Anna and Cara Evans slowly move toward the baseline of the tennis court, working on forehand and backhand shots. They switch to volleys and serves as they prepare for their next match.
BEYOND THE SCOREBOARD
An occasional sports feature highlighting the unique stories of local athletes and coaches.
They stand on opposite sides of the net as teammates, friends — and sisters. Their coach stands nearby, offering advice, encouragement — and a mother’s unconditional love.
The Evans family serves on the undefeated Montrose Meteors tennis team. Teri Evans, the mom, coaches. Cara, the reigning PIAA Class 2A singles champion, is a senior. Anna, who has spent the last decade playing tennis with her sister, is a sophomore.
As the regular season winds down and district and state playoffs approach, the Evans family treasures the last moments on the court together as Meteors.
“It really just means the world to play with my sister,” said Cara, who hopes to defend her state title this fall. “I'm grateful for all the opportunities I've gotten to play with her … I'm so proud of her, and just playing with her is honestly the biggest blessing that I've ever gotten.”
Discovering a love for tennis
The Evans family lives in Springville Twp., Susquehanna County, a rural community where it’s often difficult to find neighbors for a pick-up game of basketball or enough friends to field a soccer team. The parents loved watching tennis, so they thought their young daughters might like to play it. Cara started playing before the age of 4, and Anna soon joined her.
Their dad, Christopher, kept it fun.
“He thought it was a great sport to learn on your own in a country-like area where you didn't have to rely necessarily on teammates, and so they picked it up,” Teri Evans said.
Trips to tennis courts in Tunkhannock often included a McDonald’s Happy Meal afterwards. The sisters practiced in the driveway and worked on hand-eye coordination doing drills in the basement. Their dad watched YouTube videos and found tips on how they could improve. Soon, the family would make the 50-mile round trip to Birchwood Racquet Club in South Abington Twp. for lessons and clinics.
“It just kept building and building to where we are today,” the mom said.
'Win or nothing'
The sisters learned drive and determination pay off.
Cara plays every day for two weeks, takes a day off, and then repeats the cycle throughout the year. She works on strength, agility, footwork and speed.
Her freshman and sophomore seasons ended with disappointment, losing the District 2 Class 2A singles title to eventual state champion Ilana Rosenthal from Wyoming Seminary.
Last year produced a different result.
“I just had this driving factor that really made me want to win,” Cara said. “I thought of nothing else. It was win or nothing.”
And she won. Cara finished the season 24-0, capturing both the district and state 2A singles titles.
“It was just an incredible moment. My whole family was there. I had Hershey kisses thrown on me,” she said. “It was just a pretty surreal setting to be in … just an amazing moment that I will never forget.”
Anna admires her sister’s dedication.
“We were just super happy that she won districts, and states was just supposed to be something extra,” Anna said. “So we were definitely super pumped to see that she won states … such a tremendous accomplishment.”
Family on, off court
Members of the tennis team made their way down the hill to the tennis courts after school. The high humidity made the air feel sticky on the September afternoon.
The team warmed up by running laps around the courts and then broke into groups. Coach Evans provided instructions as she rotated among courts.
“We don't win with just Cara and Anna. It is going to take at least one more person,” the coach said, referring to how a team match is scored. “Looking across here, all these girls have improved.”
Teri Evans took over as coach when Cara was in eighth grade. The prior coach had resigned, and no one applied for the position. Evans, a biology teacher at Montrose Area Junior-Senior High School, worried the program would dissolve without someone to lead it. Interest in the program has grown since then.
“It's just amazing because she really cares for the team,” Cara said. “But she's not just here for us. She's here for the whole team, and she's watched us all grow as players … We went from not really winning any matches to now we're currently undefeated in the league.”
After each match, the team goes out to eat together. Teammates feel like family, Anna said.
The sisters say the sport has both an individual and a team aspect that is unique.
“It's somewhere where I can just be myself, and I found that it's allowed me to be a leader and be more confident and use my voice, and just really find a space where I can almost just be brave,” Cara said.
Both sisters also play softball — Cara at first base and Anna as a pitcher and outfielder.
“With softball, you have to rely on so many other factors,” Cara said. “If you make a mistake, you feel like you let others down. And what I like about tennis is that if I make a mistake, that’s OK. I know what I'm capable of, and that I can easily correct it for the next point, and not let anyone else down.”
Future success
Cara and Anna grew up serving on opposite sides of the net, while working together to improve. They could potentially face each other in the District 2 singles championship — an idea that makes them both laugh and cringe.
“It would definitely be pretty crazy. I would have to beat her of course,” Anna said jokingly, noting that her big sister always wins.
During matches, Anna and Cara have adjoining courts, where they offer each other encouragement and motivation.
“We're always saying things to each other. It's super fun,” Anna said. “We've been playing together since we were very little. So it's kind of surreal to think that she's a senior now.”
Anna celebrates her sister’s success, while finding some of her own.
Neither has lost a match this season, and both have accomplished golden matches this fall, meaning they earned 48 straight points while keeping their opponents to zero.
Cara, who wants to study physical therapy and play tennis in college, wants to be a state champion again.
“I'd love to repeat,” she said. “I want to keep going, and I have that driving factor that's going to keep pushing me and hopefully bring more success through this season.”
Anna and Cara plan to spend the rest of the season — and their lives — cheering for each other.
“It's just been an amazing experience,” Cara said.
