May 18, 2015
By Zach Rhodes
Georgia Tech Athletic Communications & PR Student Assistant
With their polar opposite backgrounds and contrasting styles of play, junior Kendal Woodard and freshman Paige Hourigan together make a unique and powerful duo. As the 2015 NCAA Tennis Championships in Waco, Texas approach, the two are preparing to make a deep run in the tournament.
Woodard, from nearby Stockbridge, Ga. is the veteran of the two as a 2014 ITA All-American with prior experience in the championships. She is in a similar position as she was in last year’s doubles national tournament with then partner Megan Kurey. Woodard hopes for a better outcome than the result of last year’s championships, after being eliminated in the first round in 2014.
“It’s a great feeling to be going back to the championships,” Woodard said. Woodard’s partner in crime is the #48 ranked singles player in the country and second team All-ACC member, Hourigan. The two come from very different backgrounds as Hourigan is a native of Turakina, New Zealand, and stands at 5’6″ while Woodard is from the Atlanta area and measures at a towering 6’1″.
“We’re just such opposites, that’s why we’re doing so well together,” Hourigan explained. “I’m more of a baseline person and she’s more of a volley person. Our styles both complement each other and we just clicked straight away as soon as we played together.”
The unique set of two has been tested this year playing a competitive schedule to help prepare them for the upcoming championships. They’ve matched up against a number of ranked opponents and posted an impressive 16-3 record, 8-1 in the ACC, which earned them the ranking of the #21 doubles pair in the country.
“We’ve played most of the teams that we’re probably going to play when we go there and we know how they play and what they do. It’s good getting to play them because you can see their weaknesses and you know how to beat them when you play them again,” Hourigan said.
The duo not only plays great on the court, but they also get along together off the court despite being from such different backgrounds. They are often classified as the jokesters on the team as the two share a close bond.
“She’s become one of my really good friends on the team. We all get along really well and, yeah, she’s like an older sister to me so it’s really cool to play doubles with her as well,” Hourigan said.
The two have been on a hot streak of late winning 12 of their last 14 matches and they look to continue their momentum heading into next week. With their chemistry on and off the court the pair wants to surprise the field by advancing deep into the tournament.
“We have nothing to lose really, just go out there and give it our all. We’re not seeded extremely high, so we’re kind of the underdogs here. We just want to go out there and literally give it our all because this is the end of the season.” Woodard said.
The link that these two players share has been key to their success this season as they are the only two Georgia Tech players to qualify for the championships. Hourigan has also received an at-large bid to compete in the singles competition this Wednesday. The pair is excited to have the opportunity to play together once again as they look to advance deep into the tournament this week in Waco.
–TogetherWeSwarm–
