Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – Before Audrey Koch played a high school tennis match she already had the first few years of her career mapped out.

The plan for Koch was to focus on doubles early in her career with her older sister Emma as her partner.

Last season that plan played out to perfection as the Koch sisters went 18-0 en route to the Class 2A doubles title but a wrench was thrown into the plan last fall when Emma Koch had her career end early with a torn ACL.

With her partner sidelined Koch was forced to alter her plan but thanks to some help from teammate Jessica Moonjely she remains on track to add another state title to her tennis resume.

“We were obviously very sad when Emma tore her ACL especially because we wanted to come back and try to defend our state title,” Audrey Koch said. “Not long after it happened Jessica text me, she knows that doubles is definitely my favorite of the two, and she asked if I would want to try to go doubles for state with her this season.”

Koch and Moonjely enter the two-day Class 2A state tournament on Thursday unbeaten as a doubles team.

In their first season as doubles partners at the high school Koch and Moonjely enter play Thursday at the Bettendorf High School Tennis Center at 10 a.m. among the favorites to win the doubles title.

“We were all really heartbroken when Emma tore her ACL but Audrey and I decided early on that this would be something really cool that we could do,” Moonjely said. “We’ve been playing tennis since elementary school so the chemistry was already there and we just really wanted to accomplish this.”

Before Koch and Moonjely began playing together as partners they had to convince head coach Amie Villarini to let them team up.

Both stellar singles players, Koch and Moonjely were capable of making runs in the singles bracket at state. Moonjely was eighth in the 2A singles bracket last season.

However, after Emma Koch was injured Audrey Koch and Moonjely made the decision early to attempt to give West High a third consecutive state doubles title.

“They wanted to play doubles and it worked out that everybody else wanted to go with how we had it,” Villarini said. “It worked out well for our team.”

It didn’t take long for the duo to show it was a serious state title contender.

“It was a pretty good transition,” Koch said. “I’m not going to lie it was kind of weird to step on the court and have it not be with Emma but it works out well just because Jessica is a very singles focused player so she is very good at ground stroking and I definitely favor the net so that helps. We have really good chemistry and it’s been fun.”

Koch and Moonjely have gone 15-0 as a doubles team this season dropping just one set along the way.

The unbeaten record includes a 3-0 performance at the regional meet in which Koch and Moonjely didn’t drop a set while winning the regional title.

“I’m probably better at singles and that is what I have focused on throughout my high school career but this opportunity has been really amazing,” Moonjely said. “I think I have really grown as a doubles player and Audrey has really shown me the ropes as a former state doubles champion.”

Last season Audrey and Emma Koch rolled through the 2A doubles bracket without losing a set.

Moonjely and Audrey Koch had a different style than the Koch sisters but have been nearly as affective while working toward the same goal – a state title.

“Obviously, Emma and Audrey were a different dynamic with their height and power and Audrey and Jessica are a little bit different but they are both really scrappy and they get to a lot of balls and they are really consistent and they can finish shots,” Villarini said. “They can keep points going and they play good defense too.”

Before Audrey and Emma Koch teamed up to win the doubles title last season Emma Koch and Abby Jans won the state title in 2017.

Audrey Koch and Moonjely believe they have what it takes to give West High a doubles champ for the third year in a row.

“I think my doubles playing has definitely grown and we have improved as a team,” Moonjely said. “I have started to become more aggressive at the net and I think me and Audrey are set up really well for the state tournament.”

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