They have been teammates for less than three months, but sophomore Breaunna Addison and freshman Pippa Horn are playing well with each other on the court.
Both women are relatively new at Texas. Horn is in her first semester. Addison started her Longhorn career in January, so she has yet to complete a whole year.
The duo, ranked No. 41, began doubles play Thursday at the ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships in Flushing Meadows, N.Y. Regional winners from across the country will be in attendance.
Coming off their doubles title at the Texas Regional Championships, Addison said the two assessed their play and thought of strategies for New York.
Though the event will be indoors, Addison said she and Horn should not have a problem.
“We’ve practiced indoors once in the last couple of months, so I know it is going to be a big change,” Addison said. “We just have to make some adjustments with our feet and shorten our backswings, so I think we’ll be okay.”
It also helps that Addison used to live in Washington and played tennis inside almost every day.
The two flew to New York two days before the meet to adjust to the court conditions. With that extra time, Addison said she hopes they get some leisure time.
“I’d like to think so, but I’m not counting on it. We’ll probably just stay in the hotel and try to make sure we stay healthy,” Addison said.
When the competition gets underway, she will rely on a small snack to keep her strong.
“I’ve been eating a lot of Gatorade chews, to be honest,” Addison said. “They’re not the best, but they really get you going if you’re a little down or tired.”
In preparation for the tournament, Addison and Horn have been hitting on weekends. They also perform doubles drills, trying to find ways to mesh with each other.
“We’re a really good team,” Addison said. “We just need a few more matches under [our] belt to get really comfortable with each other.”
Addison has performed better thanks to Horn’s play. She has a strong forehand move and plays aggressively in the backcourt, putting her in a good position to knock off a couple of volleys.
While Addison and Horn compete in New York, their teammates back in Austin will host the Longhorn Invitational.
“It’s unfortunate because we’ve been rallying for fans for the last month, so I was kind of hoping to play in it,” Addison said. “But we’ll be supporting each other even though we’re not in the same place, and I know we’ll do well.”
With Longhorns competing thousands of miles apart, Texas will be represented well, down to the beverage Addison drinks most on the court.
“I’ll definitely go with the orange Gatorade, especially since I go to UT,” Addison said. “I got to represent.”
