Rhodes doubles her fun at Endicott

At 6-feet tall, tennis player Kenzie Rhodes from Rye is an asset for her Endicott College team, her court coverage making her an All-Conference doubles player.

And that’s not the only kind of coverage she’s learning about.

Endicott is preparing for the Commonwealth Coast Conference tournament, a playoff it’s won in each of Rhodes’ previous three years and used as a stepping stone to the NCAA Division III tournament, where she’s won matches.

And when her tennis season ends, hopefully after making some more inroads in the NCAAs, she’ll move on to another sport. An athletic training major, her program of study includes internships with some of the school’s other teams, including men’s hockey this winter.

Last year, she interned with the baseball team in the spring and at the nearby Pingree School in the fall. The year before, she assisted with a bunch of Endicott teams including women’s lacrosse, which features her former classmate at Portsmouth, Emily Whitney.

“It’s kind of like being on two teams,” said Rhodes. “It’s fun to be part of the whole athletic department, where it feels like I know everyone. It’s cool that I get to be an athlete and also see what goes on behind the scenes.”

Rhodes was a solid No. 1 player at Portsmouth High School, playing in the Division II shadow of St. Thomas Aquinas standout Julia Keenan, who won four straight NHIAA singles titles and two team championships before going on to play at Seton Hall.

Rhodes had to make peace with appearances in the team finals her sophomore and senior years, playing on teams coached by her stepmother, Kate Rhodes. As a senior, with Keenan graduated, she went undefeated at No. 1 singles.

But at Endicott, her value has been more on the doubles court. As a sophomore, she went 11-5 in doubles and 6-5 playing some lower-flight singles matches.

Last year, she and partner Maxine Bergstein formed the Gulls’ top doubles team and went 10-8, including a victory over Wilkes (Pa.) in the first round of the NCAAs. Rhodes also went 11-0 in singles.

This year, she and Bergstein are 8-4 as a tandem, largely at No. 1. The Gulls (9-3) will be the No. 2 seed behind Nichols in the Commonwealth Coast Conference tournament and host a semifinal next Tuesday.

“Throughout her four years, her doubles game has consistently gotten better and better,” said Endicott coach Jeremy Howard. “She’s really able to dominate using her height and her serve. … It’s not so much her technique (on serves); it’s just having more confidence.”

Rhodes is a captain on the team, a title she shares with classmate Jamie Zompa and Bergstein, a junior. Her value is that capacity, said Howard, included making sure players stayed in top shape over the summer.

“They’re an extension of the voice of the coach,” he said. “Over the summer, they’re way more in touch with the players than (coaches) are. They came into preseason in better shape than the team as a whole has ever been in.”

Rhodes said she plans to attend graduate school in physical therapy after graduating, but first wants to leave one more mark on the court, hopefully back in the NCAAs.

“It feels like it’s gone by so quick,” she said. “I feel like I was just a freshman. I’ve had the best experience and I just don’t want it to end.”

Campus notes

With five kickoff returns for 104 yards in Saint Anselm’s 63-20 loss to No. 21 LIU Post on Saturday, senior Ryan Monette of Hampton became the program’s all-time leader in kick return yardage, with 1,931 yards for his career. The former St. Thomas Aquinas standout has also caught 25 passes this season for 243 yards and two scores for the Division II Hawks (0-6). … UConn senior forward Rachel Hill of Rollinsford entered the weekend among the Division I leaders with 10 goals. An All-American last year, she was named to the Hermann Trophy watch list prior to the season. The Huskies (10-2-1) played at Houston on Sunday. … At Brown, senior captain Carly Gould of Hampton Falls has helped the Bears start 6-2-3, leading the team in goals (2), assists (2), points and shots on goal. She was a first-team All-Ivy League midfielder last fall. … Casey Estey of Kensington has a pair of goals and two assists for the women’s soccer team at Providence, which is 9-3-2. … At Division II Southern New Hampshire, former Winnacunnet standouts Maddie Holt and Alison Hildreth, and former Marshwood standout Lindsay Poirier are all starters for a field hockey team that will bring a 6-7 record into Tuesday’s Northeast-10 game against St. Michael’s. Hildreth plays back, while Holt and Poirier are both forward/midfielders. ... Former Farmington High School standout Jennelle Thompson reached 1,000 career digs as a sophomore libero for the St. Joseph's College (Maine) volleyball team during a tri-atch Saturday against University of St. Joseph's and Pratt Institute. Thomspon, who reached the milestone in just 48 matches, 61 digs in the two matches. Somersworth senior Shadai Gosselin had 14 kills and 20 digs in the two matches and now has 1,171 career digs. ... St. Joe's junior Lucas Fisher, a Coe-Brown grad, was fourth at the Runnin' Monks Invitational in a time of 28:38.6. ... Franklin Pierce freshman Julia Cormier, of Northwood, was the top Ravens runner at the NEICAAA championships in Boston, placing 174th in 20:13.6. Eliot, Maine's Dan Longtin is a member of the Franklin Pierce men's tennis team. ... Marshwood grad Cole McIntire had a goal in St. Michael's 4-3 OT loss to American International College. ... In a 3-0 loss to Le Moyne, Assumption freshman Brenna Chrisom had 24 assists and 12 digs, while junior Maria Chrisom had 19 digs. The sisters are graduates of St. Thomas Aquinas.