Bethany Christian vs. Northridge

We committed ourselves to becoming better, working hard at that goal, and being confident at the beginning of the season. This match showed significant progress in those areas.

But there is still a bit of a sting in a 4-1 loss. Or a 7-2 JV defeat.

There were plenty of positives to take away from the match, starting with Seth Krabill's victory at #2 singles. Seth started the match very nervously, and lost the very first game. It was obvious that this was his first varsity singles match and the nervousness was affecting his movement. He just didn't seem to have energy. But a little pep talk changed that, and after the first few games, it felt as if he had his match under control. Much like Ben Mast's match versus Northridge last year, Seth never got to far ahead, but the outcome never seemed in doubt. Even when his opponent, senior Jeremy Runge, would hit big forehands up the line or put away a ball at the net, there still was an air that Seth would be in control. In the end, he just kept the ball in the court more. It was a solid and confidence building match for Seth.

At #1 singles, Ben Mast was faced with a tougher task. He took on Northridge junior Nick Myers, who played #2 singles last year to the tune of 22-2 on the season. I expect him to be one of the best players in the area this year, but if Ben shows what he did last night, he may be right there with him. Admittedly, Nick looked a little off of his normal game. But Ben was finding the right rhythm to disrupt Nick, in the second set. Ben was able to attack and get some big points on overheads and passing shot errors. After losing the first set (6-2) Ben played strong and confident tennis to take a 5-4 lead in the second. In that game Ben had two set points, but couldn't convert. Myers then went on to take the game, and then the second set as Ben dealt with that disappointment.

I have to say however, I was impressed at how Ben improved within the match. In the first set, he wasn't reading the ball very well and his court position was often taken advantage of by the crafty Myers. However, Ben began to read Myers strokes early when the second set started, allowing him to move quicker and set his feet. From these positions he was able to put pressure on Myers by hitting solid approaches and closing out the net when needed. It was a confident performance against an established player.

Mikey Kelly at #3 singles was a victim of several misfortunes. After taking a tight first set 6-4, Mikey's shoes disintegrated and left him with ripped sneakers and bleeding toes. Then in the middle of the set, the hot evening began to work on his muscles and he cramped badly. Fighting off cramps for the rest of the match, Mikey was forced to play differently than he normally would. This adjustment was difficult, and his opponent, junior Dave Long began to play better as Mikey struggled. I was really proud of the way Mikey kept a positive attitude and battled through the physical difficulties. He would make no excuses and was terribly upset when the match ended in a loss.

At #1 doubles, Kyle Miller and Austin Loucks faced the difficult task of playing their first varsity match against two returning Regional champions. James Brandenburger had played #1 doubles for the Raiders last year and Dylan Pieri had been at #3 singles. Frankly, their form, experience, and power made this a difficult match for the Bruins. But Austin and Kyle attacked with energy and it made for a good match to watch. My motto for Kyle and Austin was "Go Big" and they tried. They hung tight in the beginning of both sets, but couldn't put together enough quality shots in a row to take leads into the end of the set. The energy they played with however provides a good basis for improvement and success.

#2 doubles was a similar story. First varsity match for both Russell Klassen and Blake Shetler. They came out with a lot of energy and took a 3-1 lead on the Raiders (seniors Jeff Eash and Cole Wogoman) but couldn't sustain that when Eash and Wogoman began to control their shots better. In a match that was a tale of runs, the Raiders kept their shots in the court as the Bruins watched theirs sail away and cost them the first set. The second set started similarly, as Northridge took the first 3 games. After a brief discussion, Russell and Blake renewed their energy and I was glad to see Blake take a bit of control at the net, hitting away two volleys in the next 4 points. They continued their mini-run by breaking serve to close to 3-2 in the second. But then the Raiders gained control again and finished out the match.

It's hard to be too critical of the varsity in this match. Their were certainly a multitude of errors. But that's to be expected. I want to make sure that we keep expectations realistic this season, that we know we can be good but we must work to improve. I saw good work, I saw people who listened to their coach in this match. That's only a start.

In the JV match, we didn't fair all that well. I didn't get to see very many of the matches, but we only posted two wins. Again, we fielded 3 beginners in our squad of 7, so maintaining proper expectations is important. Maybe we can see this team again at a tournament this season and see how far we've come. I think the progress will be significant.


This moment of beauty goes to Austin Loucks, and I don't even know what he did. In his match at #1 doubles, I saw (well, actually I heard) something that I've been longing to hear this year. I heard Austin confidently shout "C'mon!" because of an awesome shot he had just hit. When I hear people excited and enjoying the shots that they hit, that is a beautiful moment for me. I know that they are playing well, and that their enjoyment might lead to their victory. So, the most beautiful moment was the hope that Austin's yell gave me.

There were many other great shots and moments. Tell me about your favorites in the comment section below. We'd all love to relive them together!

Scores:

Varsity
#1S - Ben Mast - 2-6, 5-7 - Nick Myers (11)
#2S - Seth Krabill - 6-3, 6-3 - Jeremy Runge (12)
#3S - Mikey Kelly - 6-4, 3-6, 3-6 - Dave Long (11)
#1D - Austin Loucks/Kyle Miller - 2-6, 2-6 - James Brandenburger (12)/Dylan Pieri (12)
#2D - Russell Klassen/Blake Shetler - 3-6, 2-6 - Jeff Eash (12)/Cole Wogoman (12)

Junior Varsity
#1S - Matt Ebersole - 7-9 - A.J. Thielking (10)
#2S - Claude Stickler - 1-8 - Nate Brendle (9)
#3S - Ike Lehman - 3-8 - Dylan Wengerd (10)
#4S - Claude Stickler - 8-3 - Ian James (9)
#5S - Jake Gerig - 8-6 - Byron Slabach (9)
#6S - Evan Grimes - 0-8 - Alex Radelich (10)
#1D - Jake Gerig/Evan Grimes - 1-8 - Kyle Metcalfe (12)/Chris Robbins (9)
#2D - Ryan Minter/Wade Troyer - 2-8 - Connor Cameron (10)/Doug Jakubowicz (10)
#3D - Ryan Minter/Wade Troyer - 4-8 - Andrew Gingerich (9)/Michael Eash (9)