I really like the way... Bremen Invite

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Bremen Recap
We entered the Bremen tournament excited about our competition. Throughout the course of the day, we were going to play three teams with a combined record of 29-5. Two of the teams were district ranked. It was going to be a day of solid competition.

We started out by playing the host, Bremen Lions. It started good and bad... Noah and Judah continued consistent play from the NorthWood match and took early leads. Both of these guys were moving well and dealing with whatever their Lion opponents were sending their way. Judah especially had a nice rhythm in this match, not intimidated by long points. Noah continued his best game of variety. So this was great.

But both #1D and Gideon struggled. Their opponents came out attacking and put us on the back foot. Gideon's opponents really knifed approach shots through the court, and Gid didn't react or attack as well on these shots. So often it looked like the shots would clip the tape, but again and again they came over. Gid seemed frustrated and couldn't get his momentum into the match.

At #1D, we just didn't look like we were in control of the match, and didn't seem like we knew how we'd get there. But Keagan and Emerson flipped a switch in their second set. As Noah and Judah completed singles victories, Keagan and Emerson took their match to a third set tiebreak. They had really started hitting balls with purpose and moving easily and smoothly - not overcommitting or guessing. They played aggressive and really seemed to be in the driver's seat. But tied at 7-7, Emerson slightly turned his ankle getting ready to hit. This put a bit of tentativity into their game, and they fell. 

The match came down to #2D, but we couldn't really find a foot hold in Dominic and Ethan's match. We simply missed too many shots without giving the Lions a chance to miss their own. We made a brief rally in the second set, a habit that I am really proud to see. But we couldn't come all the way back, and so we lost to the Lions, 3-2.

Wawasee Recap

In the next round, the undefeated Warriors of Wawasee were the opponent. Judah and Gideon fought valiantly in their singles matches against undefeated opponents, Judah actually leading in the first set and Gid taking an early lead in the second. But their opponents recovered with smooth and low error tennis to take these two spots. 

#1D again had moments of control and brilliance, staying right in their first set. Time and time again, they  couldn't land the final, finishing shots. #2D went against some difficult opponents, and got rocked back on their heels a little. Late in the match they continued the habit of start of finding more moments of consistency. There were some great things to build on in both doubles matches. 

The highlight was Noah's match at #1S. After losing the first set 6-2, Noah made a strategic change in the second set. As he did, Noah began to see openings for passing shots and attacking balls. He began to find success, and took the set comfortably, forcing a deciding third. Leading 9-5 in the tiebreak to 10, Noah lost 4 match points in a row. To his incredible credit, he recovered and closed out the match with two brilliant points to win the sole position for the Bruins in this match.

Fremont Recap

Finally, against Fremont. Noah comfortably won, finishing up a 3-0 day and putting him in a tie for most career wins in Bethany history. He now has won 59 matches across the span of his career. Congrats Noah!

Gideon also grabbed a win. He jumped out to a first set lead but then became a bit tentative and lost the confidence behind his shots. Despite falling behind 5-6 in the first set, he forced a tiebreak. But he lost that first set tiebreak in a close fashion. He had to come from behind. But his methodical and confident style began to pay dividends in the second set. He won the second set 6-0. With the momentum going into the third set deciding tiebreak, he took a 6-0 lead and continued to control the match all the way to the end. Gideon won putting the Bruins up 2-0.

We needed a point elsewhere to win the match, but we couldn't find it. Each of the other matches had really good moments - Judah changing strategy quickly to something that put more pressure on his opponent, Keagan and Emerson stringing together close games, and Dominic and Ethan really making a rally and trying to make an epic comeback to force a deciding third set. We couldn't quite get there, and the Eagles took the 3-2 victory.

Overall, I really liked the way that the tournament was a great learning day for the Bruins. We got better by witnessing Noah's history, dealing with difficult emotions and physical challenges on a long, hot day. Now we take those lessons and return to our way - positive, electric, and believing in our ability. We've got this!

Let's go Bruins!

I really like the way...

This will be a segment of each match report where I'll highlight amazing things - points, efforts, encouragements from the match.

- I really like the way we celebrated with Noah

Despite a difficult day throughout the team, we were over the moon for Noah's close and consistent matches. Teammates gathered round to cheer for his third set win over Wawasee. Everyone was happy for him as we took the bus home after the match. It was an incredible thing to see us exhausted but happy for a friend.

- I really like the way Isaya helped throughout the day

Traveling along as a JV player and an emergency back-up, Isaya knew that he might not get to play. But he was so helpful in so many ways. He took video, filled water bottles, cheered and tried to get our echo going - that was my favorite. I just appreciate someone who is willing to jump in, learn and be ready for their opportunity. Thanks Isaya!

- I really like the way we play when we just let go and play confident

When we stay in the moment and trust our game, we really play some "front foot" tennis. Tennis where we are in control of the points and doing damage. Tennis where we are getting the opportunities. We keep our heads up and brush off errors. We clap our opponent's good shots and echo out positivity to our teammates. I love to see this type of tennis - and I saw it at many moments today. May it become our regular level!

Prayer

God, it was a long and tiring day. These days can sap the energy right out of us. Give us the hope to rest, to renew, to worship. Help us to come back feeling renewed.

Amen.

Scores

vs. Bremen

#1S - Noah Schrock - 6-0, 6-2 - Brock Ginter (12) 

#2S - Gideon Miller - 2-6, 0-6 - Chase Devine (10)

#3S - Judah Miller - 6-2, 6-2 - Corbin VanVuren (11)

#1D - Emerson Landis/Keagan Meyer - 2-6, 6-3, 7-10 - Max Barnes (11)/Maddux Hickman (11)
#2D - Dominic Ramer/Ethan Claassen - 1-6, 2-6 - Blake Grove (12)/Micah Porter (11)

vs. Wawasee

#1S - Noah Schrock - 2-6, 6-2, 11-9 - Joey Harper (12)

#2S - Gideon Miller - 2-6, 2-6 - Pablo Mor Chocos (12)

#3S - Judah Miller - 4-6, 0-6 - Kane Dukes (12)

#1D - Emerson Landis/Keagan Meyer - 3-6, 0-6 - Evan Byler (12)/Dane Cripe (12)
#2D - Dominic Ramer/Ethan Claassen - 2-6, 0-6 - Braydon Miller (12)/Austin Harney (11)

vs. Fremont

#1S - Noah Schrock - 6-0, 6-0 - Colton Guthrie (12)

#2S - Gideon Miller - 6-7 (5), 6-0, 10-2 - Tyler Miller (11)

#3S - Judah Miller - 2-6, 3-6 - Ryan Baker (11)

#1D - Emerson Landis/Keagan Meyer - 0-6, 0-6 - Zander Reetz (11)/Jake Hilvers (11)
#2D - Dominic Ramer/Ethan Claassen - 1-6, 3-6 - Trevor Reetz (12)/Charlie Senecal (11)

Match Reports #5, #6, #7 - Bremen Invitational

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Tournament Review

Today's tourney was a triple duel, meaning that we played three team matches in a row and the winner of the tournament was the team with the best record at the end of the day. This can be an exciting format, because the champion is really team-based rather than just on individuals. 

