By Harley Benda
MORGANTOWN — Morgantown High seniors Bella Mascari and Mackenzie Sorton have been a major part of the girls’ tennis team for the last four years, helping rack up four OVAC championships and a state title last year.
They’ll also look for another state championship this season starting today at the state tournament in Charleston.
But, all good things must come to an end.
With the duo graduating, plans for higher education started taking shape, and Mascari and Sorton realized they were going to two separate universities. Mascari is set to attend Shepherd while Sorton signed to play at Fairmont State. They are both slated to play tennis for their respective schools.
Mascari said she chose the Rams because of a prior visit several years ago, and a message from the women’s tennis coaching staff.
Sorton picked the Falcons because of the architecture program the university offers, as well as the environment for academics and the tennis program.
“A lot of schools don’t offer both of those things because architecture is very demanding and a time commitment,” Sorton said. “But at Fairmont, you’re not a number there at all. As soon as I went there for a second time, they knew my name. I know that they’re going to work with me and going to help me be able to succeed in both things.”
Mascari and Sorton started playing together as duo partners during their freshman year, but Mascari noted they seemed to hit it off right from the start, both on and off the court.
“We knew we had to have kind of a friendship thing, and I’ve always liked Mackenzie. She’s been one of my good friends,” Mascari said.
Mascari noted that they know each other’s strategies, which helps bring a positive dynamic to the duo that is fierce for competitors.
“We’ve been around each other so much that we know what we’re going to do. We’re comfortable coaching each other,” Mascari said.
Sorton agrees that they are each comfortable with each other.
“I think we complement each other really nicely,” she said. “We’re good at different things. She’s really good at being aggressive, where as I am a lot more consistent and would rather see myself get it in than take the risk. I think it really helps each other out.”
Both Mascari and Sorton gave credit to their coaches at MHS and their private lessons to teaching them what they knew and refining their abilities.
With not being able to play as partners anymore after their high school careers end this weekend, Mascari and Sorton noted that it will feel weird for both of them.
“I think it’ll be so different,” Sorton said. “Whenever we play singles against each other, it’s really weird because she kind of knows my strategies, and I know hers since we’ve played together for so long. So, I think it’s going to be really strange. We’ve joked a lot about if we play each other, I’ll forfeit one and she’ll forfeit one.”
