Salisbury girls tennis head coach Rob Benson knew the likelihood of juniors Bryn Kubinsky and Paige Gibbons teaming up for a third straight year in the District 11 Class 2A doubles tournament was high. That’s why the Lady Falcons’ top two singles players practiced together at doubles throughout the regular season often.

That extra time on the court certainly paid off. Kubinsky and Gibbons won three matches in the Class 2A tournament and picked up a top-four finish at Parkland High School two weeks ago.

The tandem has progressed in each season since bowing out in the first round as freshmen back in 2017. As sophomores, the two lost in the quarterfinals round. This season, the duo advanced to the semifinals before Moravian Academy’s Miranda Gibson and DeeDee Hoffman, the No. 1 seed, ended their run in straight sets (6-1, 6-1).

“Paige and Bryn have learned how to play to win instead of playing not to lose,” Benson said. “They lost the first set in the quarterfinals in a 9-7 tiebreaker. I gave them three words of advice for the next two sets. I said, ‘Attack. Attack. Attack.’ They did and they won both sets.

“That was a big step for them. And for them to get a third-place medal was pretty satisfying for them and me…They were seeded fourth. But the fifth-seeded team was from Becahi, and most everybody thought Becahi would beat us.”

After coming up short in that first-set tiebreaker, Kubinsky and Gibbons grinded out a 6-4 win in the second set. They took all that momentum into the third and decisive set, winning it 6-0 to punch a ticket in the semifinal round.

The two had little trouble in their first two matches on the first day of district doubles competition at Lehigh University. They disposed of Central Catholic’s Emily Wasson and Priyanka Bhasyan in the first round (6-1, 6-1), and then downed Moravian Academy’s Sophia Brands and Grace Wright (6-2, 6-3).

“They have a history of playing doubles together in the tournament,” Benson said. “I know they both like it. It does take them a few practices to get them in rhythm for the doubles, but I do go out of my way to make sure they play doubles together during practice throughout the season. Those two are a good doubles tandem. People don’t understand what chemistry is, and they have it.”

Salisbury had two other doubles teams compete in the district tournament. After winning the first set, Maisie Oliver and Marcie Silberman came up short against Jim Thorpe’s Evelyn Flores and Chloe Gets in the opening round.

Bethany Hnatow and Krista Bonge, who played No. 1 doubles for Benson in the regular season, fell in straight sets against Notre Dame-Green Pond’s Keiran Lencheski and Dara Burton. The Crusaders’ duo was the No. 7 ranked team and advanced to the quarterfinals.

“Maisie and Marcy got some valuable experience in the first tournament they played in,” Benson said. “Krista and Bethany played pretty well against the seventh seed. They were in every game. I was happy that, particularly for Krista, she was able to get that experience.”