Huddling together at the back of the court and clinking their rackets together after a point, it’s hard to believe Caroline Thoms and Lisa Van Susteren became double partners late in the Darlington tennis season when Lisa returned to the courts after an injury.

“I was pretty frustrated after my injury during our first match of the season,” Van Susteren said, “but it’s awesome now to be back.”

Although tennis is a team sport, the players are ranked individually and this ranking determines who plays singles and doubles for the Lady Tigers. A challenge match and fate brought these two longtime tennis players together.

“It’s a ladder system, and if you challenge each other, you either get to move up the ladder or move down,” Van Susteren said. “I challenged someone and moved up, and the coaches ended up mixing us together to have a stronger double.”

Caroline, a senior day student from Kingston, Ga., and Lisa, a junior boarding student from Germany, have wasted no time learning to balance out each other’s strengths and weaknesses, creating a bond that is hard to rival.

“Me and Lisa have only played two or three matches together, but it’s been super, super fun,” Thoms said. “We mesh well, and we even have some German words out there, some code words, that we use to win.”

These strategies seem to be working because the duo’s wins helped secure a region championship title, and they also helped the team advance to the third round of state after their sweeping win against Dublin on April 25.

“They are a great match,” head tennis coach Mark Tunnell said. “Caroline works hard with a good attitude, and then Lisa is Lisa. She brings humor to the court as well as a nasty slice, and that’s a good thing. They are a great combination and have played really well together.”

Gallery • 6 Photos

Sally Jones

Doubles partners, junior Lisa Van Susteren (left) and senior Caroline Thoms (right), touch rackets after scoring a point during practice on April 19.