Two-Set Matches : Smith, Jensky Twins Could Mean Double Trouble for Westlake Foes

Opponents of the Westlake High girls’ tennis team might think they are seeing double when they play doubles.

In fact, they might think they are seeing double when they play singles too.

Westlake has twins. Two sets of them.

Erin and Katy Smith are juniors who are competing for places in the singles lineup. Brittany and Nicole Jensky, incoming freshmen, will play doubles.

The Smiths, who are identical, have more in common than their appearance.

They both were All-Marmonte League selections last year. They also play on the Southern California Tennis Assn. 16-and-under juniors circuit. Both are ranked in the top 50.

But which player is best remains a subject of debate.

“It’s a tossup,” Katy said. “It’s really competitive and it goes back and forth all the time. We never kill each other.”

They do, however, get angry with each other.

“Sometimes after we play we won’t talk to each other,” Erin said. “But that hasn’t happened in a while.”

Coach Connie Flanderka attributes the Smiths’ competitiveness to a good old-fashioned sibling rivalry.

“They’re sisters,” she said. “What can you expect? I’ve had sisters on my teams before and they usually are very competitive. But it’s a good competition that promotes team spirit.”

The Smiths also share similar interests outside of tennis. Clothes, for instance. And the same taste in television--”Friends” and “Oprah.” Also the same career goal. Both hope to attend medical school and become pediatricians.

To enhance their chances of getting in to a premed program, they each volunteer at area hospitals.

“It would be great if tennis could pay our way through school,” Katy said. “But I don’t think we’ll pursue it any further than that.”

With so much in common, it is not surprising the Smiths share the same goal for their tennis team.

“We want to win as much as possible and win the league,” Katy said.

Last year, Westlake posted a 12-2 record but failed to win at least a share of the Channel League title for the first time in eight years.

Sophomore Helena Haorak, another top junior player and an all-league selection last year, is another player Westlake is counting on to get back on track.

The addition of the Jenskys, who are fraternal twins and are much easier to tell apart, also should help. They have played tennis for four years and have the same competitive spirit as the Smiths.

“We beat each other,” Nicole said. “It goes back and forth.”

Added Brittany: “We argue all the time over scores and line calls. But we forget about it once we leave the court.”

The Jenskys, who also participate in soccer and play the piano, were surprised to find another set of twins on the Westlake team.

“We [all] thought it was very unusual,” Nicole Jensky said.

Flanderka has not yet decided who will play in which positions, but she is sure they all will help the varsity.

“They’re all good players,” she said. “And, they’re good teammates.”

Flanderka said the Jenskys will probably play doubles--though not on the same team--while Erin Smith most likely will be No. 2 singles and Katy No. 3.

Or was that Katy at No. 2 and Erin at No. 3?

It’s so difficult to tell them apart. . . .

Other teams to watch:

* Harvard-Westlake: Sophomores Lindsy Fordess and Leila Nasseri, who both are ranked in the top 25 on the Southern California Tennis Assn. junior circuit, return from last year’s team that had a 16-6 record and finished second behind Chaminade in the Mission League.

Amanda Carter, a junior who teamed with Fordess to win the Mission League doubles championship last year, also is back. Sheila Vasan, a senior, returns after sitting out last year because of a torn knee ligament. Rounding out the talented but young Wolverine lineup is junior Jackie Gortman, who played No. 3 singles last year.

The Wolverines are ranked 10th in the preseason Southern Section Division II poll.

* Calabasas: Bob Holycross takes over as coach of the Coyotes, who are ranked third in Division II. Four players ranked by the SCTA form the core of a solid squad. Shera Weisler and Kirsten Gross, seniors who made it to the Southern Section finals last year as a doubles team, are expected to play singles this season.

Debra Pepkowitz, a junior who recently advanced to the semifinals of a juniors tournament in Santa Monica, also returns. Holycross expects Sherrin Saedinia, a freshman who has been ranked as high as 12th on the 14-and-under juniors circuit, to break into varsity singles before the season ends.

After dropping out of the Frontier League, the Coyotes hope to make the playoffs as an at-large team.

* Camarillo: The defending Marmonte League champions have a solid team that lacks a star.

Junior Darian Chappell was expected to play No. 1 singles but has decided to step away from high school tennis, leaving the team without a player ranked by the SCTA.

That leaves Katy Messmer, a junior who played doubles last season, as the probable No. 1 player. Melissa Feld, another junior, should contend for a singles slot, although she prefers to play doubles. Freshman Annie Doud also should make an impact. The Scorpions are ranked eighth in Division I.

* Chaminade: Five starters return for Coach Robert Childers, whose squad won the Mission League last year. Rebecca Gross, one of the league’s top singles players a year ago, and all-league doubles players Missy Alpert and Asha Viswanathan lead the way.

Freshman Teresa Galido is ranked among the top 50 on the Southern California girls’ 16-and-under junior circuit. Childers expects Galido to be his top singles player.

* Taft: The Toreadors have advanced to the City Section finals for seven consecutive years but that streak might be in jeopardy. Only three players return for Coach Marvin Jones, who has never lost as many players--seven--to graduation as he did last year.

Darcy Backrach, the only returning senior, figures to be Taft’s top player.