Siblings Cassie and Alex Burbine are two of the finest tennis players ever to play for Londonderry High School. And coming from a “tennis family” as they do, the high-energy sport is as natural as breathing to the talented brother and sister.
Alex finished a four-year collegiate academic and tennis career at Siena College in Loudonville, N.Y. this spring, and as he was bounding through his senior year, his younger sister Cassie was enjoying an auspicious start to her collegiate tennis career at Assumption College in Worcester, Mass.
The dynamic Burbine duo – who were taught tennis skills by dad, Skip, and mom, Patrice, from early ages – posted more than 200 victories while losing less than 20 in Londonderry High uniforms when one combines their singles and doubles records. Both then advanced into the collegiate tennis world and enjoyed more success.
“People are constantly asking me which one is better,” said Skip Burbine. “Well, they couldn’t be more equal if it was scripted. Both were 106-6 for their high school careers combining singles and dubs. So together they went 212-12.”
Alex led his LHS Lancer team to its first state championship in his junior year, and he was in the state singles finals three years and doubles finals once but lost.
Cassie led her Lady Lancer team to the state finals but they lost. However, she won in the state high school doubles finals (2013) and the state singles crown (2014) as well.
“Together they got the coveted triple crown with a state team championship, a state singles championship, and a state doubles championship, and neither one missed a high school match in four years. That’s just crazy,” said their proud dad.
Alex’s four years at Siena ended on a bit of a mixed note, as the senior stalwart was one of three Saints’ men’s tennis players to be named a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) All-Academic Team selection near the end of the campaign, but at that point he was sidelined with a broken finger.
He carried a 3.54 grade point average at the time the all-academic team acknowledgements came down, and he graduated with a degree in finance. He has since landed a job in the field in Boston.
To be eligible for the MAAC All-Academic Team, a student/athlete must complete two semesters at their institution and hold a cumulative grade point average of 3.20 on a 4.0 scale.
On the tennis court, Alex posted 18 singles wins over his four-year career for Siena teams that struggled at points.
He tallied four singles victories in his injury-shortened senior singles campaign, five during his junior campaign of 2013-14 (playing third singles), three in his sophomore campaign (primarily at fourth singles), and six in his freshman season of 2012-13 (playing top-three singles).
Alex also played in more than a dozen doubles matches in each of his first three seasons with the Saints.
While he was relegated to the sidelines and cheering for his Siena teammates during the final month of his collegiate tennis career, his sister was tearing it up for Assumption.
The young star, who played at number one doubles all season and saw time at both second and first singles for her college crew, was named to the Northeast-10 Conference All-Rookie Team after garnering NE-10 Rookie of the Week honors twice during the campaign.
The former Lancer competed in 17 singles matches and 18 doubles contests, posting a 10-7 singles mark and a 9-9 doubles record.
“She had a strong first season,” said Skip Burbine. “They played well as a team and made the playoffs, which they hadn’t done in a while.”
Like her brother Alex, Cassie was never a slouch in the classroom either. She was named to the Fall 2014 and Spring 2015 Assumption College Student/Athlete honor rolls.
Cassie would love nothing more than to own her own tennis club one day.
“Both played number one doubles in their freshman years in college and in the upper three in singles. But best of all is the fact that both are still smiling and loving life,” said Skip Burbine.