ROGERS — For a brief moment back in October, it looked like there would be a new Class 7A girls tennis doubles champion.
The Rogers High duo of senior Tiffany Tang and sophomore Katherine Tang were the defending state doubles champions, and the sisters had met no equal all year. But the Bentonville doubles team of Kendra Dinsmore and Mallory Tabler jumped to a quick 3-0 lead in the first set of the state championship match.
The crowd swelled at the tennis courts at Rogers Heritage as it appeared a huge upset could be in the making.
“They were behind in a match for the first time in two years,” said Rogers coach Matt Fulton. “They were under a little pressure.”
But the Tangs never blinked.
They broke Bentonville’s serve and then went on to win the next five games to win the first set 6-3. They then extended their winning streak to 11 games before winning the match and a second-straight Class 7A state championship with a 6-1 decision in the second set.
The Tangs followed that with a second consecutive Overall Doubles Championship a week later. For their effort, Tiffany and Katherine Tang are the NWA Media Girls Tennis Doubles Team of the Year for the second year in a row.
“I didn’t know if they would come back the first set, but I was confident they would win the match,” Fulton said. “Winning 11 games in a row was a great way to go on to win a state championship.”
The Overall doubles championship capped an incredible career by Tiffany. In her four years in a Lady Mounties uniform, she helped Rogers to state championships her final three seasons, won four 7A-West Conference championships, four Class 7A state championships and four Overall state titles.
She ended her career with a combined singles and doubles record of 101-0.
Tiffany said what she will remember most about her high school career is the Lady Mounties’ three Class 7A state championships. As a freshman and sophomore, she ruled the state in singles before switching to doubles with her sister when the postseason season started her junior year.
“My four years, it really flew by,” she said. “I really enjoyed being part of this team. I’m glad we were able to win state championships. It was really fun to play doubles with my sister.”
Tiffany has turned down scholarship offers to play college tennis to instead focus on academics. She has applied to Arkansas and Rice among other schools and has scored a 35 on the ACT Test, including a perfect 36 on the math portion.
“As a coach, having a player and a person like Tiffany is something you may only see once,” Fulton said. “She was such a pleasure to have on the team. Tiffany is just the third person in Arkansas history to achieve four individual championships. I don’t foresee another player like Tiffany coming through here.”
Katherine will continue to play doubles for the Lady Mounties next year, and she said playing with her sister the last two years will give her an edge in her final two years at Rogers.
“I have learned to be a better team player and work better with the team,” Katherine said. “It was a lot easier for me playing with my sister. I learned how to communicate better on the court and to be a better partner.”