The Story - Chapter 13 - Bethany Christian v. Jimtown

 Video Highlights

Coming soon!

The Varsity Story 

"The Challenge Ahead"

It rained all morning and the chances for this match looked bleak, but around 2:00 everything cleared off, the courts dried, and we took on the Jimmies at 5:00. 

Jimtown has not had the strongest of seasons, and unfortunately they were missing two of their players today. But the Bruins had a test of focus ahead of them. We have played some really good matches. We just won three nail-biters in the last week. Now, can we stay focused on getting better and preparing ourselves for the challenge of Sectional.

At the beginning of our matches last night, the answer seemed to be no. The day was humid, we've had a long week with lots of emotionally draining tennis, and most positions started out real sluggish. One definite exception to that was Aaron at #3S. He had a lot of pep, coming off what was some of his best tennis of the season at Blackhawk. Using a similar strategy and playing with a lot of belief and energy, he worked the points, used depth and attack with masterful effect, getting ahead quickly and sealing at 6-0, 6-0 win.

But at all the other positions, we looked flat on our feet. But this is where I love having a year long theme. Way back at camp we learned that difficulty is an opportunity to grow, and that coming back at it is maybe the thing most worth celebrating. After some encouragement at the fence, all of the positions picked up their energy - especially in our feet. We could suddenly hear the shuffles and sprint steps and adjustment steps as we lined up our shots and hit to our spots.

Elias was a great example of this. After a 3-2 start, he shifted into a great mode. He attacked the net a bit more, his shots became a bit more like darts, and he locked in on an excellent lob. And he won the next 10 games to close out his match.

The doubles were a similar story. If we served well, our service games set us up for some easy finishes. As long as we moved our feet to get into position for those finishes, it was simple and straightforward. On return, we were tempted to try to end the point in one shot. But when we brought that temptation under control and set ourselves up instead of trying to finish too big, we ended up drawing weak shots that we could finish on the next ball. That's what good doubles looks like, you make it simple rather than heroic. You finish simply. Our teams fought their way through their sluggishness and found their way back to this simple formula. Games were close at the beginning of the match, going to deuce and fighting off break points. By the end of the matches, we were getting through games much more easily. Two more victories there gave us the team points needed for the match win.

Judah had the longest match of the night, playing a Jimtown player for the third year in a row. The Jimtown #1 player entered this match with an 8-5 record on the season, so a very good player. He always fights hard and challenges with his consistency. Judah knew the challenge ahead of him. Judah had to work through some nerves at the beginning of the match. But soon he had pulled ahead in the first set, forcing errors and finding ways to finish the big points.

In the second set, Judah found himself trailing by a game throughout most of the set. He would grab the lead in every game, but then find himself back at deuce. Daniel challenged him to be brave in the finishing points, and he did, taking a 5-4 lead. But his opponent picked up his focus, locked in to not making errors and drew level. But Judah was brave again, and took the 6-5 lead with some great points. This time, he got out to a lead in the final game, and continued to hit the ball deep in the court to force difficult returns. On the last point, a Jimmie forehand sailed long to give Judah the victory.

And so, the team score was 5-0. But this match really was the first step on the challenge that lies ahead for the Bruins. How are we going to approach the final stretch of the season? Will we be content with where we are? Will we push ahead with focus to continue our growth? 

Tonight was a great first step.

Let's go Bruins!

The JV Story

There was no official JV match tonight, but the JV players played intra-squad matches. The senior doubles players team up to play against a couple of their teammates, and the result was a lot of great points. Ender and Silas have really relaxed into some of their best tennis at the end of the season here. It feels like they've been able to enjoy the good a lot recently. They played some brilliant points where the ball really pinged back and forth at the net.

And Ayden and Eli continued their longstanding match. They've played several times throughout the season and it always is close and we can hardly ever get it finished. Both players have hustle, good hands, consistence, but it seems like neither can ever put the other one away.

Josiah S and Ethan M played the best tennis I've ever seen them play. Ethan was flying around, getting himself into the right positions early and hitting the best strokes I've seen. He's really good at taking instruction and then moving toward that. Josiah had some big forehands going, but consistency is again his game. They went to a tiebreak at the end of their set, and that was fun.

Leo is improving by leaps and bounds and he took on James, as James continues to figure out singles. Leo's movement and preparation for the shot is so much better over the course of this week, but James has the edge when it comes to consistency and the type of shot he hits. 

Other matches were great, and we just had a lot of fun together attempting new things in this sport we love. I absolutely loved watching the play, and hated to tell everyone to stop when it was time to eat some tacos... but I think everyone was glad to have tacos. Who isn't? 😀

Who Can Focus in the Moment?
Moments of Wise Play

Judah's Simple Volley

Judah had a lot of pressure points in his match. He was playing an opponent who had great anticipation and was always making Judah hit one more ball to finish the point. This was especially true when Judah came to the net. But in the second set, under a lot of game pressure, Judah was able to figure out the wise play against someone with anticipation. The best play? To hit the ball where they just were. Judah volleyed to his opponent's backhand side, and he scrambled up to scoop the backhand low over the net at Judah. This meant his forehand corner was open. And normally, people would go to that side. But Judah's opponent new that, and the Jimmie's #1 was already recovering toward that part of the court. So Judah sent the volley, simple and solid, back behind him into the backhand corner again. A wise play!