And it would be a good test of our team. After the early season, we decided to shake up the lineup a bit. Cameron moved back to his singles position and Breece moved back to doubles, where they had both played last year. Our freshman, Gideon, got a chance to slide into a #1D slot, while Tristan took his #1 experience and moved to #2D. The team needed to trust new places and partnerships, and learn them quickly.

We started the day against Wawasee, a team that we've never really played outside of summer league matches. We didn't really know what to expect, but luckily we were coming in off of a good warmup and feeling good about the match. And the matches got off to good starts. Oscar and Noah both took large early leads in their singles matches. It was evident early that the players they were up against were going to have trouble with consistency. So Noah and Oscar controlled the points with great serves and solid rally strokes. Meanwhile, Wawasee's #1S was a different story. He was a powerful player who had great touch on his volleys. He came to the net often, and made Cameron hit more passing shots and lobs. Which meant that Cameron came up with some beautiful ones. But he couldn't quite get over the and into the lead. Cam often had the points to take games, but couldn't quite find the finishing touches. So in the singles matches we went 2-1. 

That meant we needed one doubles point to clinch the match. Fortunately for us, both doubles teams performed well, and we got both. Breece and Gideon jelled quickly as a duo, and overwhelmed Wawasee with power, placement, and scrambling. And at #2D, Tristan and Ian struggled a bit to find a first set rhythm, but then got really rolling at the end of the first set and were the aggressors in their match. They controlled the mid-court of the match so well. So it was a strong start for the Bruins all around as we sealed the first match 4-1.

On to Bremen, who had lost an incredibly close match to Fremont in the first round. And we found our opponents in widely different runs of form. Some of the players who had lost close first matches were down, and found it difficult to find form. Those who had pulled out the close ones, they were playing their best tennis. It made for some really interesting matches.

The first matches out on the courts this round all started out really well. Cam took an early lead as his opponent started out making mistakes and Cam took advantage. Noah took a huge lead as his opponent was having trouble even getting the first ball of the rally in. Gideon and Breece started off with some great tennis, taking an early lead in their first set as well. 

As these matches continued, Noah was able to just not make mistakes and allow his opponent to make the early errors in points. As the match wore on, his opponent found better form. The games got much tighter but Noah was able to force errors or find passing shots on the crucial points. The second set was closer than the scoreline, but Noah was able to come out on top. For Cam, his opponent began to really show his class after going down early. Big serves and big forehands made tough work for Cam, but he really stayed in every game. He pushed his Lion opponent around the court, but it seemed like something clicked for the Bremen #1. So Cam ended up falling in lots of close games.

With the singles split at 1-1, Breece and Gid really found a nice rhythm in their match. They were starting to play doubles like it should be played, smart and aggressive. Breece's serve set up Gideon for a couple of great finishing slams, and Breece's solid net play and net coverage was also a joy to watch. In the end, they had to much power and control and took a 6-2, 6-1 victory.

With two points secured, heads turned to #2D, where Tristan paired with Emerson. It was tight, but like I wrote about in the Fremont match, we put the pressure on the Lions by always staying just slightly ahead in the scoreline. A lot of that was due to our excellent serving. Tristan and Emerson both were putting the pressure on with their first serves. And then they were able to scramble through points and keep them alive. 

This ability in doubles is something that is really underrated. There are so many mishits, shanks, short volleys, or half lobs that happen in a doubles match. It's really important to be able to adjust on the fly and find the court. To keep the point alive and get yourself into aggressive positions when you can't take aggressive shots. Emerson and Tristan were able to win those 50-50 breakdown points in this match. It helped them always keep their nose in front, winning the first set 6-3 and then taking 5-4 lead in the final set. On match point, they had one of those scrambling points, and Emerson scooped it up and forced an error. Tristan and Emerson secured the third team point for us, giving us our second team win on the day! You can watch that final point of the Bremen match below.

Meanwhile, Oscar went out to play his match against Bremen's #3. Bremen's player was a left handed player, and he was hitting every spot he wanted. He looked on fire, as Oscar would hit a blistering shot down the line and it would simple come back on the other sideline. Unfortunately, somewhere in the first set Oscar's injury began to flare up, and in the second set it was too much. He had to stop play. That was disappointing for him, but we're hoping he gets back to full health quickly.

Still, a victory over Bremen meant that we moved on to Fremont and it was basically a championship match. Fremont had also defeated Wawasee, and we were both 2-0 on the day. The winner of our match would be the tournament champion.

This match started off really well for the Bruins. Noah, #1D, and #2D really started out with great belief and intention. Tristan and Emerson were really forcing errors and finishing points off at #2D. They were continuing to put the pressure on with good serves. Gideon and Breece were continuing their great net play and more. Noah had won a long match against this same opponent on Thursday night, winning in a third set tiebreak. Today, in a tired third round, his opponent didn't even bring the same tactics that he had been successful with in the Thursday night match. So Noah was able to build a big lead in the first set. 

Cameron however struggled with Fremont's #1S. Again, Fremont's #1 had built confidence through the day. He had won two close matches, so really played his best in the first set. Cameron again pushed so many games to deuce or had game points. But couldn't get the first set. So we captured the first set in 3 of the 4 matches that were on the court. 

But all the second sets tightened up. Cameron brought pressure to the second set, finding passing shots and long rallies to keep his match alive and make it full of nerves. Fremont brought their best tennis to the doubles matches, taking a 4-1 lead at #1D and taking the second set of #2D. Only Noah was able to maintain his edge, finishing off his second set and giving the Bruins a 1-0 team lead.

As the second sets grew close, #2D was the first to finish. The Eagles won the set and that took it to a third set tiebreak to 10. The Eagles started out quickly, taking a 5-2 lead. But Emerson and Tristan stayed committed, kept belief. They fought back to finally tie the breaker at 7-7 with an excellent serve by Emerson. But then they couldn't quite edge ahead. Instead they went down 8-7 and felt the pressure, and ended up losing the third set breaker. So the score tied at 1-1.

Cameron played extremely hard in his set. He hung right around, keeping the score close. Again, he never edged ahead, and at the end of the set, his Eagle opponent was able to find the breakthrough. Soon after the #2D tiebreak ended, Cam's second set ended and we were down 2-1. 

At #1D, Gideon and Breece mounted a comeback. From 4-1 down they won three straight. Here they were rediscovering some of their movement and power that they had lost to timidity in going down. But at 4-4 they lost a game, going down 5-4 with the chance to lose the set. However, they held their nerve, broke serve and then Breece held to give them a 6-5 lead for themselves. In the next game, they build a 15-40 lead and had two match points. However a clever volley from the Eagles and a missed return took it back to deuce. They earned two more match points from there, but couldn't put those away either, and the second set went to a tiebreak. 

