Kris Tiedt and Molly Opel get along on and off the court, and they should — after being doubles partners for three years, their relationship has grown.

“I was a little bit intimidated by Molly,” said Tiedt, who came to NIU the year Opel was redshirted for a right shoulder injury.

Opel, a Sheboygan, Wis. native, came to NIU in 1997. She was immediately put in the top two doubles positions, and she also spent part of her first year at the No.2 singles position.

Tiedt, of Iowa City, Iowa, came to NIU in 1998 with 13 singles and 15 doubles wins under her belt. She started at No. 2 and No. 3 singles positions.

NIU tennis coach Laura Scott said Tiedt started her freshman year as one of the team’s youngest and ended up with one of the team’s best records.

Years of experience as partners have helped Opel and Tiedt communicate well with each other, giving them an advantage against their opponents.

Scott said Opel and Tiedt have distinct personalities — Opel is reserved and Tiedt is outgoing, and Tiedt is the team’s comedian. But Scott said their similarities make them better.

“Both are really fierce competitors and have the same type of attitude in practice,” she said.

Scott added that they’re also similar in the way they motivate other players.

“They really energize people in practice when they’re going 100 percent all the time,” she said.

Opel and Tiedt said this season’s most challenging competitors were Marshall and Miami universities, the first teams NIU played during the MAC season.

“They’re really aggressive teams, they’re solid,” Opel said.

As seniors next year, Opel and Tiedt will be expected to take on certain roles. They will be team leaders that the underclassmen can look up to.

“I expect them to motivate everybody to play well over the summer,” Scott said.

Tiedt is confident the duo will live up to Scott’s expectations.

As the MAC tournament approaches and the year comes to a close, Opel and Tiedt are thinking about next year. Opel said she wants to keep her shoulder in shape and build up her stamina. Tiedt said she wants to intensify her all-court-style play, adding that confidence in serving and volleying will benefit her doubles play.