Brothers Having A Ball As Ducks

Playing at No. 2 doubles for the Oregon men's tennis team when the season began last week were a pair of brothers who thrive as a tandem because of their familiarity, and thrive as well because of their differences.

Luke Vandecasteele is a 20-year-old sophomore for the Ducks, the model of composure both in the serenity of his demeanor and the technical precision of his game. Quinn Vandecasteele, an 18-year-old freshman, is flamboyant in both personality and play, complementing Luke's composure while also communicating with him on that extrasensory level only siblings enjoy.

They push each other on the court, and they push each other in the classroom, where Luke is in the UO Honors College and Quinn has applied for the Product Design program. They're also roommates, a living situation in which – shocker – it's Quinn who is proving to be the messy one.

Overall, though, the Utah natives have been thrilled to share the collegiate experience together as Ducks. The UO men's tennis team is scheduled to return to action Saturday, with a pair of duals against visiting Portland State in the UO Student Tennis Center.

"Our game styles are pretty good for doubles," Quinn said. "Usually you like having one more solid player, which is him, and then one more, I guess flashy, going for the big shots. But also, we just know each other's games so well.

Quinn Luke Vandecasteele

"Usually it takes doubles teams a while to get used to each other – which balls who will take, and just how you'll play together. And that's been so natural for us, just because we've played and watched countless hours of each other's tennis."

The Vandecasteeles grew up in the game. Their parents, Evi and Herman, emigrated from Europe to play at BYU – coincidentally, Oregon's opponent to open the season last week. When the boys were growing up, Herman provided coaching. Evi's parenting focused on other areas.

"The priorities for her were more school, and then when we were playing tennis, behavior," Luke said. "Behavior, behavior and more behavior."

The composure Luke plays with now had to be learned; there were times when he was a kid that anger got the best of him, and Evi pulled him off the court. Even the more gregarious Quinn shows his emotions within bounds – a quick shout here, a pumped fist there.

Quinn Luke Vandecasteele

Luke, who went 15-9 playing primarily No. 5 singles for the Ducks last season, figures that if he doesn't get too high, he can't get too low. Quinn, who won both his matches at No. 3 singles last week, prefers to ride the wave of emotion.

"Yeah, sometimes it gets me going," Quinn said. "It can also hurt me; sometimes I get too negative and too emotional. But playing that way helps me have fun out there, and allows me to play good tennis."

Quinn's personality allows for the creativity required of his chosen undergraduate program, Product Design. The more measured Luke, on the other hand, is pursuing a double major in math and computer science.

In high school, Luke finished with a 3.97 grade-point average. The only blemish was a B-minus he received as a junior in, of all things, physical education.

Playing tennis required absences that Luke wasn't able to make up. And so, his otherwise exemplary academic record took a hit.

"It's a funny story," Luke can acknowledge now, albeit with a thin smile that suggests it still grinds on him a little.

Luke Vandecasteele

Quinn was nearly as accomplished, finishing high school with a 3.8 grade-point average. His GPA might not have been quite as a high. But he'll always have AP Physics to hold over his brother's head.

See, two years ago, when Luke was a senior and Quinn was a junior, they took AP Physics together. The course ends with a final exam, for college credit. Luke had passed many others like it. But he didn't pass that one. Quinn did.

"Overall, he had much, much more credits than me," Quinn said. "But that one, I managed to get."

In the end, it's a friendly rivalry between the Vandecasteele brothers. Their connection is so tight, a little trash talk can't possibly break their bond. It paid dividends for the Ducks in their two wins last week, and it will for years to come as the brothers continue to attack their tennis and their academics with equal vigor.