MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Arts & Sciences had never advanced to a state championship doubles match in tennis, but Ahmee and Kayla Kelly felt the need to change that.

The twins cruised through their first two matches Thursday in advancing to the Class A/AA girls’ state championship final. Defending Class A/AA champion Tarah Garner from Boyd-Buchanan advanced to the singles final.

“We’ve had plenty of semifinalists, but never a finalist,” CSAS coach Jerry Pate said. “We’ve been to a few semifinals matches, but we’ve cleared at least one hurdle. We just have one more match to play.”

The Kellys beat University School of Jackson’s Morgan Hancock and Madeline Crocker (6-2, 6-4) and Madison’s Maria Koonce and Sarah Sopcak (6-2, 6-1). They will face another pair of sisters, Julie and Brittany Covington from Clarksville Academy, in today’s final at 10 a.m. EDT at Middle Tennessee State University.

“We’re excited, but we still have another match to play and want to play our best,” Ahmee Kelly said. “We’re just blessed to be here and are going to take this one match at a time.”

“It would mean a lot to be the first to win,” Kayla said. “It means all of these years would have paid off and be a thank-you to the family and friends that have supported us.”

Garner overcame two extra obstacles Thursday — cramps and blisters — in surviving two three-set matches. She defeated Elizabethton’s Jessica Brummitt 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 and Christ Presbyerian Academy’s Katherine Schofield 5-7, 6-4, 6-1.

“I was in pain and feeling a little weak,” Garner said. “Those girls weren’t here last year, but I looked them up on USTA and we had beaten a lot of the same opponents, so I expected them to be good.”

Garner will match up with USJ’s Madison Patey — the same girl she defeated in last year’s final.

“I’m not going to approach this any different. I’m just going to play my game,” Garner said.

In Division II-AA, GPS’s Sarah Evans and Bronte Goodhue won their first-round matches, Evans by 6-0, 6-2 over Knoxville Webb’s Jenny Haydek and Goodhue by 7-5, 6-4 over Erin Patton of Briarcrest Christian. But the Bruisers’ Meredith Morrow and Anne Elizabeth Holley lost, and Baylor’s Sarah Berchuck and Katie Thornton fell 6-2, 7-5 to Webb sisters Guinn and Vicki Garcia.

St. Andrew’s-Sewanee sisters Avery and Sadie Shackelford will play each other for the Division II-A state title. Avery defeated Harding Academy’s Rachel Sanders 6-2, 6-0 and downed Davidson Academy’s Kendall Ganus 6-3, 6-3. Sadie beat St. George’s Libby Heflin 6-1, 6-3 before blanking Harding’s Whitney Horner 6-0, 6-0.

In Class AAA, Cleveland’s Caroline Grisard fell to Science Hill’s Alison Storie 6-0, 6-1, while Red Bank’s Michelle Hawfield and Megan Long dropped a 6-2, 6-2 decision to Tennessee High’s Courtney Conley and Megan Buckmaster.

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