Lara Akers, left, celebrates with her twin sister, Jenna, after winning a third straight regional doubles title. (Chris Zollner Photo)
Considering tennis is her part-time sport, Lara Akers certainly has dominated the 12th Region Tennis Tournament with her twin sister, Jenna. The Danville High School seniors won their third straight double championship — COVID canceled the 2020 tournament — earlier this week to extend their unbeaten streak in regional play.
“It’s just fun to play tennis. It’s not our first sport but we love playing it,” Lara Akers said. “The team is fun to be around. It’s a way for us to still have a sport going on when basketball is over. I think we did maybe feel more pressure this year because we have never lost in regional and wanted to end on a good note.
“It was like people were trying there best to beat us. Different teams were trying to put their two best players together to play us and beat us but we didn’t want that to happen.”
The Akers will play in the state tennis tournament June 1 in Lexington just a few days before Lara Akers gets back to her first sport and plays for the Kentucky all-stars against Indiana June 11 in Owensboro and June 12 in Indianapolis.
Akers was one of three 12th Region players — Macey Blevins of Wayne County and Alexia Smiddy of Southwestern were the other two — to make the all-star team.
“It is a pretty big deal to me to make the team,” Akers said. “I think I am only the third player in the history of Danville to be on the team. It’s a great honor to be part of it.”
Akers averaged 13.4 points and 2.5 rebounds per game last season when Danville went 16-6. She shot 43 percent overall from the field and 36 percent from 3-point range. She made 55 3-pointers, a skill the Kentucky all-stars can certainly use against a bigger Indiana team.
“I think making the team had a lot to do with my career accomplishments,” Akers said. “There was a committee to select the team and all had a say in who made it. I am just glad they had confidence in me.”
She thinks it is “awesome” to have two 12th Region teammates also playing in the games. She knows both players.
“It is a great way to show how good 12th Region basketball is,” Akers said. “It definitely says a lot about 12th Region basketball and the way we play in this region.”
Akers was disappointed Danville didn’t win the regional title — Southwestern did.
“It would have been great for our team and school to go to Rupp (Arena for the state),” Akers said. “This kind of makes up for not winning the region but it also doesn’t. I think I have been able to get past that and I am just trying to stay focused on the all-star game.”
The team has had two practices most of the players have attended and she’s tried to find time to get in the gym on her own — something that was hard to do the last week with prom, graduation and regional tennis.
If that’s not enough to keep her busy, the twins also are managers for Danville’s top five baseball team.
“This is our first year and we are not able to make every game but we just love the team,” Akers said. “They are a good group of kids to be around. I think our tennis will be over and we can be here for most of their postseason games because they are really good.”
The sisters are still contemplating what to do next year. Between their basketball abilities and high academic ranking, they have numerous college options, But they are also considering the COVID do-over year.
“We are talking with our family, coach about what to do,” Akers said. “We have narrowed down our college choices but have not told anybody yet because we are contemplating staying back at Danville for another year.”
Why come back?
“Just to have one last chance to be at Danville,” Akers said. “We love playing at Danville and being part of the sports teams. They have helped form who we are. If we go to college, we will definitely go together. But we are still trying to decide what to do.”
