The Michigan women’s tennis team is undefeated this season when it wins the doubles point.
This is primarily due to the play of the No. 2 ranked doubles team in the country; juniors Kari Miller and Jaedan Brown, as well as the pairing of sophomore Julia Fliegner and freshman Lily Jones. Both doubles teams credit their success to their close relationships both on and off the court.
Brown and Miller first met on opposite sides of the court when they were nine years old. Although Miller won that match, Brown didn’t hold it against her and they became fast friends, propelled by their participation in the same regional tournaments and their parents’ status as Michigan alumni.
They grew up vacationing together and staying together in hotels for tournaments. They even went on their unofficial and official visit to Michigan together, Miller being one of Brown’s first calls after committing.
“She was with her mom, and I told them, and she literally started crying,” Brown told The Daily, laughing. “She was like ‘I have to come, I have to come!’ And I was like ‘You are coming Kari, there’s no choice now!’ ”
Miller committed shortly after, and the rest is history. The two have been dominant all season, going 8-4 overall and 2-0 in Big Ten play.
“When you live with someone and you’re so close to them – I just trust (Miller) so much on court,” Brown said.
That trust is palpable, as they feed off the strongest parts of each others’ game to continue logging wins.
“I hit the basic shots really well,” Miller said. “Jaedan is the ‘flashy’ player, but … I set up points very well. I know I’m making this return, I’m hitting it here. I’m making the serve and hitting it here.”
Brown echoed that sentiment, crediting Miller’s shot placement as key to her fast-paced play.
“It’s perfect for me,” Brown said. “I wouldn’t be able to make those shots if she didn’t place it perfectly for me to move on it.”
Miller excels at placing the ball precisely, running her opponents off the court with deep line drives. As the “flashy one,” Brown hits aggressively at the net, and can be counted on to deliver a couple powerful aces each game. The pair moves so smoothly on the court, almost appearing to read each other’s minds.
“At this point, I feel like we know everything about each other,” Miller said.
And their time as Wolverines has only brought them closer.
“We spend so much time together,” Brown said. “When my parents come up for a match, anytime we go to dinner, I go to the hotel – Kari always comes with me. And I won’t even tell (my parents), Kari’s just there and it’s such a normal thing. We’ll just be sitting in my hotel, my mom’s doing my hair, and Kari is just sitting there with us.”
Similar to Brown and Miller, Fliegner and Jones met as opponents at a ten and under tournament at Fliegner’s club. Slotted to play against one another, they introduced themselves, and their friendship followed from there.
Both from Michigan, the duo grew up playing at the same regional tournaments, often playing head to head. Where their on-court relationship started, though, was as doubles partners in elementary school – often to the tune of mixed results.
“We were really bad,” Fliegner joked.
Over the years, however, their friendship and deep knowledge of each other’s play has allowed them to evolve into a formidable team.
“We just know each others’ games perfectly,” Fliegner said. “So we’re able to manipulate formations … to adjust to however we’re playing that day.”
Just like Brown and Miller, Jones and Fliegner meld seamlessly, even though their games couldn’t be more different.
“We’re kind of opposites on court,” Jones said. “We always joke about like, she’s kinda the fire and I’m the ice, and that’s why we’re so good.”
Jones’ steady, consistent play provides opportunities for Fliegner to come in swinging, making for a wildly successful one-two punch; an act made possible by their close bond.
“To succeed you have to have someone you trust on your side of the net,” Jones said. “I know she has my back wherever she is, on the court and off the court.”
The two are inseparable, and their play only benefits from their close relationship. Their connection allows for efficient communication, sometimes requiring nothing more than a glance.
“We’re best friends,” Jones said. “Sometimes no words even need to be spoken, I can just look at (Fliegner).”
The Michigan women’s tennis team is something of a dynasty as of late. The Wolverines have won nine Big Ten regular-season championships and four Big Ten Tournaments during Michigan coach Ronni Bernstein’s tenure. The doubles point has been essential so far this season, and these duos are only looking to continue that success.
Trusting your partner and being able to make adjustments according to their game is essential to successful doubles tennis, and doing that becomes a lot easier when you’ve been playing together since elementary school.
For both pairs, their friendships off the court provide them with the knowledge that they can adapt to whatever the other team throws at them. It makes them comfortable in unfamiliar gyms, and provides them with the stamina to get through tough matchups.
In other sports, two or three years of playing together would be considered invaluable and almost impossible to achieve, but these duos have almost a decade of experience under their belts.
Together, like they always are, both pairs are building on their past success and adding to the dynasty already in progress.