SLIPPERY ROCK — Chelsea Gibson preferred to work alone.

Since she was 6, Gibson could be found with a tennis racket in her grip and a backhand that terrorized opponents.

Gibson was a singles player. Doubles matches were just a necessary evil — a way to get loose for the one-on-one battle that really counted.

But all that changed last year when Gibson joined the Slippery Rock University women's tennis team. She quickly discovered that doubles play rules Division II tennis.

She had to adapt.

"Honestly, last year was awful," said Gibson, now a sophomore. "I always hated doubles, and I never really cared to try it."

Gibson had good reason to carry that belief. She won a WPIAL singles title at Knoch and was an accomplished player in the U.S. Tennis Association circuit, routinely finding her name on the district and section rankings.

While she did team with Tiffany Allen to win a WPIAL doubles title at Knoch, playing with a teammate was never on her agenda.

But Gibson's song has changed. She is no longer a loner.

"I've gone from dreading doubles to looking forward to it now," Gibson said.

Why the drastic change in attitude? The success she's found is one of the reasons.

Since Gibson was paired with junior Laura Handy in late March, the duo have notched a 9-0 record.

The No. 29 Rock (21-4) was slated to play Kutztown University this morning in the first round of the NCAA Division II Tournament at Bloomsburg University.

"Gibson and Handy — they are just dominating right now," said SRU women's tennis coach Matt Meredith.

Success didn't come easily to Gibson. During her freshman season, she struggled.

That's not uncommon, Meredith said.

"It takes a while for them to get where we want them to be," said Meredith, who must spend that first season teaching his new recruits the nuances of college doubles play. "The USTA, finally, in their junior programs, are emphasizing doubles. That's going to help."

There were times last season when Gibson doubted she would ever improve.

"I thought I had completely peaked at the end of last fall," Gibson said. "I didn't think I was going to get anywhere."

She went through many doubles partners, trying to find the right fit.

In Division II tennis, doubles wins count more than singles wins.

"Doubles is everything," Meredith said. "If we take care of everything in doubles, that's when we dominate teams."

Gibson and Handy certainly have been taking care of everything — and everyone.

"Our games mesh really well," Handy said. "She can rally very well and I'm at the net with my long arms."

Handy is tall and lanky, a huge asset in doubles play.

Handy dominates at the net. Anything that gets past her is cleaned up by Gibson on the baseline with sharp, crisp returns.

"She makes me feel a lot less scared," Gibson said. "She's so good at the net and I lack in that area."

Gibson, usually highly strung on the court, has found peace with her new doubles partner — and the success that has gone they have achieved.

"My game has settled a little bit," Gibson said. "I really feel like there is no end to where I can go."