Size doesn’t hold back Bruins doubles player

For a girl her size, Elizabeth Worsowicz packs a wallop. There is no way the Rock Bridge junior measures more than 5 feet without her tennis shoes, and to say she weighs 100 pounds is almost an insult. Her stature didn’t fool her opponents at Saturday’s District 5 tennis tournament at Bethel Park because Worsowicz’s reputation precedes her: She uses that diminutive frame to produce punishing ground strokes and a serve that can only be described as terrifying.

Worsowicz put those tools to good work as she and No. 1 doubles partner, Witley Zitch, cruised through their first two rounds, dropping only four games on their way to earning a berth in the state semifinals on Oct. 22 in Springfield, Mo.

Teammate Erica Sher, a senior, had a much more difficult time in the second round at No. 2 singles. Sher lost a 3½-hour, three-set marathon to Rolla’s Degmar Velez. The two spent the majority of the match trading defensive strokes, stretching nearly every point. The pair played so many grueling rallies that they wore the balls slick. Though they requested fresh balls complete with fuzz, district rules prohibited the switch.

Sher recognized her strong performance despite the loss.

“I thought I played pretty well, though I wish the outcome were different,” she said.

Rock Bridge coach Ben Loeb was at her side during nearly all of the match’s numerous breaks.

“He told me I needed to keep a lot of balls in play, and to be a strong competitor,” Sher said.

Hickman’s No. 1 doubles team of Dina Kaissi and Cassia Felipe also made the semifinals, and coach Jerry Price said the girls, who are relatively inexperienced as partners, are coming together at the right time.

“They are marching through the draw as we hoped,” he said. “From this point on, they will have to play mistake-free tennis. They’re getting to know each other, and beginning to jell as teammates.”

In the overall team competition, Rock Bridge finished first and Hickman third in the Class 2, District 5 meet.