Handball - 1999 National Championship

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Women's Doubles Aug 6, 1999 While there were some upsets in today's singles, the Woman's Doubles tournament showed the value of experience. Due to the rain on day one, the games were behind schedule and the doubles matches set for the afternoon did not start until late in the day. Fading light proved to a factor in the games. Dee Stringfield and Sydell Smith had to settle with a win in the first game and a postponement for game two until Saturday. Both Dee and Sydell came onto the court displaying pain and reduced mobility due to muscle strains (Dee was in fact wearing a brace). After watching how their injuries had affected their singles performance it was hard to imagine that they could compete against Barbara Canton Jackson and Dori Ten, strong and experienced opponents. However, Dee and Sydell played through adversity and showed the difference between singles and double games. Well placed power shots, more important in doubles than speed and mobility, made it possible for the players to avoid having to run all over the court. As Sydell said as she emerged from the first game with a smile "I guess you don't have to run as much in doubles." The second game was postponed till Saturday due to darkness. Tracey Davis & Priscilla Shumate went against the National Defending Champions Adrianne Floyd and Karen McConney. Adrianne and Karen took the first tough fought game quick lead in the second before it was called due to darkness Fans watching the game pointed that some of the miscues that Tracey and Priscella were making reflected their inexperience as a team. They didn't work as effectively together as their opponents did, in positioning themselves on the court. Furthermore, while the lower light levels seemed to be having a significant impact, neither Tracey or Pricella realized that they could get a postponement simply by stating that the light was affecting their game. This weekend will determine the Nationals Champs. The best way to keep up with all the developments on Streetplay.com is to subscribe to Streetplay Today, our e-mail newsletter. Get the jump on everyone else--be the first to learn of the newest Streetplay news and features! We promise not to sell or share your name or address, and we won't spam you silly; what you will get is an inbox filled with Streetplay goodness once or twice a month! Click to subscribe. Contact us!