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How the Spoden sisters got their start


OK, so we know York Catholic sisters Ava and Anna Spoden are good at tennis. This much was reinforced by the pair's breezy run to a second straight YAIAA Class AA doubles title on Wednesday. But how exactly did the Spodens get their start on the court? Turns out it happened by chance. When they were young, the sisters' father, Uwe, bought tennis lessons for their mother, Sheila. Problem was, Sheila had a bad back and couldn't use them. So they let Ava and Anna go. Good move. The sisters have become two of the most accomplished tennis players in the area. They met in the YAIAA Class AA singles final for the second straight year on Monday, with the senior Ava getting the best of Anna, a sophomore. "We've played other sports over the years," Ava said, "but tennis is the one we've kept up with the whole time." "We really had lots of fun with it," Anna added. "We were always excited to go to tennis." Ava and Anna were seeded third and fourth, respectively, in the District 3 Class AA singles tournament, which begins Saturday at the Hershey Racquet Club. Meanwhile, York Catholic will begin the district team tournament on Thursday in Hershey against Fleetwood.