#08 - We're Somewhere in the Middle, Let's Move Up

With the 5-0 win tonight, our Bruin team has evened up our season record at 4-4. I was reflecting on the fact that we're .500 right now, won as many as we've lost, and feeling like our last two victories weren't really high level, and that we're really not a .500 level team.

Tonight, again, we played an inexperienced team. All 5 players are in their first year of tennis, let alone high school tennis. #1 and #2 singles were both freshmen, and also had not had lessons or been to camps or even really tried the sport outside of maybe gym class. The rest of the team was older, but still hadn't really played.

And so the matches reflected that. Nathan again got an easy win, 6-0, 6-0. And Ike got his second 6-0, 6-0 in a row as well. That improves each of their records, which is cool, but it doesn't feel very satisfying. Abe lost one game, as he worked on cranking his second serves up a little bit. It was good spot practice, but it doesn't feel as good as a hard earned 3 set win against a rival.

And so far this year, we've lost those rival matches. While we did avenge a couple of 3-2 losses to Columbia City and Fremont, we dropped 3-2 matches to Jimtown and Goshen, our Sectional rivals. And so it feels like maybe we're a little down right now.

Yet, .500 is where we are. I'd say that is probably about right, if we played every team in the state, I bet we'd beat half and get beat by the other half. Looking at scores, I'd say we're somewhere in the middle as far as teams in our area.

But the goal is to move up. Next time we play the tight one, we'll take it home. Have another team lower on the ladder than we are. Move towards the upper tier of teams. And hopefully, we'll keep the winning ways right up and through the end of the season. We may be in the middle now, but tonight at practice, Saturday at the next match, we're looking to keep moving up.

Notes & Stats
It was throwback night tonight! 1992's uniforms!

Scores
#1S - Nathan Brendle - 6-0, 6-0 - Tyler Johnson (9)
#2S - Ike Lehman - 6-0, 6-0 - Cory Hollifield (9)
#3S - Abe Thorne - 6-1, 6-0 - Nick Bennett (11)
#1D - Himal King/Wade Troyer - 6-1, 6-4 - Braxton Elliot (11)/Nick Durnell (10)
#2D - Joel Gerig/Hans Miller won by default