CANFIELD TENNIS 2 players feed off each other

Rachel McGowen and Renee Lesnett are defending doubles champions.
By MARK W. MILLER
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
CANFIELD -- Rachel McGowan says she and Renee Lesnett are the best of friends.
"We grew up across the street from each other, went to the same grade school, junior high school and now high school and know a lot about each other," McGowan said.
The Canfield High seniors are Division I defending state tennis doubles champions. They play singles during the regular season.
"We are playing tennis at a higher level than we were at state last year," Lesnett said. "We want to even be at a higher level at this year's sectional tournament.
"Our coach [Pat Pavlansky] has us going against tough competition this season," Lesnett said.
The Cardinals have played Magnificat, Ursuline, Massillon Jackson and finished third in the Canfield Doubles Classic last weekend.
Saturday at 11 a.m., Canfield will host two-time Division II state champion Hathaway Brown.
On Sept. 24, the Cardinals travel to face Upper Arlington, which has won the Div. I team title six straight years. The Golden Bears won the Doubles Classic.
"We put a lot of hard work in at practices in preparation for other matches and will have to play even better and alter some things, such as different shot patterns, to improve," McGowan said.
Added Lesnett, "Positive thinking helps us. We give each other pointers, constructive criticism on why certain parts of our game aren't working."
Following the 2004 state tournament, the personable young women took two weeks off. Tennis is the only sport the two play and both said they love the game. McGowan also runs to stay in shape.
"During the summer we play [United States Tennis Association] tournaments two or three times a month," McGowan said. "The experience at the national level is terrific. You get to play against all kinds of players with different styles of play."
A little critiquing
Lesnett (5-1) said her two-handed backstroke is one of her strongest shots. She hits it hard most of the time and tries to return tennis balls with overspin, she said.
"Rachel and I play tennis point-by-point and try to keep up with what we are doing and how each set is going," Lesnett said.
Both rely on powerful serves and McGowan (6-0) said her forehand is what she likes to score with.
"I like to hit it deep," McGowan said.
Pavlansky, in his 11th season, said, "We've always have good players here. All our seniors provide leadership for us on and off the court."
Pavlansky said the two are very coachable.
"They are extremely competitive, supportive of each other, very smart and play the game with intelligence," he said. "They really complement each other."
McGowan has more power and Lesnett is slightly more consistent, Pavlansky said.
"But that doesn't mean that each one of them isn't powerful or consistent," he said. "I think a lot of teams would like to have Lesnett's power and McGowan's consistency."
McGowan and Lesnett each have 3.75 grade-point averages, but have not decided where they want to go to college.