DATE: Sunday, November 9, 1997              TAG: 9711070305

SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN             PAGE: 17   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY JAMES C. BLACK, STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:   64 lines

BLACK, CLEAVENGER ON HISTORICAL STATE MISSION

A few months ago, Gina Black and Elizabeth Cleavenger were at different schools doing their own thing. But now, the two tennis players are at Great Bridge High making history.

The doubles team, 14-2 on the season, earned a trip to Group AAA state tournament Friday in Annandale, where they were scheduled to play play Anouck McCall and Debbie Volker (18-0) from Arlington's Yorktown High.

Black and Cleavenger became the first Great Bridge doubles team to qualify for Group AAA state competition when they knocked off Cox's Kristin Moran and Shannon Gormley in the Eastern Region semifinals Oct. 22.

``It's exciting for me,'' said Great Bridge coach Andrea Graham, who has coached various sports since 1974. ``This has fulfilled a goal I've had as a coach.''

``We just represented our district well and made history at the same time,'' said Cleavenger, a sophomore.

A historical moment accomplished by players relatively unknown to the other.

Black, who has played tennis for seven years, made a name for herself in the Tidewater Conference of Independent Schools as a freshman at Norfolk Academy. She teamed up with Suffolk's Michelle Grover to go undefeated during the spring in the conference regular season and tournament.

In the summer, Black played in USTA events and placed third at the Virginia State outdoors in the 16s-and-under singles championship.

Cleavenger, who began playing tennis just 2 1/2 years ago, was not a regular member of Great Bridge's team last year. She was still in middle school and could only appear in exhibition matches with the Wildcats. However, for the second straight spring, she went on to play on the USTA circuit.

She won the state outdoor 14s-and-under doubles title with Windsor's Melissa Holland and placed fifth in the singles tournament.

Meanwhile, Graham, who had not coached sports in three years, knew she was replacing Ginny Matish as the Wildcats coach this fall. She also knew Cleavenger was joining the team, but she didn't find out until late in the summer that Black was transferring to the school.

Black had to make a switch in schools when traveling to Norfolk Academy every morning became too much of a strain for the family.

Once with the team, Black was immediately put into No. 1 singles while Cleavenger earned the No. 2 spot. In this same short period of time, the two players established a chemistry as doubles partners.

``I guess our games complement each other's,'' Black said.

Both players have strong serves. Black also possesses a good overhead and volley while Cleavenger likes to come with the backhand.

Some of their skills came from their dads.

Jim Cleavenger, the assistant principal at Great Bridge, coached high school tennis in Clarksburg, W.Va. and gave his daughter a slight nudge into the game.

``She really didn't like it for a couple of weeks,'' Jim Cleavenger admits. ``But then she started seeing her success.''

Clifton Black, Gina's dad, coached tennis among other sports at Manor High for 15 years and got his daughter into the game at a young age.

Now the two fathers, who each previously knew Graham through coaching, are watching another coach take their daughters to another level. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by NHAT MEYER

Gina Black, left, and Elizabeth Clevenger, both students at Great

Bridge High, play in the state doubles tournament on Friday.

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