Who Can Have Peace in the Match?

Moments of Belonging and Encouragement

Because Jimtown didn't have a JV, we played matches against one another again... and they were awesome, and our teammates were watching and cheering. It was really a fun time to watch Josiah and Ethan both have people cheering them on in the tiebreak. Or people calling out encouragement to Ayden, and then continuing right on to cheer for his opponent in this one - Eli. I like what this team continues to build when it comes to encouragement. 

Who Can Have Joy for the Season?
Moments for Celebration

Awards

Cheerleader: So Many!
Hustle: Ethan M
Dig Deep: Judah

Over All This is Christ's Love for Us
Moment of Prayer

God, I'm grateful for nights like these. Where we are able to pull ahead and have an easier victory. Where we are able to focus on improvement and how much better everyone is becoming. Where You shine through in the people who are displaying the fruits of Your Spirit.

Scores
Varsity

#1S - Judah Miller - 6-1, 7-5 - Carson Gingerich (12)

#2S - Elias Magatti - 6-2, 6-0 - Colten Allen (12)

#3S - Aaron Hochstetler - 6-0, 6-0 - Alex Pyfer (10)

#1D - Ethan Claassen/Malachi Yoder - 6-0, 6-0 - ?? Maybe... Kemper Garver/Jacob Anthony 

#2D - Lucas Bateman/Jordan Hochstedler - 6-0, 6-0 - ?? Maybe... Charlie Wright/Connor Fawson

Growing in Wisdom - Jimtown Match

Video

Varsity Recap

The Bruins traveled to Jimtown on a bright and sunny September Thursday, to take on the Jimmies. A good team with a winning record, we were ready for another close match in this week. 

But I have to say, the Bruins came out ready. All across the courts early, the Bruins took the first leads of the match. Especially fast out of the gates was Elias, who bounced back from a tough #3S match on Monday to play awesome today. His footwork was so much faster, as was his decisiveness. Once again he forced errors from his opponent, and got a great victory on the board for the Bruins.

Right next to him, Judah continued to do what he does. Using all sorts of different shots and an opponent-frustrating penchant for unpredictability, Judah took a close match and pulled away. From 2-2 in the first set Judah reeled off 10 straight to seal a 2-0 lead for the Bruins on the night.

#1D clinched it for us. Malachi and Ethan played beautiful doubles tonight. I loved watching them play the cross courts so well. Their consistency was key in the match. But they also boxed their opponents in and controlled the net. That led to several amazing moments, like Ethan finishing the match by slamming an overhead down into the court and then over the fence.

#2D took a while to get going, but once they warmed up and got themselves humming, they played great. Again, they are starting to really understand who they are as a doubles team - up tempo players, controlling the net, playing with confidence and positivity. It's been fun to watch them continue to grow this season!

The closest battle on the night was at #1S. Gideon played a really talented, power filled player. But Gideon can counter power with his own serve, and Gid is really a top notch returner. His positioning and timing was excellent, and he put a lot of pressure on his opponent's serve while often holding his easily. He broke late in the first set and served it out, then traded breaks in the second set before serving it out with some great decision making. That win sealed a 5-0 victory for the Bruins! 

JV Recap

On the JV, it was a 6-0 sweep. The Jimmies were gracious enough to have their 3 JV players play 3 no-ad sets. But the Bruins took each match. The growth of this group continues to be astounding. Lucas was more consistent and much better at his 1-2, 1-2 footwork. Jordan continues to learn what his weapons are and how to use them, and how to move into the court and finish in different ways. Ayden relies on hustle and a big forehand. 

At doubles, Isaya and Silas had all sorts of great points, struggling some with consistency on serves but then finding great effort and more at the net. Josiah and Ender continued their great run of form, and Eli and Sam got another doubles win as they continue to develop their net and movement games.

And the key to any season is joy, and it was a joy to spend time with the team tonight. And a victory song on the bus is the best way to end an "Away Day." 

Let's go Bruins!

WE CAN BE HUMBLE, BECAUSE WE BELONG: Moments of Belonging

Ease

Tonight felt easy to me. It felt like everyone was getting to play, everyone was comfortable, everyone was ready to go. Sometimes there is a lot of nerves and anxiousness, but I appreciated that there was none of that in this match. I really believe that we are learning that it's going to be okay. That we can do tough things. That our teammates want the best for us. That ease is not too hard to keep when we win our matches, and I pray that the same sense of ease and place can be around if we are dealing with disappointment. 

WHEN WE ARE WISE: Wisdom is Playing the Percentages

When the Pressure is On, Start with Ball in the Court 

Often times, we need to relax under pressure. We can do that by playing with smart aggression, or "smaggression" as we used to say with Daniel's teams. Gideon showed us a great example of this in his close-out game. Struggling a bit with nerves and double faults when closing out the match, Gideon decided to hit aggressive second serves as his first serve when he got to deuce. This meant that he made all of his first serves and got the point started. In a pressure situation, aggression shots that you can rely on are the best choice. 

