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Women's Tennis Duo Ready for Post-Season
Lansdorp and Propstra hope to win it all in their last season together.
April 23, 1998
TEMPE, Ariz.- They've been doubles partners in almost 80 matches over the last three seasons at Arizona State, and if there's one thing that women's tennis players Stephanie Lansdorp and Katy Propstra know about each other, it's their own strengths and weaknesses. Maybe that's why the duo is so fired up about the 1998 Sun Devil postseason, which kicks off Thursday, April 23 with the Pac-10 Championships in Ojai, Calif.
The 10th-ranked doubles team in the nation, Lansdorp and Propstra have put together a stellar 1997-98 regular season, playing to a 19-5 overall record with a 14-3 duals mark. The duo hopes to win not only the Pac-10 Doubles Championship, but the NCAA Championship as well.
"I wouldn't mind winning it all," Lansdorp said as she encouraged Propstra to knock on wood.
Closing out their collegiate careers on a high note would be a natural progression for both players, who grew up surrounded by tennis. Both players come from tennis-oriented families that have supported and encouraged them throughout their years together and in high school. Lansdorp's father, Robert, is a tennis coach, while Propstra's mother, Carol, played tennis at ASU from 1964-68. Propstra also has a sister who played tennis at San Diego State.
In high school, Lansdorp, a senior from Torrance, Calif., was a member of three state championship teams and was named the team's Most Valuable Player her freshman and sophomore seasons.
Propstra, a junior from Paradise Valley, Ariz., was a two-year letterwinner and finished second in state individually as a senior. A 1995 graduate of Saguaro High School in nearby Scottsdale, Propstra won the gold medal at the U.S. Olympic Festival in 1994 in doubles, and she brought that talent with her to ASU.
When the two started playing together in the 1995-96 season, they clicked right away.
"We have gotten even more comfortable with each other since we having been playing together," Propstra said.
The team went on to post an overall record of 16-12 during that first year, including a dual record of 10-8. They finished ranked 12th in the nation and were semifinalists at the Pac-10 Championships.
The second season that Lansdorp and Propstra played together was even better. An overall record of 16-9 complemented with an impressive 11-4 dual record propelled the dynamic duo to a No. 15 national ranking and an NCAA berth.
After spending so much time together on the court, it is natural to assume that the two would get into a fight every now and then. They go out together a lot, and they spend a lot of time on the road together. However, when asked if they ever get on each other's nerves, the two looked at each other and simultaneously replied, "Never."
Lansdorp and Propstra never fight and they get along great both on and off the court. They do it by complementing each other's personalities. Propstra is calmer on the court than Lansdorp is, and Lansdorp says that keeps her calm as well.
"Katy knows how to keep me calm and keep me fired up at the same time," Lansdorp said. "That is a big key to our success."
The two hope that success continues throughout the postseason of the last year they will play together. Winning everything would be a great ending to a great three years.