In the tiebreak, Gideon and Breece were able to build a lead of 6-4 after a nice smash by Gideon and a great serve by Breece. However, once again they were denied on match points. Tied at 6-6, Gideon served and Breece finished off a great net play to give them another chance. This time they closed it out after a nice return from Breece and an error from their opponents. 

So tied at 2-2, all eyes turned to #3S. Ian McHugh was stepping in for us in Oscar Pairitz's place. It was a tough spot for Ian, as he's been practicing doubles all season. But he responded. After falling behind in the first set, he rediscovered his serve. This allowed him to really put the pressure on his Eagle opponent with long consistent points. He was able to pull a few games back, but ultimately lost the first set. In the second set, the senior #3S player for Fremont really stepped up his hitting. He went for more power and forced Ian back onto this heels more. Ian kept up the belief, but had a few too many errors in his first singles match. It ended up going the way of the Eagles, and they took home the trophy with a 3-2 win.

I was incredibly proud of our team in this one. In many ways, it felt like a championship. We competed in nervy situations, won close matches, and got to experience growth in new positions. We stayed positive with a lot of adversity around us. Our strokes and strategies are growing. We can do it! That was a good feeling.

Moments of Joy
These are going to be moments that I saw in the match that were fun, beautiful and memorable! Again, just from what I happened to see :-)

I'll give more details soon, but here are the highlights for now!

Gideon getting knocked down but winning the point!

During the Fremont match, Gideon and Breece had a stretch where they were playing unbelievable, especially at the net. Fremont couldn't get anything past them. So much so that the Eagle players were getting angry. In frustration, one of the players blasted a ball at Gideon with all of his might. The ball knocked Gideon backwards, onto his behind. But he got his racket up first, and the ball ticked off his racket for the perfect drop shot :-)

Tristan's un-get-able drop shot!

Speaking of drop shots, against Bremen, T had one of the best shots I've seen all year. The touch was incredible. After Emerson's serve, a forehand return was blasted at Tristan. He reacted quickly, slicing underneath it while moving to the side. The ball curled over the net and backed up, just an inch off the ground. Bremen's coach was even walking past and remarked, "What a shot!"

Breece's roll along the net!

In the match against Fremont, Breece had the craziest shot. Off of a half volley, the ball tip the tape. Then it rolled along the net, from the middle of the court almost all the way to the single's sideline! It then took one more forward roll onto the opponent's side. Breece was laughing and asking if anyone got a video. We didn't though :-( It was such a fun moment!

Cameron's running forehand!

Maybe one of our best shots of the year. Cameron had to deal with his opponents often coming to the net. During the Wawasee match, he found himself down set point. His opponent sent him into the backhand corner with his serve, then swung an approach shot over to the forehand corner. Cameron took off at a dead sprint and whipped it down the line, landing it right on the backline and the sideline, but keeping himself alive in the set. Here's the shot in the video below!

Emerson's ace!

Serving in his first match with Tristan, Emerson got off to a great start. On his first serve he drew a return error. On his second serve he slammed an ace down the middle. It was cool to see him get off on a good foot with this new partnership. See his ace below as well!

Overheads! Overheads! Overheads!

I mean, this isn't very specific, but we hit great overheads today. Breece, Noah, Gideon, Emerson, Tristan, Ian... we had a lot of fun, aggressive putaways - and I just loved that!

Moments of Encouragement
This segment is where I'll highlight ways that we built each other up during the match or the lead up to it.

Attitudes

We made a lot of changes headed into this match yesterday. It would have been easy for people to be resentful, fearful, angry or many other things. But the guys came into this match with the best attitudes. They had so much support for those in new places, for the guys who had been shifted into their old spots. The positivity of the day was amazing, even when the last round didn't quite work out. I love a good tournament day, where the sun shines and the team comes together. And it was amazing to see these guys adjust and stay encouraging! That's why it's a joy to coach all of you!

Moment of Intention

This is a space where I will offer a short prayer for the team.

God, today was a day of good feelings. But it was also a day of difficulties. Thanks for helping us face those difficulties with joy and encouragement. We pray for Your presence, we pray for Your healing, we pray for continued joy. God, may we be grateful for the blessings, grateful for the support, and always looking to build one another up. Amen.

Scores

Round 1 vs. Wawasee

#1S - Cameron Heinisch - 3-6, 3-6 - Joey Harper (10)

#2S - Noah Schrock - 6-0, 6-0 - Will Long (11)

#3S - Oscar Pairitz - 6-1, 6-0 - Dane Cripe (10)

#1D - Breece Erickson/Gideon Miller - 6-2, 6-1 - Jay Duncan (12)/Kane Dukes (10)

#2D - Tristan Mast/Ian McHugh - 6-3, 6-0 - Evan Byler (10)/Caden Pratt (11)

Round 2 vs. Bremen

#1S - Cameron Heinisch - 3-6, 0-6 - Mariano DeLeon (12)

#2S - Noah Schrock - 6-0, 6-1 - Camden Hickman (11)

#3S - Oscar Pairitz - 1-6, 0-3 (ret.) - Max Varner (11)

#1D - Breece Erickson/Gideon Miller - 6-3, 6-1 - Brock Garder (10)/Micah Porter (9)

#2D - Tristan Mast/Emerson Landis - 6-3, 6-4 - Landon Bates (9)/Maddux Hickman (9)

Round 3 vs. Fremont

#1S - Cameron Heinisch - 2-6, 3-6 - Brody Foulk (11)

#2S - Noah Schrock - 6-0, 6-1 - Colten Guthrie (10)

#3S - Ian McHugh - 3-6, 1-6 - Jeremy Rode (12)

#1D - Breece Erickson/Gideon Miller - 6-1, 7-6 (6) - Aiden Dornbush (12)/Andrew McAntarfer (11)

#2D - Tristan Mast/Emerson Landis - 6-2, 3-6, 7-10 - Corbin Beeman (11)/Tyler Miller (9)

Match Report #4 - Fremont

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Varsity

Tonight's varsity match was another roller coaster ride. We played a young and talented Eagle team who had pushed us during some summer tennis, and who we were going to have to play again soon. We started the match off short handed, as Oscar had a hand injury causing him to have to sit out and rest for the match. But we had a group of guys we could be confident in. 

At most positions, the match did not start off well. It's hard to explain, but we looked like we had little energy and little interest in playing with aggression. We often looked pushed back on our heels as if we were just trying to survive. At #3S and #2D, the positions where we had to make changes, the first set score was 6-0 to the Eagles. At #2S and #1D, the matches stayed closer, but we could never quite get over the hump to take the lead. 

The only match that saw us continually bringing our best tennis in the first set was #1S. Breece was on top of his game, winning his serve and forcing his opponent into hurried mistakes. Breece was being attacking and ending up at the net to finish a lot of shots. He didn't lose serve the whole first set, but unfortunately he couldn't break serve either. In the tiebreak, Breece let a few too many errors squeak out and ended up falling in a hard fought set where he brought his best footwork and energy.

