Tennis doubles play relies on chemistry and teamwork
Doubles is an integral part of the college tennis format, and one that MC has struggled with in the past. This year, however, offers a stark contrast. The women’s tennis team has had success at the top of their lineup while building the skills of a very young team, and the men’s team has won the doubles point in 13 out of their 17 total matches. In previous years it has been half that amount. So, what has been the key for such a drastic turnaround?
“I learn a lot from [my doubles partner Jackson Meyer (‘26)], and I think he learns from me too,” said Field Myatt (‘27).
According to McKena Spencer (‘29), “I bond with [my doubles partner Calliana Kondolios (‘28)] on and off the court, which helps us create a deeper connection.”
Myatt and Spencer both spend lots of time with their respective doubles partners, as teammates and as people, to help each team to create a uniquely positive dynamic. With Myatt, he and Meyer are energetic and passionate, screaming “come on!” with every won point, headlined by aggressive serves and slamming away volleys to win their matches.
“We complement each other really well,” Myatt said. “With me being good from the baseline and him being really good at the net, I set him up so he can put any ball away up there [at the net].”
These dynamics, as well as constant communication on the court, lead to success for both pairs.
Spencer and Kondolios have a similar style of play to each other, especially with their tactical moves through the middle of the court to gain the upper hand in their points, but their demeanor couldn’t be more different from Meyer and Myatt; quietly confident and poised through all stages of the match.
“When I’m at the baseline, I play my groundstrokes in a way to make sure I can set Calli[ana] up so she can win the point at the net. We can both [play] aggressively when needed, as well as [play] safely to keep the ball in play,” Spencer said.
The amount of time spent with each partner is quite extensive. Myatt has been playing with Meyer since the beginning of the 2025 spring season, and Spencer has been playing with Kondolios since September of 2026, giving each team ample time to learn each other’s style of play so they can be set up for success for matches.
However, doubles in a college format differ from matches played by professionals and the matches played at your local tennis club. Conventionally, doubles matches allow you to warm up against your opponent and to play more tennis, since they consist of two sets of six games. In college, athletes do not warm up against their opponents, and they only play one set, leading the players to try to solve the puzzle of the team they’re facing with much less margin for error.
Despite this, Meyer and Myatt possess a record of seven wins and two losses, and Kondolios and Spencer have a record of nine wins and six losses, while having to play the best doubles team of each school they play against.
“Mentally preparing for every match and making sure I do everything I can in the warmup to get ready to play is super important,” Myatt said. “This helps us every match, so I can set him up the best way I can every point.”
In other words, without each person, the chances of the pair winning are low. Doubles is a team sport, and because the college tennis format is shorter than traditional doubles, it requires the best out of everyone from the first serve.
“You have a whole team counting on you, not just your doubles partner,” Spencer said. “I have to go on the court and give it my all every time, and my partner helps me by doing the same, as well as bringing energy and joy to the team.”
Throughout the course of the 2026 spring season, Maryville tennis has had fantastic results and fun times, but the peak of each partnership’s performances comes out against in-conference opponents.
“The most memorable match I had [with Meyer] was against Covenant. Even though we lost the doubles point [as a team], we both played really well and won a super important match. It was super exciting to play,” Myatt said.
“We’ve had many great matches, win or lose, but the two that stick out the most were against Huntingdon and Covenant,” Spencer said. “At Huntingdon, we were losing at first but came back to win the set 6-3. Against Covenant, we had so much fun and put up a huge fight, and it really showed us what we could accomplish together.”
With the Scots approaching the most important part of their season, it’s key to understand why winning in doubles is so pivotal to winning the overall match. Usually, winning the doubles point is a deciding factor for matches that are tight in the scoreline and increases the probability of winning the overall score due to taking pressure off of the singles matches. Not only that, but in tournament play it helps preserve the stamina of other members of the team in a blowout match.
In order for Maryville to make the NCAA tournament, the team will need to capitalize on the doubles point. Luckily, these two doubles pairs put MC in a strong position, match in and match out.
Field Myatt (‘27) celebrates a point on the tennis court
Courtesy of Abby Diggs