For the Lehighton doubles team of Bekim Cokrlija and Jed Cordes, the parts didn’t add up to the whole.

Both Cokrlija and Cordes had their moments at the District 11 Class 2A Doubles semifinals at Lehigh University Thursday afternoon, but they fell short to Blue Mountain’s tandem of Evan Burcik and Evan Bixler in a 6-4, 6-3 decision.

The Indians’ duo advanced to the semifinals with a 6-2, 6-0 win in the opening round, and a 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 victory in the quarterfinals.

Head coach Andrew Hozza was encouraged by his team’s perseverance after a sluggish start.

“They started both sets off extremely slowly going down 3-0 without much resistance,” said Hozza. “But they eventually got into a rhythm and were able to pick up a few games and get back into the set. Unfortunately, they could not get ahead.”

Hozza was a bit disappointed that his players couldn’t replicate the previous two outings.

The Indians’ twosome couldn’t maintain their consistency throughout the afternoon.

“The match today had some great parts to it,” said Hozza. “But, all in all, it wasn’t as great as the two previous matches. They won the points that went longer and had hard-fought rallies, but made a few too many unforced errors that complied against them.

“Their opponents played very well and were extremely consistent.”

Cordes, a junior, agreed with his coach’s outlook.

“We fell behind early in both sets, but we kept pushing and caught up both times,” said Cordes. “There were more missed shots and errors than on Tuesday, but still a decent performance overall.

“They just had some really well-placed shots that won it for them.”

Despite the loss, Cordes was comfortable with his play.

“I felt I played well once I got into a rhythm,” said Cordes. “I got some confidence at the net towards the end of the first set and throughout the second set.”

Overall, Cordes was impressed with his play this season. It proved to be a worthwhile season in spite of not reaching an initial goal.

“I saw myself improve a lot this season,” said Cordes. “As I was warming up today, I took a step back and realized how far I have come.

“I was really working to hopefully get a singles spot this season, so the fact that I was able to play second singles and even make it to districts is awesome.”

Cokrlija, a senior who will attend Penn State-Hazleton in the fall, had hoped for a stronger showing. He plans to play on a team at his local court.

“I played good, not great,” said Cokrlija. “I wish I could’ve capitalized more on my serves and volleys.”

Cokrlija can still walk away feeling good about himself.

“I had a fun season, but in some matches I fell short,” said Cokrlija. “I wish I could’ve gone farther in singles districts, leagues, and doubles districts. I think today went well, but I definitely think we could’ve beat Blue Mountain to advance to the final.

“But all that matters is that I had fun.”

VOLLEYS ... Last year, Bekim and older brother Bayto lost to Moravian Academy in the finals. Bayto was a member of the Kutztown University men’s tennis team. Hozza indicated that Cordes, along with sophomores Allie Conrad and Chase Lobasso are returning starters for next season.