At the other four positions we also lost the first set. But this is where we began to see the resilience of the team. They kept their head up, they began to fight back. First was Noah, who had been tight in his first set. He quickly adjusted his game plan to keeping the ball low and trying to find the right moments to take his chances. He soon won the second set and pushed his match to a third!

#2D ended up being the first off the courts, unfortunately with a loss. But they certainly picked up their heads to play a much better second set. They were pushed back on their heels much less, and began to finish points off at the net. It was good to see them play so much better.

#1D also began to figure some things out, especially on serve. Cam and Tristan's serves began to challenge their opponents into return errors. They played extremely well from the baseline and took a big lead in the set and then hung on at the end to force a third.

After losing the first set at #3S with a 6-0 scoreline, Gideon won the first game of his second set. This helped him pick his head up, and then he started playing with a passion and intensity that he normally does. He found that he could stay in long points and hit passing shots and make his opponent work. From that he was able to take a lead in the set, and eventually finish it off with a win, 6-4, to force the third.

But at #1S, Breece couldn't quite keep up his amazing level of play in the second set, and his opponent was able to seal the win at that position. That made the score 2-0 for Fremont, meaning we needed to win all the third sets to win the match.

Noah started us off on a good foot. He took a 5-2 lead in his match, playing much the same low shot tennis as he had in the second. His opponent suddenly switched tactics however, and Noah found himself in difficult positions. Or at least new things that he had to figure out. Suddenly, the score was 5-5 and things didn't look as rosy. Noah and I were talking about getting that steely look in his eye, never giving in, always being there to compete - and that's what he did. Lacking his best tennis at the end, Noah found ways to compete. He battled back to a tiebreak, which he won 7-4 to give us our first position victory.

Meanwhile, Gideon, Cam and Tristan were all still fighting on in their third sets. #1D took the lead at the beginning of the third set, but unfortunately couldn't sustain their best attacking play. Errors and timidity began to creep into their game. It was hard to shake, as they'd get close in each game but not quite be able to finish. They ended up losing the third.

But Gideon played on at #3S. He also took the early lead, but his undefeated senior opponent fought back with some bruising, powerful strokes. Being Gideon's first singles match of the year, he started to wear down physically as well. He went down 5-3 in the set, but would not give in. He got another game, closing to 5-4 to put the pressure on. But the Eagle #3S responded with big, powerful strokes in the final game. Gid's comeback wasn't to be tonight, and the Eagles ended up winning by a score of 4-1.

I was proud of how this varsity team kept their head up after difficult beginnings. That resilience, the ability to regain belief, that is something that will serve this team well going forward!

JV Recap

The JV match was very interesting. It felt like we had many games where we competed, pushing things to deuce or deep in the game. But when it came to the finishing point, Fremont was able to find the aggressive shots to put pressure on us, and put us in difficult positions.

Justin really played a good first match, he was energetic, moving, staying in points, using his serve. Unfortunately, he couldn't quite ever get ahead in his match to put pressure on Fremont. In these sets, its always important to nose yourself in front in the scoreline - to test the belief of the other team. The same type of thing happened to Elliot in his singles match. He made a brilliant comeback to 4-4, but then couldn't quite put the pressure on by taking the lead. Capitalizing on momentum is a huge part of winning in tennis, and it's something we are learning to do.

And many of the JV matches were streaky that way tonight. In the doubles, Adam and Keagan were close early, but the momentum of the close games got away from them. In the second match, they were able to win these close games with well placed returns. Gabo and Dominic continued their amazing improvement. The heart that they show is awesome to watch. They are learning about the difference between doubles shot and singles shots, and that was a work in progress tonight. 

All in all, the JV is growing and hopefully going to use these matches to build confidence for later in this season. That's what we are looking forward to!

Moments of Joy
These are going to be moments that I saw in the match that were fun, beautiful and memorable! Again, just from what I happened to see :-)

Keagan Knocking Return Winners!

In the second doubles match, Keagan found a cross court rhythm on his returns. Stepping forward to receive the slightly shorter serves of his opponent, Keagan found extreme angles for winners on both forehand topspin and forehand slice winners. Sometimes the rhythm of a slower, shorter serve is tricky and people want to overswing. But Keagan focused on hitting spots and found some awesome winners.

Tristan with the Forehand! 

Tristan has a nice big weapon, his midcourt forehand. In this match, he found many times to attack the net person with that midcourt weapon. This forced errors and provided winners. On one point, he attacked with a forehand down the line to his opponent's backhand. It was hit so hard his opponent reflexively stuck the racket out and popped it over the net. Tristan took two steps forward and reattacked the line, this time forcing an error from the volleyer.

Gideon's Long Points and Perseverance! 

Once Gideon found his stroke, he began to have really long, great points in his singles match. Back and forth, back and forth in a battle of consistency. In one of my favorite ones, Gideon's opponent attacked a short ball and came to the net, after trying to pass him, Gideon ran down a volley and put up a lob. His opponent got it back with a lob of his own, and then turned and came to the net again. Gideon then sprinted to his initial volley and curled a passing shot down the line. It was awesome to see him stay in it and keep trying for that final shot.

Breece's Serve and Volley!

Breece has many weapons, but watching him serve and volley is really brilliant. To see the touch and accuracy that he uses with his serve and then the first ball. So many times he would put his opponent under pressure tonight, having to hit a serve return and then sprint for some kind of passing shot. I loved watching that battle on Breece's serve unfold.

So Many More...

Cameron's attacking forehands cross court, Emerson's putaways at the net, Ian's serves, Noah's slice and dice with placement, Justin's footwork, Gabo's never-say-die attitude in points, Dominic's forehands and hustle, Adam moving forward and attacking the net, Elliot's serve and the way he came back... all these things were beautiful!

Moments of Encouragement
This segment is where I'll highlight ways that we built each other up during the match or the lead up to it.

Together

We all need help to keep our head up. Tonight, wherever people were struggling, there was no one who was alone. That was really encouraging to see. People cheering for Gideon as he gave it all in a third set, people checking on Cam and Tristan after a tough loss, people making us laugh as we tried to fight through. May joy win!

Moment of Intention

This is a space where I will offer a short prayer for the team.

God, thanks for the ability to try again. For grace. We need Your perspective on this season right now, to be reminded that it is more than wins and losses and what position we play. To play free and loose and remember that the great joy is to hit a tennis ball. Thanks!

Scores

Varsity

#1S - Breece Erickson - 6-7 (2), 2-6 - Brody Foulk (11)

#2S - Noah Schrock - 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (4) - Colton Guthrie (10)

#3S - Gideon Miller - 0-6, 6-4, 4-6 - Jeremy Rode (12)

#1D - Cameron Heinisch/Tristan Mast - 2-6, 6-4, 1-6 - Aiden Dornbush (12)/Andrew McAntarfer (11)

#2D - Ian McHugh/Emerson Landis - 0-6, 2-6 - Corbin Beeman (11)/Tyler Miller (9)

JV

#1SJV - Justin Hochstedler - 6-8 - Isaac Perez (10)

#2SJV - Elliot Hertzler Gascho - 1-6 - Ryan Baker (9)

#3SJV - Justin Hochstedler - 0-6 - Xander Reetz (9)

#4SJV - Elliot Hertzler Gascho - 4-6 - Jake Chilenski (9)

#1DJV - Adam Siemens-Rhodes/Keagan Meyer - 1-8 - Austyn Fugate (11)/Dylan Fansler (110

#2DJV - Gabo Brenneman Ochoa/Dominic Ramer - 4-8 - Ethan Grimm (10)/Avery McAntarfer (10)

#3DJV - Adam Siemens-Rhodes/Keagan Meyer - 6-1 - Jake Hilvers (9)/Charlie Senecal (9)

Match Report #4: Fremont

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Varsity Recap

This was a match that we certainly came out playing our best tennis of the season. I was really proud of our team, because we've had three days of practice in a row, and today we looked like we'd really improved from our matches last week. 

Early in the matches, this good play kept us close in the matches. At #1S, Cameron was finding all the angles and corners. At #2S, Noah was playing long games and forcing errors, even using his topspin. At #3S, Ethan was constructing points and putting his opponent in difficult places to finish.

At the doubles, Matthew and Austin made a confident start, and our new #2D of Jacob and Breece really jumped out to an early lead. These teams were keeping it simple, and they were finishing points with decisive belief. 

But Fremont is good (now 8-0 on the season!) and they slowly began to push back, taking control of the points and finding new strategies. As they played better and better, the Bruins continued to play hard. But from decisive belief we started to move toward a bit of exasperated pleading. Instead of believing we could finish the point, we began hoping that the Eagles would miss. 

But it wasn't all downhill, and that's what made me so proud. Throughout the matches, we kept getting better. We kept coming back. We made games close. We made Fremont finish off points and matches. Ethan stretched his first set to a tiebreak, actually having several opportunities to take the first set. His opponent began trying new strategies toward the end of the set, and Ethan adjusted well. He just couldn't quite get the last point. 

Breece and Jacob took the first set in an awesome tiebreak, where they were confident and full of energy. They lacked that a bit as they struggled through a third set where their opponents found some rhythm. This forced the #2D match into a third set. Finding rhythm and simplicity again, the Bruins took the early lead but couldn't hold it and saw the match head into its final stages tied 5-5. In a back and forth game, the Bruins were finally broken, despite having several points to take the 6-5 lead. The Eagles were able to make some aggressive plays under pressure, which provided the breakthrough for them. In the next game, we had two match points against us. The first ended with a double fault, but the second we defended by hitting a great overhead from a difficult situation. It was wonderfully confident play under pressure. Unfortunately, the Eagles served out the next two points to win the match.

But it is these moments of great play that we continue to build on. Moments of brightness and belief. Of confidence under pressure. Moments that are a joy to repeat!

JV Recap

Much like the varsity, I felt that the JV played some of their best tennis in this match. Both Tristan and Jacoby started out their singles matches striking the ball well and not struggling with double faults. Their opponents often forced them into awkward positions and it was fun to watch them recover. Both of them seemed a little timid, but would play into even better tennis as the night went on.

Justin at #3SJV was on from the beginning. He may have some of the best footwork preparation on the team (more on that below). That allowed him to be balanced for so many shots, which he was able to consistently get back and make his opponent work. Speaking of getting shots back, Xayvion played #4SJV and had by far his most consistent match. Each time that we play, Xayvion is getting better and better at this groundstrokes. So many games he pushed right to deuce, but couldn't quite finish it off.

In the doubles, we were certainly led by the buoyant attitude of Jacob and Josiah. They attacked their match with relish, playing against a difficult set of opponents. Jacob and Josiah looked in tandem and playing well together. They held a couple of leads, but couldn't quite finish out the match. Still, their smart and aggressive doubles was a highlight of the night for me.

Emerson and Ian played #2DJV, and they couldn't quite find the right combination of shots together. They had moments where they played unbelievably good points, then moments where they would make simple errors. But as they turned around and played second matches, they got much better. Tristan partnered with Ian at #4DJV, and they both found another level of shot making and energy. Emerson teamed up with Justin, and they dominated a second match, having too much consistency. Also playing a second match, Jacoby played with Keagan. They played brilliantly, with great shots and smooth swings. But they couldn't quite get the lead. 

There was so much action going on all across the courts, it was difficult to know where to look. I really appreciated the way the team got out to cheer for each other. The team really seemed to have a great attitude, helping everyone get better, and encouraging everyone as they came off the court. 

Moments of Joy
These are going to be moments that I saw in the match that were fun, beautiful and memorable! Again, just from what I happened to see :-)

Jacob's overhead with match point against him

When Breece and Jacob got down in the last set, they trailed 15-40 and had two match points against them. I was afraid that they would get tight, but after a double fault erased one of the match points, Breece made a great return and volley as he came to the net. This forced Fremont to lob, and they tried to lob over Jacob. Jacob had to move backwards, and took two quick steps before hitting away at an overhead. He stayed loose in this tense moment, and put the match back at deuce. It was great to see!

Justin's smooth footwork 

Justin moves so well. He is a pro at split-stepping at the correct time. Because of this, he's often able to get a consistent contact point and is becoming one player that we can count on to put the ball in the court. He may not always be the straight-up quickest player in a sprint, but because he has focused on proper footwork, he is able to anticipate and move to the best of his ability. It was really evident in his match tonight.

Xayvion's increasing consistency

Xayvion just continues to get better. It is so much fun to watch. After spending much of this week on movement and groundstrokes, he really was able to play some long points today and force his opponent to come up with some finishing shots. In one particular exchange, Xayvion played a 16 ball rally that saw him hit a running forward backhand near the net followed by a fading backwards forehand as he retrieved a lob. This is what we are after, not perfection but this process of improvement. Loving to see it from so many of our freshmen, including Xayvion!

Jacob's down the line return winner

Just check out the video for a great shot from Jacob. It seems that he does really well with the pressure of the camera on him, since this is the second great shot I've captured on a Reel.

Moments of Encouragement
This segment is where I'll highlight ways that we built each other up during the match or the lead up to it.

Doubles Players

More than other nights, I saw our doubles teams turning to each other for encouragement. Rather than turning away and being afraid when we made mistakes, we went to our partners and looked for them to pick us up. Many times I heard Breece encouraging Jacob, or letting him know that they "got it." Jacob and Josiah modeled great positive energy, high-fiving and celebrating or smiling off errors. Good doubles teams have fun, but they have fun together even in the mistakes. I loved seeing that tonight!

Moment of Intention

This is a space where I will offer a short prayer for the team.

Dear God, I can feel our tennis level rising. Please, match that with the level of encouragement that we have for one another. Match that with our faith. Match that with our health as well. As this season progresses, help each part of us to be filled up with more and more joy. In Jesus name, amen.

Scores

Varsity

#1S - Cameron Heinisch - 3-6, 1-6 - Ethan Bock (12)

#2S - Noah Schrock - 1-6, 0-6 - Nick Miller (12)

#3S - Ethan Pairitz - 6-7 (5), 2-6.- Brody Foulk (10)

#1D - Austin Shenk/Matthew Dyck - 2-6, 2-6 - Sam Verdin (12)/Josh Sherbondy (12)

#2D - Jacob Leininger/Breece Erickson - 7-6 (2), 3-6, 5-7 - Conner Trobaugh (12)/Alex Chilenski (12)

Junior Varsity

#1SJV - Tristan Mast - 2-6 - Jeremy Rode (9)

#2SJV - Jacoby Reinhardt - 2-6 - Coloton Guthrie (9)

#3SJV - Justin Hochstedler - 6-0 - Isaac Perez (9)

#4SJV - Xayvion Maust - 0-6 - Dylan Fansler (10)

#1DJV - Jacob Shank/Josiah Schlabach - 6-7 (5) - Aidan Dornbush (11)/Luke Campbell (10)

#2DJV - Ian McHugh/Emerson Landis - 0-6 - Braiden Gaskill (11)/Andrew McAntarfer (10)

#3DJV - Keagan Meyer/Jacoby Reinhardt - 3-6 - Corbin Beeman (10)/Brady Verdin (9)

#4DJV - Tristan Mast/Ian McHugh - 6-1 - Ethan Grimm (9)/Caydin Hufnagle (9)

#5DJV - Justin Hochstedler/Emerson Landis - 6-2 - Austin Fugate (10)/Steve Burkholder (10)

#6DJV - Tristan Mast/Ian McHugh - 6-1 - Brad Wyse (11)/Taylor Dennis (9)

Fremont - Match Report

Varsity Recap
This match followed a pattern of many of our matches lately. We have been coming out really slow. At most of our varsity positions, we lost the first game tonight and played very tentatively. We need to come out of the warm up with a little more fire. Crucially, we lost this match 3-2, and at all three positions that we lost we went down 3-0 to start the match. That's a tough hole to dig out of and makes the whole match feel a little panicky.

We settled down at most positions. At #1D and #3S, we actually came back and took early leads. After dropping the first game, Tyson and Joseph settled into a nice first set rhythm. Their only struggle was sometimes on the serve, as the Eagles hit some nice low returns. But they were able to take the first set comfortably.

Cameron was in a tight match at #3S. He was able to keep a bit of a lead all through the first set, but played very consistent and opportunistic tennis. He kept a lot of balls back and then looked for his spots to be aggressive with passing shots, net attacks, drop volleys and all other varieties of shots. He pushed his first set into a tiebreak as he battled back and forth with his senior opponent.

At #2D, Aaron and Austin recovered from their 3-0 hole to also force a first set tiebreak. As their tiebreak began, Cameron was in the middle of his. I found myself running back and forth, trying to keep score and desperately hoping that we could stay confident and aggressive in the breakers. Cameron kept himself pumped up with heartfelt fist pumps and c'mons. Aaron and Austin got a bit tentative at points, but kept it close. In the end, it came right down to the closest tiebreaks can be. Cameron won his final two points, but #2D lost their last two. We had split the tiebreaks.

But we needed both matches. Braden was playing a second year #1S player who worked fabulously hard on every point, and swung with such confidence through his shots. The Eagle junior seemed to have answers to whatever Braden tried to throw at him. Braden was still struggling with his serve as well, and the lack of free points from that certainly put him in tough positions. In the end, Braden suffered a pretty heavy defeat.

Theo also suffered defeat, but in a match he kept figuring out as it went along. The early 3-0 hole hurt him a lot, because he started to figure things out after that but it was too late for the first set. In the second set, he started finding ways of attacking the big hitting Eagle junior at #2S. He dealt with the pace much better and picked places to attack the net. Unfortunately for the Bruins, Fremont made adjustments too. In the end, Theo's loss put us down 2-0.

At #1D, Joseph and Tyson lost a bit of their rhythm and started slow in the second set. But after a quick pep talk, they eased back into their regular ways. They turned a second set deficit into three quick games, and won the second set to seal the first point for the Bruins.

Cameron became more comfortable as his match wore on. Though it stayed close, he was able to extend his lead a bit more. Instead of going to a tiebreak, he was able to finish the second set at 6-3 and pull out a victory. It was a gritty win, and one I was so proud of. Cameron has the spirit of a fighter, one who believes that they can always pull it out. I appreciate that!

And so, we needed #2D to come back. But their opponents were too consistent, and we made too many errors. Our net player often left too much space between themselves and the net, and because of that we hit too many balls into the net. As fate would have it, that's exactly how the match ended, a volley that fell short into the net. 

Fremont had won 3-2. They have a really good team this year and it was good competition for us. Even though we didn't have our best day, they deserved the win. They showed great energy, and importantly, great consistency. They made us hit a lot of balls, and we made too many mistakes. So, we know again what we need to focus on!

JV Recap
On the other side, the JV played fantastic matches pretty much up and down the line! The Bruins ended up taking a 6-3 victory over the JV Eagles, with some of our guys playing their best tennis of the season.

Josh Cartwright led the JV tonight with a quick win. He played great tennis, forcing errors and moving all around the court. He got out to a big lead and frustrated his opponent, playing his traditional consistent style. Ethan Pairitz followed suit, playing both #2S and #4S for us tonight as the Eagles had one more player than us. In both singles matches, Ethan's movement was top notch. His split steps and adjustment steps allowed him to take his normal swings, and he really was in charge of his singles points, moving his opponents all across the court. He was able to come away with two great wins in this match.

Jacob Leininger continued the singles success for us, with consistent shots that were always just a couple more than his competitor. Both players seemed to be struggling a bit with the wind, framing a lot of shots, but Jacob kept putting himself in position to succeed. He outlasted. And in the last singles match, Obed got to play his first match of his Bruin career. With the support of the team, Obed played some wonderful points. He was great touch and can get many shots back, but couldn't quite find enough to win his first game.

In the doubles, we played well but couldn't find the consistent finishing shots. Breece and Matthew seemed just a bit off all night, missing some easy returns and approach shots that would have put them in good positions. They competed well against opponents that have played varsity positions against us before. Kameron and Josiah were all over the court tonight, playing with passion and hustle. They couldn't quite find the shots to put away the tiebreak, making some little mistakes under pressure while their opponents came up with some unbelievable lobs and saves in the late games.

Jacob and Tristan played very simply, using their strengths of serves, forehands and volleys. They got out to a big lead with consistent tennis, and then started to slip a little toward the end. Still, they closed it off and picked up another win for the Bruins. Finally, the freshman duo of Adam and Ian played #4DJV, and they looked great as well. Adam has improved tremendously in the start of the season, becoming a consistent player. Ian struggled at first with his serve, but his groundstrokes and good touch at the net paid off well.

In the end, all the freshman grabbed victories tonight to lead the way. It was good to see the young guys do so well. And the older JV players led with hustle and heart. Continuing in those things will make us a stronger team!

Moments of Joy
This will be a section where I highlight some of my favorite individual moments from the match. Just points that I noticed that were really well played or exemplify what we are trying to teach.

1. Cameron's Tiebreak

Pressure situations are something new to many on this team. In pressure situations, confidence and energy are important. Tonight, Cameron brought both of those to his tiebreak. His shouts of "C'mon!" and fist pumps are the things that I love to see. He was engaged and focused. He believed he could pull it out... and he did!

2. Ethan's Inside-Out Forehand

Ethan was moving with very quick feet in this match. That allowed him to hit one of the most tactically helpful shots in tennis, inside-out forehands. The inside-out forehand takes the ball from most players strength (forehand) and directs it to the other player's weakness (backhand). Ethan had many points tonight where he slide quickly to his left and got a forehand, powering it cross court. It was a testament to what focused footwork can do!

3. Leininger Gets to the Right Spots

Jacob Leininger wasn't always hitting clean winners tonight, but he was moving to the right spots. In his match, he had a point that he played perfectly. A deep forehand that he hit cross court, forcing his opponent to scramble. An approach shot low over the net and into the open court of the backhand. Then, importantly, he didn't wait for the volley to come to him. He moved up to the net, probably only a foot behind it to take the volley - which he totally framed! But because of his positioning, because he had closed in to the net, the ball still fell in for a winner. Positioning, moving up to the ball, matters.


Moments Together
Josh and Cameron have been competing all season for the #3S spot on the varsity. Tonight, they played right next to each other. Throughout his whole match, Josh was cheering on Cameron. And Cameron was cheering right back. After the matches ended, they gathered together to talk about their matches, laughing and telling stories. They were each complimenting one another on how well they had played. That's what being a true teammate is about.

Prayer
Lord, tonight was a tiring night. A long drive, a long match, a late night getting home. Joys to be sure, but also knowing that we have things that we need to change. That's so much like our lives. They can be tiring, long days, many things to get done. So much makes us smile, but so much we know we should be doing better. Especially when it comes to loving others. As the season goes on, let our tennis improve. But more importantly, let us become more aware of supporting each other. May we become aware of supporting others as well, offering graceful words and listening ears to our classmates, siblings, parents, opponents and more. As our team verse says, may our gentleness be evident to all, because You are near. In the name of Jesus, amen!

Scores
Varsity: 2-3
#1S - Braden Bohn - 1-6, 0-6 - Ethan Bock (11) 
#2S - Theo Siemens-Rhodes - 0-6, 3-6 - Nick Miller (11)
#3S - Cameron Heinisch - 7-6 (6), 6-3 - Evan Towns (12)
#1D - Joseph Mounsithiraj/Tyson Miller - 6-3, 6-4 - Nick Rutherford (12)/Sam Verdin (11)
#2D - Aaron Shenk/Austin Shenk - 6-7 (5), 1-6 - Josh Sherbondy (11)/Isaac Hirschy (11)

Junior Varsity: 6-3

#1SJV - Josh Cartwright - 8-1 - Conner Trobaugh (10)

#2SJV - Ethan Pairitz - 8-3 - Aiden Dornbush (9)

#3SJV - Jacob Leininger - 8-4 - Braiden Gaskill (10)

#4SJV - Ethan Pairitz - 6-4 - Luke Campbell (9)

#5SJV - Obed Lopez - 0-8 - Andrew McCantarfer (9)

#1DJV - Matthew Dyck/Breece Erickson - 4-8 - Alex Chilenski (11)/Lukas Berlew (11)

#2DJV - Kameron Branum/Josiah Schlabach - 7-8 (1) - Brody Foulk (9)/Jeremy Rode (10)

#3DJV - Jacob Shank/Tristan Mast - 8-5 - Dylan Fansler (9)/McClain McCurdy (9)

#4DJV - Ian McHugh/Adam Siemens-Rhodes - 8-2 - Austin Gaskill (9)/Corbin McCullough (9)

Fremont Match Report - 2019

Scores

V: Bethany Christian 5, Fremont 0
JV: Fremont JV 5, Bethany Christian JV 4

Photos
Click here for photos from the match.

Varsity Recap
This match had all the makings of a distraction match. It was a team that we had beaten this summer during our camp. We were coming off a dramatic but draining win over Concord. It was windy and had the feeling of a storm in the air. We had won against Fremont 5-0 last year, and probably weren't paying attention to the fact that they returned almost every varsity player and are much better as a team this year.

And at the beginning of the match, the Eagles put it to us at several positions. But again, when faced with challenges, I've been asking our team to relish it. To look for reasons to refocus and fight through. So tonight, that was the challenge.

We had a couple of matches that went relatively quickly. The first match off the courts once again was #1D. Joseph and Nathan really did a good job of attacking and finishing with simplicity. That's probably my favorite thing about these guys right now. They are making things look easy because of their aggressive movement. Only once did they make a fancy winner, when Nathan hustled after a lob and hit a tweener for a winner! They clinched the first point for the Bruins.

Josh also had a fairly quick match. He got out to a great start, playing the Josh tennis that he is known for. This has been his pattern, to jump out to early leads. However, he's had trouble closing the sets and getting victories. Tonight, he was able to come through and finish off the first set 6-1, and even jump out to a 1-0 lead in the second. Then, he got a little tight and began to miss the shots he'd been making throughout the match. But a big factor in this match was Josh's attitude. He was playing with a certain confidence. He was able to grab the lead again and finish it off to give the Bruins our second point.

Now, we needed to find the third point and help me breathe easier. But the Eagles were not making it easy. At #2D, the Eagles were using pinpoint placement of sliced shots to run Will and Tyson around the court. Will and Tyson were hustling, but they weren't really getting to their shots. They were pushing in response to the slice. As a result, Fremont controlled the first set and ended up winning it 6-4.

Braden's match was similar. Braden was hustling, but he wasn't shuffling. Again, his opponent took full advantage of that, using a solid forehand to push Braden into awkward shots. The Eagle #2S also had a big, curving serve that was throwing Braden a bit. As Braden got down 4-1, we had a talk at the fence about endeavoring to find the positives and do the things he needed to, rather than finding any excuses. Braden responded with excellence, coming back to 5-5 in the set. However, his opponent found his footing and finished the set 7-5.

Caleb went back and forth at #1S, traded breaks of serve all the way to a tiebreak. In the tiebreak, Caleb played with confidence, serving the better of the two players and finding his spots to attack. This suited Caleb well, as he also discovered his opponent's weakness. He was able to win the tiebreak and take the first set.



But as the second sets started, all these matches changed. Caleb appeared to be without energy and belief. But Will, Tyson, and Braden took the chance that a fresh slate offered and ran with it. Will and Tyson began to play with energy and celebration and took a big lead to start the 2nd set. Braden was as solid with his feet to begin the set as he had been during his first set comeback. He also took a big lead. And in these second sets, no one recovered. The Bruins took the sets at #2S and #2D, but Caleb lost at #1S. All three matches were headed to three sets, and we needed to get one of them.

And I loved the way that our guys played the third sets. #2D came out with passion, putting away shots and playing with great footwork and teamwork. They quickly took a 4-0. But even faster was Braden. With Braden's new found movement, his opponent didn't have any easy answers. He instead tried to go bigger and bigger and missed more. And so Braden took the set 6-1 to clinch for the Bruins. #2D followed quickly. And then Caleb followed suit with a beautiful set in which he found his rhythm while his opponent lost all of his. All three positions won the third sets at 6-1.

I was really proud of the way the guys focused in during the big moments and fought back against a great challenge.

Junior Varsity Recap
Speaking of a great challenge, the JV faced one as well. Fremont has so many athletic and young players and this flowed into their JV as well, especially their JV doubles. In fact, one of their #1D players has played 2 years of varsity tennis at Columbia City.

Of course, we have some great young players too. But I challenged them tonight as well. JV matches are about getting experience and preparing your game for many different types of challenges. Another of saying that is that JV matches are about learning. And learning happens when we are taken slightly out of our comfort zone. So, tonight I did that with the lineup. Theo moved to play some singles. Cameron and Austin played their first match together. Matthew and Breece played their first doubles match at #2D and playing together. Chris Craw moved in to play singles for the first time this year. So there were lots of switches, and it certainly challenged our Bruins.

Aaron Shenk responded really well. On Tuesday, he had not been moving very well, and therefore was making too many errors. Tonight, he shuffled and shimmied his feet to get to great contact points, and he didn't make very many mistakes. As a result, he spun to a 8-0 win.

Theo adjusted to singles well also. He rolled to an 8-2 win, going very quickly. It was good to see him play a different style and enjoy it as well.

Other positions learned new things. Chris Craw learned about the importance of court positioning and the yellow ball. Xudong learned that he needs to make sure to move up to the ball. Josiah played a tough match, but also learned to shuffle into his shots.



At the doubles, Cameron and Austin fought against a really good #1DJV team. They looked timid early, pushing some tight serves and setting the ball to the middle of the court. Then they went into boss mode, attacking the net and forcing mistakes. That went back and forth the whole match. They pushed it into the tiebreak, but their they again got their feet in the cement of timidity. They worked hard, but Fremont took the tiebreak.

At #2DJV, Matthew and Breece looked great. They returned well, they took the net, they looked like experienced players. When Breece plays like this I get excited about his future as a doubles player. But Matthew was just stomping forehands today, which was really fun to watch. And then Kam and Jim were incredibly fun at #3DJV. They were moving and hitting and talking and laughing, so fun!

Jacob Shank and Jacob Leininger wrapped us all up. They played against some of Fremont's top guys who were playing back for their second match of the night. While they had several really awesome shots, the Jacobs didn't have enough to truly hurt the Eagles. Movement and confidence continue to be key for us.

In the end, we fell 5-4... but that was only because of the playbacks from the Eagles. I was really impressed with how we dealt with difficulty. Can't wait to see us do this again.



You are accepted.
Before this match even began, I was excited for you. Over the past weeks, we've begun to show little sparks of our character. I am impressed by the way that you care, about this game and about each other. Of course, it is the caring about each other part that matters the most. And I care about you too!

You are sustained.
Tonight, we are sustained by these moments of joy...

1. Nathan's Tweener
I missed this gem, but just one minute after the Fremont coach and I were talking about tweeners, Nathan zipped one past his opponents right down the doubles line. I'm not a big fan of trying these all the time, but I remember in college when I won a point with a behind the back volley. That was over 18 years ago, but I still remember it. Nathan will probably always remember that point, at that is awesome! Plus, the outburst from the crowd who saw it was electric. Such a fun point and memory.

2. Matthew's Forehands
Let's face it, Matthew's forehand returns were 🔥tonight! Every time I looked over at his match, he was smoking a forehand cross court. In fact, he and Breece both played really well. I loved watching players have matches where everything is clicking. It lets us see what is possible. Big things are possible for Matthew :-)

3. Jim and Kameron's Match
There was so much to love in this match. From Kameron's active feet in and before points to Jim's really good groundstrokes, this was a fun match to watch. It included points like the one below, which were a joy to behold. Put it down, Jim!

You are significant.
How have we used our God-given gifts to serve the needs of others?
Tonight, I was super impressed by Josiah. He played a very tough match against an opponent who was getting back even the great shots Josiah hit. Unfortunately, Josiah lost a close match. After shaking his opponent's hand, Josiah's first thought was to run down the courts and pick up the loose balls that his teammates had left behind on the courts. Then he began to pick up the scorecards as well. This attitude and mentality of service is a wonderful trait that Josiah has. I was thankful for him today.

You have achieved.
We recovered from unfocused starts. That is an achievement.
We adjusted to difficult conditions. That is an achievement.
We won a match 5-0. That is an achievement.
We played tennis into the dark. That is an achievement.
Whether we won our match or lost our match, we sang together. That is an achievement.

Prayer
God, one of my favorite things about tennis season are the nights that we hang out together as a team. I love hearing the guys sharing stories, cheering their teammates, coming up with inside jokes, and so much more. For my prayer tonight, I just want to be grateful for all of this. Joy, laughter,

Scores
Varsity
#1S - Caleb Shenk - 7-6 (4), 2-6, 6-1 - Ethan Bock (10)
#2S - Braden Bohn - 5-7, 6-2, 6-1 - Nick Miller (10)
#3S - Josh Cartwright - 6-1, 6-3 - Josh Sherbondy (10)
#1D - Nathan Oostland/Joseph Mounsithiraj - 6-2, 6-1 - Evan Towns (11)/Sam Verdin (10)
#2D - Will Nisley/Tyson Miller - 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 - Nick Rutherford (11)/Alex Chilenski (10)

Junior Varsity
#1SJV - Aaron Shenk - 8-0 - Connor Trobaugh (10)
#2SJV - Theo Siemens-Rhodes - 8-2 - Jeremy Rode (9)
#3SJV - Chris Craw - 6-8 - Brad Wyse (9)
#4SJV - Xudong Sun - 2-6 - Logan Campbell (11)
#5SJV - Josiah Schlabach - 3-6 - Aiden Dornbush (9)
#1DJV - Austin Shenk/Cameron Heinisch - 7-8 (2) - Logan Campbell (11)/Isaac Hirschy (10)
#2DJV - Matthew Dyck/Breece Erickson - 8-0 - Lukas Berlew (10)/Aiden Dornbush (9)
#3DJV - Jim Lyu/Kameron Branum - 8-3 - Dylan Friend (10)/Braiden Gaskill (9)
#4DJV - Jacob Leininger/Jacob Shank - 0-6 - Lukas Berlew (10)/Isaac Hirschy (10)