File:Tennis 2018, Chayanne Reeves and Lauren Hafner from the Frederick News Post, May 11, 2018..jpg

Brunswick Sports: Brunswick High School Tennis

Old friends form successful combo

Once novices, Hafner and Reeves have piled up wins, mostly at No. 2 doubles, for Brunswick By John Cannon

BRUNSWICK — When she attended Brunswick Elementary School, Chayanne Reeves participated in a pen pal program with nearby Valley Elementary.

“You just get partnered with someone from the other school,” she said. “And we just write letters to each other.”

Reeves got partnered with Lauren Hafner. These days, they’re both seniors at Brunswick High School, and they’re still partners.

The longtime friends form a rock-solid doubles combo for the Railroaders’ girls tennis team. The duo has gone unbeaten the past two regular seasons, making it easy to forget both were tennis novices when they joined the team as freshmen.

The bulk of their wins came at No. 2 doubles, but they’ve won at No. 1 when circumstances caused them to get moved up.

They aren’t tennis superstars who will habitually vie for titles, although they will give their all in this weekend’s Frederick County Public Schools tournament. But they’re the kind of reliable players every victory-seeking team wants in its lineup.

They proved that on April 18, when they pulled out a 6-4, 6-3 victory over the strong No. 1 Middletown doubles team of Jessica Yeager and Macy Horman.

“I remember I was looking at her, probably after the first game we won,” Hafner said. “My mouth was open, I was smiling. I was like, ‘Chay, we can actually do this.’”

That refuse-to-lose mindset shows how far they’ve come since trying out for tennis as freshmen.

“The first time I had ever picked up a racket was when I started playing,” Hafner said. “And I had like a 15-dollar racket from Wal-Mart.”

Standing near Hafner during Wednesday’s sunny practice, Reeves chimed in, “I still use my 15-dollar racket from Wal-Mart.”

So when they started out at Brunswick, they didn’t have state-of-the art equipment or any serious training. Not surprisingly, they didn’t have high expectations, either.

But what they did have, even back then, was a long-lasting friendship forged during their days at Brunswick Middle School.

“In high school, we were inseparable,” Hafner said. “We did everything, like vacations together and we played volleyball together and basketball together and tennis together. So, we’ve done it all.”

This bond would serve them well in tennis, providing invaluable chemistry on the court.

They weren’t paired up right away. But by last year, they were cranking out wins together at No. 2 doubles. Railroaders coach Lee Zumbach figures the duo has gone 28-0 over the past two regular seasons.

“Their personalities mesh. They’ve had their little differences sometimes, but that’s normal,” Zumbach said. “They trust each other.”

Like any successful doubles team at any level, they complement each other. Hafner relies on a strong serve and baseline game, while the taller Reeves thrives at the net.

During Wednesday’s practice, Reeves and Hafner were facing male opponents. After winning a point, they walked toward each other and touched rackets. They did the same thing after one of their returns just missed going over the net.

“They don’t criticize each other, they’re supportive of each other,” Zumbach said. “It’s kind of cliche, but they are.”

Support helps in matches like the one they had last season against Oakdale. Hafner and Reeves trailed 5-1 in the third set of their No. 2 doubles match, and the Railroaders needed their victory to pull out a 3-2 win over the Bears.

“Chay always stays positive,” Hafner said. “She’s like, ‘Lauren, we got this, we’re good. Just have fun. Stay positive.’”

And for the rest of the match, Brunswick coach Larry Collins kept telling the duo to win “one more game.” They ended up winning the match 6-1, 4-6, 7-5.

“I’ve been around a while and I never saw a comeback like that,” Zumbach said.

Their victory over Middletown’s No. 1 doubles team of Yeager-Hormon was just as impressive. Feeling like underdogs, Reeves and Hafner weren’t bogged down with pressure.

“I think every point we won in that match gave us more energy,” Reeves said.

No matter how well they fare in postseason tournaments, Hafner and Reeves’ days as doubles partners are drawing to a close.

And after they graduate, both are heading to different parts of the country. Reeves will attend Brigham Young University in Utah, while Hafner will be attending Florida State.

“We’ve made a pact to stay in touch,” Hafner said.

Once a pen pal, always a pen pal.