Playing the Lob Game

At #1DJV, Silas and Isaya did a great job pushing to control the net. About halfway through the match, their opponents decided to try the lob game. Isaya ran down the first lob and lofted his own high into the air and Silas got ready to attack. But again another lob came over from the Jimmies. When being lobbed, the best reply is usually to re-lob. And so Isaya did it again. And then another time. By the time the teams were trading the fourth lob, the Jimmies lob fell short while Isaya had moved up and was ready to pounce. The patience displayed here was excellent.

Wise Quote of the Day

"When you chase perfection, when you make perfection the ultimate goal, you're chasing something that doesn't exist... It's all about your head, man." - Brad Gilbert

THEN WE ARE STRONG: Exceptional Outcomes

Overhead Smashes for the Win!

Overheads are fun. In the match tonight, two varsity matches ended with awesome smashes. One was #1D, where a weak groundstroke floated in the middle of the net and Ethan shuffled quickly over to slam the ball down and over the fence. He let out a roar to Malachi and then calmly shook hands. I loved that. The other match to end with an overhead was #3S, where Elias scrambled all over the court. Drawn forward by a short slice from his opponent, Elias flicked over a backhand volley. His opponent tried a quick lob by Elias leaped and smacked the overhead away through the middle of the court. He also let out a "Let's go!" and then calmly shook his opponent's hand. A sweet way to end a match!

Speaking of Leaping Overheads

Judah had an unbelievable point in his match. Though Judah often plays with variety and unpredictability, this point really made that fun. Judah played with lots of shots in this rally, a hard serve to start, a looping forehand to drive his opponent deep and then a sliced backhand short in the court. As his opponent moved forward to pick up the low ball, Judah snuck forward to. When his opponent flicked up a desperation one handed backhand, Judah was right there, leaping up to smack the ball away. It was a night for cool overheads!

Making It Routine

It's harder and harder to find these exceptional points, because we are continually making our strengths into our patterns. Malachi slams a lot of balls at the net. Ethan hits great serves. Ender pounds forehands. Josiah hustles. Isaya finishes volleys. Ethan gives his all to get to every shot. Ayden scrambles back deep shots in the court. Eli hits topspin passing shots. Sam hits great returns and simple volleys. Aaron screams his forehand through the middle of the court. Elias lobs. Judah slices. Dom puts the ball away. Jordan hits deep shots onto the baseline. Silas hits aces. Gideon rips passing shots. Lucas controls the points with his forehand. We're turning strengths into patterns - that's a wise thing to do!

Awards

Cheerleader: Ender and Dom

Hustle Award: Elias

Dig Deep Award: Gideon

Prayer

God, I loved so many things about this night. You are teaching me about delight, and how to delight in the work. Tonight, You helped me remain calm and delight in the difficult parts of each match. You protected us from injury or sickness in the heat. You helped us maintain our positive mental strategies. You inspired us to cheer on our teammates. We had a lot of time just hanging out together. Thank You, we are grateful. Amen.

Scores

Varsity
#1S - Gideon Miller - 6-4, 6-4 - Dalton Cook (12)

#2S - Judah Miller - 6-2, 6-0 - Carson Gingerich (11)

#3D - Elias Magatti - 6-0, 6-1 - Ethan Creech (11)

#1D - Ethan Claassen/Malachi Yoder - 6-2, 6-2 - Bradyn Warp (12)/Leighton Gingerich (12)

#2D - Dominic Ramer/Aaron Hochstetler - 6-2, 6-1 - Juan Amaya (12)/Colten Allen (11)

Junior Varsity

#1SJV - Lucas Bateman - 6-1 - Hayden Hines (10)

#2SJV - Jordan Hochstedler - 6-0 - Alex Pyfer (9)

#3SJV - Ayden Lehman - 6-0 - Jacob Anthony (9)

#1DJV - Silas Martin/Isaya Magatti - 6-3 - Hayden Hines (10)/Alex Pyfer (9)

#2DJV - Ender Finnigan/Josiah Aguilar Clark - 6-3 - Hayden Hines (10)/Jacob Anthony (9)

#3DJV - Eli Steiner/Sam Brenneman - 6-0 - Alex Pyfer (9)/Jacob Anthony (9)

I really like the way... Jimtown

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Varsity Recap
The Bruins played a fantastic match against the Jimtown Jimmies. It started with both doubles teams jumping out to early leads. Keagan and Emerson played with the confidence they earned from the matches this week. Ethan and Malachi kept balls in play but were really doing a great job finishing at the net to take some easy points.

Meanwhile the singles players were doing their thing. Gideon was dealing with a big server, but built an early lead with continued solid footwork and groundstrokes. He was able to provide the first Bruin victory with one of his best matches. Gideon also displayed a great attitude in the match, staying even keeled early in the match and building up his intensity and level of play as it went along. In other singles, Judah was toiling away through long games, as was Noah. So more on them later.

Back at the doubles, we found ourselves with first set wins in each. #2D would go on to lose the second set and went to a deciding third, but #1D had a chance to close their match out in a tiebreak. They served and returned confidently, getting points started and putting the pressure on the Jimmies team. Emerson continues to dominate the rallies, and Keagan was smart and active and talking at the net. It was awesome to see them fight their way through a close tiebreak, and then Keagan ended it with a smash and a win for the Bruins!

Ethan and Malachi were in their third set, and took an early lead. A win in their match would be the clinching point for a full team victory. They continued to control the rallies from the baseline, and find opportune moments to finish. They also served so well in this match. I was impressed with the way they kept their nerve and just kept coming right back at it. Eventually, they wore down their opponents with their spin, pressure, and consistency. The Bruins had the team win!

But speaking of wearing people down, Judah went to a third set in another long match. He had lost the first set, but had made a great fight back right at the end of it. In the second set he trailed as well, but flipped it right toward the end to force a third. In the third, Judah displayed his best tennis of the year, driving groundstrokes and passing shots. He displayed a very Noah-like talent of sticking with it and figuring out a tactic that worked. Then he executed that tactic for the win.

Speaking of Noah, he played as evenly matched of a competition as I've seen. For over 3 hours, Noah and Jimtown traded forehands, slices, net attacks, service returns, deuces and ads - but the match couldn't even finish 2 sets. Noah dropped the first set, but came back to hold a lead at the end of the second. Despite having a handful of set points, Noah missed errors as the light began to fade. The match had to be stopped due to darkness. It was an incredibly even match-up.

So as the sun set, it was only 4 matches in the varsity match that actually finished, but it was 4 victories for the Bruins!

JV Recap
The JV match had equally good play tonight. Isaya began right away with his consistent work, playing a collected style of tennis that serves him well. Isaya has an excellent mentality and is always calling out with echoes to help himself and the team.

Dominic jumped into some singles tonight and played with great consistency. Dom has gone back and forth from doubles to singles and back again during his career, but he does have the spins and placement at times to be a great singles player. His first singles match of the year took some getting used to, but he adjusted well and was able to find a comfortable victory.

Lucas served incredibly well tonight, and also found good consistent groundstrokes to draw errors. He took a big lead by moving well to his forehand and using his backhand as an effective shield. Despite making some attacking errors late in the match, Lucas too got a comfortable win.

In the last singles, Preston got better and better as his match went on, putting serves and shots back to his opponent. Trailing late in the match, Preston made a comeback right next to Noah as the light faded. He couldn't make it all the way back though. In total for the singles, we learned from our matches against Blackhawk and played well tonight.

At the doubles we played great as well. At #1DJV, Silas and Aaron were the aggressors. They whipped shots cross court and roamed the net for putaways. I loved seeing their focus and quickness. They continue to build a great record for themselves. Ender and Josiah had moments of beauty, but couldn't quite string them together as consistently. 

And that consistency remains the key for improvement. In all, I'd say we saw that improvement tonight as the JV got the 4-2 win.

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 get stronger as the matches go on

In so many of tonight's matches, we got off to good starts. But in even more of the matches, we finished strong. All seven varsity players finished off their matches playing their best tennis. Many of the JV players did as well, like Preston who was building a comeback. This is such an important trait because it requires two things: FOCUS and BELIEF. We've wanted our way to be about belief all year long, and we showed it tonight!

- I really like the way we continue seek improvement

I said this after Blackhawk as well. We keep getting better, we keep moving better, we keeping gaining confidence. We will need to take this into our final matches of the season, and we're doing a great job. I loved seeing new skills incorporated, like new spins or new touch. I love seeing new strategies being used and executed. I really like the way we stay positive about the players (and people) we can yet become.

- I really like the way we sang together

Last match it was John Denver and N'Sync. Tonight it was just Sarasponda, our team victory song, while gathered around homemade tostadas. The seniors led the final part in syncopation with one another, and it just made me happy to have a team that eats together in the dusk, sings together with goofy traditions, and embraces the importance of each person. I'm so proud of this!

Prayer
God, we know that so many good things come from you. You bless everyone, not just our team. You gave another beautiful sunset and moon last night, created a gorgeous world that we've tucked our tennis courts in, given so many people the ability to play a game like this with grace and movement and skill and power. Last night, as I watched the close matches, I was just grateful for the world. Help us to live in this world in a way of peace, in a way of relationship, in a way of forgiveness and hope. Thanks!

Amen.

Scores

Varsity

#1S - Noah Schrock - 4-6, 6-6, DNF - Zane Wort (12)

#2S - Gideon Miller - 6-3, 6-0 - Dalton Cook (11)

#3S - Judah Miller - 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 - Carson Gingrich (10) 

#1D - Emerson Landis/Keagan Meyer - 6-3, 7-6 (7) - Chase Clay (12)/Lennart Klages (12)
#2D - Ethan Claassen/Malachi Yoder - 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 - Leighton Gingrich (11)/Bradyn Warp (11)

Junior Varsity

#1SJV - Isaya Magatti - 8-0 - AJ Allen (12)

#2SJV - Dominic Ramer - 8-2 - Juan Amaya (11)

#3SJV - Lucas Bateman - 8-2 - Colten Allen (10)

#4SJV - Preston Miller - 5-8 - Alex Secor (9)

#1DJV - Silas Martin/Aaron Hochstetler - 8-2 - Gabriel Rodriguez (10)/Ethan Creech (10)

#2DJV - Ender Finnigan/Josiah Aguilar Clark - 2-6 - Gabriel Rodriguez (10)/Ethan Creech (10)

What We Really Enjoyed 13: JV Week of Sept. 18-22

Enjoy Some Highlights! 

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What Happened With the Junior Varsity?

This week's JV matches were intense. On Monday, each JV player went through three rounds of matches against Fairfield. It was the first hot and sunny day in about a week and a half, and I'm not sure our players were ready for how physically taxing that was going to be on us. Isaya Magatti played really well. When he gets locked in and finds a rhythm with his groundstrokes, it is really hard to hit the ball past Isaya. The third round of matches against the Falcons provided some really close matches, but we seemed to make an error or be less aggressive in the difficult moments. Our JV has to remember to be quick and on our toes, even when it doesn't seem like that is required.

Tuesday's rain out was probably as welcome for the JV as for the varsity. We had just played Fremont on the weekend, as well as two other matches. Then the JV had just played 3 against Fairfield!

We came out against Jimtown on Wednesday night a little bit more refreshed. Our tennis looked good up and down the line. Dominic had a consistent match against Jimtown's #1SJV player. It went right down to a tiebreak at the end. It was really great experience in a tight match for Dominic. He's had a couple of these this year, as has the whole JV. When we've moved well and been aggressive with our strokes, we've found a lot of success in close, nervous matches. When we've been tentative, we've tended to make mistakes. That's a lesson we've got to carry with us into the next season.

But Elliot and Ethan looked in charge at #1DJV. Their weight of shot was simply too much for the Jimmies. We've been blessed to have some really good JV players this year, pushing our varsity and gaining wins and experience for themselves. This win for Elliot guaranteed that he'd end the season with a winning record, which was awesome! 

Isaya, Silas, and Malachi all got to play singles matches against Jimtown. In all the matches, I was impressed with our movement. We really stayed on our toes, which is such a key in matches where your opponent isn't hitting the ball very hard. It's easy to assume they'll make a mistake or that you'll have time to get to the ball. But we really were aggressive and energetic with our footwork (maybe because Coach Daniel made us work on it the day before?)

All three of the ninth grade players pulled off easy singles victories, and the Bruins defeated Jimtown 3-1.

So, on to Thursday against Elkhart. This was a chance for the Bruins to secure a winning record for the team on the season. But it wouldn't be easy. Elkhart's varsity was ranked #8 in the district, which typically means a good JV too! We lined up as 3 doubles matches and two singles matches - with both singles matches to be played by Silas. 

And Silas got us off to a good start, winning 8-1. The doubles were more of a struggle. Keagan and Elliot lost to a talented #1DJV squad, and Ethan and Dominic played a good match where they couldn't quite get over the line in many of the close games. But Malachi and Isaya played a solid match at #3DJV and Silas grabbed a second singles win to secure a JV team victory.

With that, we were 7-4 with only one match remaining in the season, at Wabash. Even a loss in that match means that we had a winning record on the JV season. But, I'll post about that match in it's own report. Great job this week Bruins!

What Were the Moments of Joy?

Watching the Ninth Graders Move

I mentioned this above, but when the ninth graders lock in, they have some great, quick footwork. Silas looks a little bit chaotic at times, but he can cover the whole court. Isaya moves great, and especially in singles he can get to everything and put any shot back in play. Malachi has a forward momentum to all of his movement, looking to get to net and finish points. And Ethan moves with quickness, purpose and power when he's locked in. This week (especially during the Jimtown match), we got to see all of these skills in play. 

Dominic's Passing Shots

When Dominic is playing singles, he doesn't have power to overwhelm his opponents. Instead, he can play consistently. But over and over in the Jimtown match, when his opponent tried to approach, Dominic found great placement with his passing shots to make his opponent bend, reach, and hit awkward volleys or even get passed. I loved watching Dominic cheer and be cheered after these momentum swinging points!

What Were the Moments of Encouragement?

Friday Practice Laps

I loved watching the players at Friday's practice. I had them pair up and share their favorite tennis memory and the match where they played their best. Each player was able to come up with some good memories (even if they weren't sure who the opponent was :-) I loved hearing them share and laugh and look forward to more good moments on the court!

Let's Take a Moment of Intention

Lord, I'm grateful for this great week with the team. We faced some difficult opponents, but we found lots of ways to stay positive. Thanks for that grace. Thanks for the wonderful weather. One rainout was maybe a blessing for our bodies when there were four straight matches scheduled :-) Please, help us turn to one another in the last weeks of the season, to experience joy together. Amen.

Scores

Fairfield JV 9, Bethany Christian JV 3
#1SJV - Ethan Claassen - 1-6 - Cameron Cripe (10)

#2SJV - Ethan Claassen - 1-6 - Kohen Hill (11)

#3SJV - Ethan Claassen - 4-6 - Trey Brenneman (10)

#4SJV - Isaya Magatti - 6-4 - Logan Moore (10)

#5SJV - Isaya Magatti - 6-3 - Adler Bender (9)

#6SJV - Isaya Magatti - 6-0 - Dane Moser (9) 

#1DJV - Keagan Meyer/Dominic Ramer - 2-6 - Matthew Holsopple (10)/Andrew Mathews (10)

#2DJV - Keagan Meyer/Dominic Ramer - 3-6 - Brockton Miller (11)/Joseph Riegsecker (11)

#3DJV - Keagan Meyer/Dominic Ramer - 4-6 - Isaac Mast (10)/Brady Park (10)

#4DJV - Malachi Yoder/Silas Martin - 0-6 - Teegan Bender (12)/Owen Garrison (12)

#5DJV - Malachi Yoder/Silas Martin - 1-6 - Ben Penrose (9)/Isaac Elledge (11)

#6DJV - Malachi Yoder/Silas Martin - 4-6 - Braxton Landry (10)/Israel Moreno (10)

Bethany Christian JV 4, Jimtown JV 1

#1SJV - Dominic Ramer - 7-8 (5) - Carson Gingrich (9)

#2SJV - Isaya Magatti - 8-0 - Juan Amaya (10)

#3SJV - Malachi Yoder - 8-0 - Colten Allen (10)

#4SJV - Silas Martin - 6-0 - Juan Amaya (10)

#1DJV - Elliot Hertzler Gascho/Ethan Claassen - 8-1 - A.J. Allen (11)/Nate Crosbie (11)

Bethany Christian JV 3, Elkhart JV 2

#1SJV - Silas Martin - 8-1 - David Brent (9)

#2SJV - Silas Martin - 8-1 - Brody Rankin (9)

#1DJV - Elliot Hertzler Gascho/Keagan Meyer - 1-8 - Albert Simeri (11)/Adam Grolich (9)

#2DJV - Dominic Ramer/Ethan Claassen - 4-8 - Jackson Mitchell (10)/Nate Windy (10)

#3DJV - Malachi Yoder/Isaya Magatti - 8-2 - Quinn Chandler (9)/Austin Linn (9)

What We Really Enjoyed 12: Varsity Week of Sept. 18-22

 Enjoy Some Highlights!

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What Happened With the Varsity?

Well, this was a super busy week for Bethany tennis. Rather than sit down each night and plunk out a match report (for basically every day of the week!), I figured I'd make on giant one. Hitting the highlights, you know?

Monday, the teams took on Fairfield. The varsity for Fairfield is the #7 ranked team in the northeast Indiana district of tennis. That simply means they are very good. And the Falcons were a really good team. Our team came out with a lot of energy, and all of the matches were close in the first moments. Ian at #3S played some great tennis, counter attacking and finding ways to make life difficult for the Falcon #3S. Gideon stayed in long rallies. #1D had many opportunities to close out their games. 

Despite great early play, as the matches moved on we began to lose a bit of momentum. Too many missed opportunities began to deflate us rather than encourage us. As we slumped, our level of play dropped as well, and we didn't produce as many opportunities. There were exceptions to that... Noah had his slump in the first set and recovered to play a competitive second. #2D were similar, finding some resistance and not allowing the Falcons to just walk to the second set. And Ian stayed right in the match until the end, but couldn't quite find the answer to the attacking shots played by the Falcon opponent. In the end, the Bruins started out the week with a 5-0 loss.

Tuesday, we prepped to play Fremont. But as has been the case all season long, as soon as we stepped on the courts we brought the rain with us. 5 minutes of warmup turned into calling the match off. We enjoyed a strategy session, some YouTube highlights (Bryan Brothers, Gael Monfils, Will Ferrell?) and a wonderful meal provided by some of our awesome parents! Then is was on to Wednesday.

Wednesday saw us face a young Jimtown team. The Jimmies were supposed to be our first opponent of the year, but we got rained out just after our warmup. Then we were supposed to play them in the second week of the season, but we were postponed again due to excessive heat. So finally, we got to put this match onto the courts. 

This was a match where we began to really see our best tennis come together. Both Noah and Gideon at #1S and #2S faced really talented opponents. They had to dig deep to return big serves or play out long points. This tested both of those players mentally, having to dig deeper and face some doubts and respond from stretches of poor play. But, both Gid and Noah can persevere so well. They moved well and took their chances at big moments, returning to their best styles of play and focusing on how to play well. Noah pulled away in the second set, while Gideon broke the big serve of his opponent to win his final game.

The other positions against the Jimmies took control early and didn't look back. Ian continued whipping forehands and using variety to stymie his opponents. He especially found good success with attacking shots in this match. #1D controlled the net very well, despite having some flat-footed shots. They also used their serves really well to control each set. #2D was really in their element. Their positivity and movement set them up for some easy finishes. Really loved seeing that!

With these great performances, the Bruins were able to wrap up a 5-0 win.

On Thursday, we traveled to the #8 team in our district, our second ranked matchup of the week. Against the Lions, we came in with good confidence from our Jimtown match. It was also a perfect night to play tennis - moderate temperature, no sun in our eyes, and no rain in the forecast. We kept up our good play in this match, really putting pressure on our opponents.

Each of the matches on Thursday were a story in their own way. We'll explain them in the order they finished...

#1D was the first to finish. With some injuries in the lineup, Elkhart had adjusted their normal playing order to put their regular #3S player at the doubles tonight. Though he's a freshman, he's a really good player. This Elkhart doubles team became an interesting one as it had very strong groundstrokes and decent volleys. This made it harder for us to comfortably take the net. We challenged this team early, but dropped off late. We'll improve on that mark in the future, but tonight, this was the most straightforward of the matches.

#2D was the second match off. Adam and Emerson got down early in this match, 3-0, but they never stopped competing. They were moving in excellent ways tonight, and their skills really compliment one another. They closed to 3-2 and it was game on. From there, the first set stayed nip and tuck. I really loved the positivity we played with. Adam's serve kept causing problems, as did Emerson's. Both serves were setting our net players up for simple finishes. The energy and liveliness of our feet helped us stay on top, after a nervy game trying to serve it out at 5-4, we ended up taking the first set 7-5. In the second set, the Bruins maintained their momentum, taking a large lead and finishing off our first team point.

#3S was a similar story. Ian led throughout a tight first set. Ian was playing against one of the JV players called up to fill in for some of Elkhart's injuries. Ian was playing, again, some of Ian's best tennis. At the end of the first set, there were some really tight moments. Ian found that shots driven or driving toward the feet of the Lions #3S were the most effective. In the big moments, Ian sliced and then drove the passing shot to the feet. Ian closed the first out, and then road that momentum to a big second set lead. From there Ian eased to victory, our second point.

So we needed one more between Noah at #1S and Gideon at #2S. These matches were very tight, with really good play from all four singles players. But Noah has been a consistent strength for the Bruins this season, with Gideon right behind him. They've won close matches, so we were confident we could get one. Noah began his match strong, but then battled nerves all through the first set. His opponent attacked the net again and again, and Noah got a bit hard on himself. After dropping a close first set, Noah turned it around in the second set, finding the passing shots with placement right near the end of the set. With this strategy unlocked, and his consistency wearing away at his opponent - Noah played a dominant third set. His precision won the day, and the third point for the Bruins. 

Which was good, because Gideon's match didn't even finish.

That's right, Gideon went so late we ran out of light. Gid had won the first set with really consistent tennis, but also timely attacks and counter attacks. In the second set, Gideon had gotten too conservative and lost the pace on his shots. He had fallen behind and then made a desperate comeback that fell just short of tying up the set. In the third set, the pattern repeated. Gid lost just a touch of pace on his shots, and that allowed the Lion #2 to attack. But down 5-1, Gideon loosened up and found that bit of pace. He knocked in a couple aces, he kept the rallies long and found passing shots. He pulled the set back to 4-5 and was getting ready to serve when it was too hard to see the ball anymore. The funny thing is, this is the second year in a row that Gideon didn't get to finish against Elkhart :-)

Still, what a way to end the school week of competition, a great win over a really good team. One regular season match left for the varsity!

What Were the Moments of Joy?

Noah's Game to Close Out Second Set Against Elkhart

Need to win a close game? Bang three straights service winners and that'll do it for you. That's exactly what Noah did to close out the second set. Two aces and an unreturnable serve. It was energizing and electric!

Gideon's Returns Against Jimtown

Jimtown's #2 boomed serves. He was one of the hardest servers we had seen all season at any position. And Gideon stayed really positive attacking his serves. He kept himself moving forward and deflecting the pace back into the middle of the court. He was able to found a lot of breaks of serves despite the weapon that it was. It was joyful to see him stay determined against such a weapon.

Adam's Angles and Emerson's Overheads

This week, Adam has really learned to make the best use of his shots by finding angles. He's doing a great job of dipping the ball to people's feet and keeping the ball low. This has enabled Emerson to really get a lot of balls popped up to him at the net, which he has done a great job smashing away. This happened time and again through Jimtown and Elkhart matches.

Ian's Passing Shots

Speaking of dipping, Ian is becoming a master of the dipping passing shot. Because Ian's game is so consistent, opponents are looking for ways to attack. They try to bring Ian to the net and are disappointed, as Ian has great touch. They try to come to the net themselves, and Ian finds their feet with a driven ball. It's been great fun to watch Ian succeed, which happened a lot in all Ian's matches this week.

Tristan and Justin's Down the Middle Volleys

Tristan and Justin have a couple of really good plays in their arsenal. One really good play is a sweeping serve out wide followed by a volley through the gap that serve has created. I love watching that happen. It is such a thing of simple beauty, and they both have the serves to do it. 

What Were the Moments of Encouragement?

Confidence

My favorite moments this week were moments where the Bruins gave each other confidence. I loved watching Adam and Emerson encourage one another during their matches. I loved watching the team give Noah energy at the end of his match against Elkhart, or giving Dominic their cheers against Jimtown, or standing on the tower at Fairfield encouraging Gid, Ian, Ethan and more. To hear from our teammates gives us confidence, and that was awesome!

Let's Take a Moment of Intention!

Lord, I'm grateful for this great week with the team. We faced some difficult opponents, but we found lots of ways to stay positive. Thanks for that grace. Thanks for the wonderful weather. One rainout was maybe a blessing for our bodies when there were four straight matches scheduled :-) Please, help us turn to one another in the last weeks of the season, to experience joy together. Amen.

Scores

Fairfield 5, Bethany Christian 0

#1S - Noah Schrock - 1-6, 3-6 - Garrett Stoltzfus (11)

#2S - Gideon Miller - 1-6, 1-6 - Cooper LeCount (12)

#3S - Ian McHugh - 3-6, 3-6 - Chase Buckholz (12)

#1D - Tristan Mast/Justin Hochstedler - 1-6, 1-6 - Noah Mast (12)/Brant Garber (10)

#2D - Adam Siemens Rhodes/Emerson Landis - 0-6, 2-6 - Grady Garber (10)/Drew Beachy (9)

Bethany Christian 5, Jimtown 0
#1S - Noah Schrock - 6-3, 6-2 - Zane Wort (11)

#2S - Gideon Miller - 6-3, 6-4 - Dalton Cook (10)

