kempton gives praise to Kivi and her knowledge of the game. It translates into a major key to success for them.
“She knew the doubles strategy,” Kempton said. “She’s played doubles her entire life.”
There’s a lot that happens on the court, but being together off the court has helped the duo improve their chemistry as well.
“It not only helped us connect as players, but as people,” Kempton said.
Having that strong friendship makes it easier for them to play together dynamically.
“It’s very tough to be a strong team with someone you don’t actually get along with,” Kivi said.
Adapting from a singles match to a doubles match can be difficult, as the playing styles are different. A doubles match can be less of a waiting game and give athletes less time to settle into their rhythm according to the pair.
“You have to be okay with being more aggressive…you don’t have much time to get in a rhythm, so you have to be offensive,” Kempton said.
Along with the aggressiveness, they agreed there is also more imagination and risk-taking involved.
“You have to be more creative,” Kivi said.
Earning that early point in doubles is crucial to the overall team as a whole. The two stars play in the first flight, putting a lot of pressure on their back to obtain that early lead.
“You’re playing the best team all the time, and you want to live up to that expectation coach has for us,” Kempton said.
Even with all the pressure, it is safe to say this duo has lived up to those expectations.
The pair tries to relieve some of that pressure by letting that emotion out. It gets them going and into a winning mindset.
“I like to yell,” Kempton put it. “It releases that tension. It relieves that pressure. It makes me more excited and makes it more fun.”
Kivi uses their chemistry and feeds from this energy as well.
“It helps hype us up,” Kivi said.
The team puts in a lot of hard work to get that doubles point. They are always together at practice, working their strategy and continuing to build their chemistry while, “honing in on a specific tactic, not just playing matches,” Kempton said.
Kempton remains influenced to play by one of her coaches in her hometown area. His influence has led to much collegiate success so far, where he still follows along and continues to support her.
“He knew what I was capable of. He saw my game as is and knew he could make some adjustments,” Kempton remarked. “He’s always believed in me.”
On the other hand, Kivi does not have a specific role model. She would rather play her own game, but she does credit a few coaches and teammates from her home country.
“I try not to compare myself to anyone. I just try to do my own thing,” Kivi said.
Some players have superstitions before each match, but these tennis players don’t necessarily believe in them. However, they do have some repeated behaviors that get them ready to play.
“Obviously there’s always little patterns of behavior I do on court, like the amount of times I bounce the ball before I serve,” Kivi added.
Ultimately, this duo gives a vast amount of acknowledgement to Meredith. He pushes them to strive to be the best players they can be.
“He’s just so passionate and I feel like he really wants this team to do well. He just sees how successful we can be,” Kempton said. “He knows what we are capable of as a team.”
