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Raiders enjoying net gains Jonasson and UO transfer Endrikat form potent tandem By RANDY HAMMERICKSEN ASHLAND -- Judy Jonasson and Anne Endrikat, a pair of 21-year-old former North Medford High girls tennis players, have been reunited as a doubles tandem and singles players for Southern Oregon University's women's team. Jonasson, a senior who reached the semifinals of the Northwest NAIA regional tournament last spring for SOU, has a 6-0 record in singles and has teamed with Endrikat for a 5-0 doubles record. Endrikat has a 4-1 singles record. With Endrikat and Jonasson leading the way, the Raiders of head coach Gail Patton have won four straight team dual matches to open the season. They will travel to Arizona next week during spring break for four matches against other NAIA schools. Playing together is nothing new for two. Endrikat and Jonasson teamed to win the consolation title in the 1996 Class 4A state high school tournament. Endrikat spent her first two years of college as a player for the University of Oregon, but transferred to SOU this past fall. "I like the smaller atmosphere at Southern Oregon, and they have the nursing program I wanted," says Endrikat. "I didn't play as much as I wanted at Oregon, so it made the transfer easy." She was met with open arms. "It was a nice surprise to have Anne transfer here," says Jonasson. "She's a friend of mine, and we know each other pretty well." Patton says she didn't hesitate in putting Jonasson and Endrikat together as the No. 1 doubles team for SOU. "They already know how to play together, and they're confident with each other," says Patton. "Judy has become very effective with her net game. "There's probably no other player on our team with strokes as sound as Anne's are. She's played a lot of tennis, and it shows." Patton is eager to see her tandem square off against the top-rated doubles team in the Pacific Northwest, Sanet Nel and Eleanor Specht of Lewis-Clark State. "I think they'll match up real well against them," says the coach. Endrikat says having her former high school teammate on her new college team has helped her adjust. Their attitudes and demeanors complement one another, and each feeds off encouragement from the other. Then there are the physical benefits. "I like playing with Judy in doubles because she can pull out a shot when it looks like we're going to lose the point and turn it into a winner," says Endrikat. "In doubles, she's more of a power player than I am. I like to play a lot of top spin and finesse the ball more. "But I like to volley the most. I like being up at the net because it gives you all kinds of opportunities to hit the ball deep, or at short angles, or vary your approach on every shot." With two years left in her college tennis career, Endrikat says she wants to have as much fun as possible and enjoy playing for the Raiders. "It looks like we have a pretty good team, since we haven't lost a match yet," says Endrikat. "Winning will make it fun right there. "I want to do the best I can to help my team do well, and hopefully that will take us as far as we can go." That would be to the Northwest Regional championships in singles and doubles, she says. "Only complete teams qualify for the national tournament," says Patton. "Lewis-Clark State looks like the best team. They have a group of exchange students on their roster, but I think we can give them a battle. "And there will be a chance for us to get to the nationals as an at-large team if we don't win the regionals." Also in SOU's singles lineup are junior Katie Fankhanel from West Albany at No. 2 and junior McKenzie Walther of Roseburg at No. 4 singles. "We have a very strong top four in singles," says Patton, adding that with the four also playing doubles, "we're very solid." Today's Edition : News | Sports | Business | Weather | Tempo | Classifieds Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA