By Kyle LoJacono
Wiregrass Ranch has become a dominating tennis program the last few years, and the players responsible for starting that tradition are still winning at the next level.
Elizabeth and Sarah Means played only one season for the Bulls, 2010, the sisters’ sophomore and junior years, respectively. Not only did they help Wiregrass Ranch make states for the first time in program history, but they also captured the first state championship for the school in any sport.
The Meanses, who are studying business, captured the Class 3A doubles state crown, which capped off a perfect season as a duo. Now, the sisters are back together on the same team — Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU).
Sarah, a sophomore, signed with the Division I program in the Atlantic Sun Conference during her senior season, and Elizabeth followed a year later. The sisters played doubles together for the first time on a team since winning the state title during FGCU’s fall season.
“It was fun to play with her again,” said Elizabeth, a freshman. “We went out the first time at Central Florida and were undefeated, so that was fun going out there and working together. She had some new things that she’d learned at college, and we got to work that in together.”
***
Sarah, who was FGCU’s No. 1 player as a freshman, started playing around age 4.
“I went out because someone recommended it to my mom because I had good eye-hand coordination,” Sarah said. “It really translated; I learned I had a gift for it, and I wanted to work hard and get better.”
Elizabeth followed her older sister’s lead when she turned 7.
“Sarah started first,” Elizabeth said. “She would hit and I’d pick up the balls. One day I picked up a racket and started hitting them back.”
It wasn’t just the sisters who committed to tennis.
“We’re from Washington D.C., and we played every day,” Sarah said. “We wanted to get better, so we made the decision to move down to Florida to get better training. We’ve trained year round in these types of conditions the last five years, and that’s really helped us. … It’s a family thing. My mom took on a lot of the responsibility with travel for us to go to tournaments, and our two oldest sisters played in high school too. We took the sport up as a family.”
Picking up the same sport has also allowed Sarah and Elizabeth to easily push each other.
“It’s awesome having your sister out there every step of the way, understanding what you’re going through when you’re prevailing or not,” Sarah said.
They are also very different players.
Elizabeth describes herself as an “aggressive baseliner.” Sarah said she is most confident using her serve and moving forward to the net.
The opposite mentalities on the court allow them to be a deadly doubles team.
“I know that if I’m at the net and miss it, then she’s going to be behind me at the baseline to get it back in,” Sarah said. “It helps knowing that she’s a very consistent player, so that lets me be aggressive at the net.”
The sisters began playing high-level tournaments when they came to Florida, which pitted them against the best young tennis players in the region and nation. However, a new challenge arose when they started competing for Wiregrass Ranch — the team aspect.
The rules and nature of play proved to be very different when they took to high school tennis. They were used to playing against tough competition in high-level tournaments, but team tennis has a different element.
To win in high school and college, teams must win four of seven points, which come from winning five individual and two doubles matches.
“Tennis is such an individual sport, but it’s been nice having other players who know what you’re going through,” Sarah said. “They’re cheering you on during your matches, and then you have the team that you’re playing for. You still want to win your match, and you know if you do then it’s going to help the team.”
Elizabeth went undefeated as the Bulls No. 2 player in 2010, while Sarah dropped just two matches as the squad’s ace.
“It was a lot of pressure actually,” Elizabeth said. “You wanted to always hold your line for the team. By the end I’d developed a bond with the other girls and there was less pressure, but it was tough to start.”
***
Sarah continued her winning ways at FGCU last year, where she took over as the Eagles’ No. 1 player as a freshman. The squad finished third in the Atlantic Sun in 2012, the best finish in program history.
“Going last year I wanted to help the team, and I was able to do that,” Sarah said. “We finished third in the conference, and that was the work of the entire team.”
Elizabeth played No. 3 or 4 while also doubling with Sarah during the fall season a few months ago. She said the higher level of play tested her body and mind.
“The level of competition in college is much higher,” Elizabeth said. “The girls hit a heavier ball. They’re bigger and stronger. You have to be a lot more mentally tough to beat those girls.”
A normal practice day for FGCU starts at 6:45 a.m. and runs for about 3.5 hours. The Meanses get back on the courts each afternoon for another two hours.
“Four to five hours a day, six days a week,” Elizabeth said. She added, “The coaches are very adamant about fitness, so we’ve done that in the fall and during the summer. Over the winter break we’ve been doing even more so we can do whatever coach needs from us.”
The sisters said the goal is to win the conference championship this season.
“We also want to make it to the NCAA tournament and do some damage while we’re there,” Elizabeth said.
FGCU’s season starts during its Spring Invitational Jan. 19 to 21.