#3S - Ian McHugh - 6-1, 6-1 - Leighton Gingrich (10)

#1D - Tristan Mast/Justin Hochstedler - 6-1, 6-1 - Scott Harris (12)/Chase Clay (11)

#2D - Adam Siemens Rhodes/Emerson Landis - 6-0, 6-1 - Kamden Flores (10)/Braydn Warp (10)

Bethany Christian 3, Elkhart 1

#1S - Noah Schrock - 3-6, 7-5, 6-1 - Brady Kelly (11)

#2S - Gideon Miller - 6-2, 4-6, 4-5 - Ben Miller (11)

#3S - Ian McHugh - 6-4, 6-2 - Cortland Keim (10)

#1D - Tristan Mast/Justin Hochstedler - 2-6, 0-6 - Logan Kelly (9)/Cam Miller (9)

#2D - Adam Siemens Rhodes/Emerson Landis - 7-5, 6-2 - Lucas Karbalacali (10)/Hayden Holdeman (10)

Match Report #1 - Jimtown

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Varsity

Check it out! The Bruins are off to a winning start to the season! On a wonderful summer evening at the beautiful Jimtown courts, the varsity were able to scramble out a 3-2 victory. This is always a difficult match, as the Jimmies are close competition to us, and a close one to start the season is tricky. But every position came up with some positive and winning tennis in big moments, even in the two positions we lost.

The match started, and clearly it was going to be a close match. In fact, in the first 15 minutes, the scoreline in 4 of the 5 matches was 3-2. The only match that never really got all that close was Oscar's match at #3S. Oscar was expertly moving the ball around and attacking when he had the chance. He was serving amazingly well, and continued to take advantage of his skills and footwork. He did have a couple of letdowns where his footwork got a little flat, but then he got right back into the flow. That was encouraging, because we always need to learn to recover. He took the win in his match 6-1, 6-1.

The other matches stayed close. As first sets came to a close, Gideon and Ian at #2D and Noah at #2S both pulled away for 6-3 first set wins. Breece was down 4-3 on serve, but then let his serve slip and despite a great long game to get back on serve, Breece lost the first set. At #1D, Tristan and Cameron went back and forth and back and forth. They took a 3-2 lead, then went down 4-3, then went up 5-4. But they could never quite secure a set point. Finally, they surrendered the set 7-5.

So, in two matches we'd won the first set, and in two matches we'd lost. Gideon and Ian looked like they were poised to finish off a straight sets win when they got timid. Their nerves got the best of them as their opponents began to become more consistent. After leading 4-2, they lost four games to get sent to a third set. Meanwhile, Noah also lost his consistent play as his opponent responded to the first set. Jimtown's #2S player attacked with much more consistency and energy, really going after his mid-court balls. Noah just seemed to be on his back foot, and couldn't find any of the point ending shots. Noah got down 0-5, and eventually lost the set as well.

Breece fought valiantly in his second set. His movement looked great, but like Noah, Breece was just missing the final, finishing ball on a lot of points. As the pressure got put on in the point, Breece would lift the ball just long or wide. So many games went long, and Breece determined to keep the pressure on. In the end, he couldn't quite win enough of the close ones to force it into a third set. But I was super proud of how he competed against a player who had defeated him last year.

Meanwhile, #1D was in a barnburner. It was the type of intense match that is so fun to play in. It continued to seesaw, and Cam and Tristan were both coming up with amazing shots. Unfortunately, it was also punctuated with errors as they are getting comfortable with doubles after being singles players last year. But some of their punch volleys and touch lobs were unbelievable. The simple points were certainly the best for them. They were learning as the match went on how to play with simple aggression.

So, it was down to Noah at #2S and both of the doubles teams. We needed to win 2 of these final 3 matches. Cam and Tristan pushed their second set to a tiebreak. Meanwhile, Gideon and Ian came out completely fired up. Attacking, confident, and simple, they used continual smart plays and full shots to build a lead. Up 5-0, Ian served the final game and Gideon ended it with a nice backhand volley.

I turned and went down to Noah's match, where he had built a 5-3 lead behind really smart and positive tennis. A change in his body language had really helped Noah keep his energy high. As I turned to his final game, I found that he was already serving at match point. Noah pulled off a wonderful serve then drop shot combo to finish out the match and secure our team victory!

Cameron and Tristan built a 4-2 lead in their tiebreak, trying to send it to a third set. Tristan served magnificently to build that lead. But unfortunately, as I came back from congratulating Noah, I saw they had lost the tiebreak. But it was a great battle in which Cam and Tristan learned a lot as a doubles team.

So, we celebrated the team victory. It was a great way to start the season!

JV Recap

The JV match tonight was close. Every match had the possibility of going another way. But it felt like we kept getting stronger as the matches went on. Several things made me really happy to see in the JV match. 

Number one, it's always awesome to see people get their very first victories. Freshmen Gabo and Dominic both got their first wins as Bruins in their first match, which is amazing! 

Number two, I really loved the movement and energy of the JV players tonight. Nobody was standing on their heels waiting for the ball. Emerson especially was on his toes, ready for the next shot. That made the difference for Emerson in a match that was really tight.

Number three, it was good to see people playing new positions. Adam and Emerson have mostly been doubles players, while Justin played a good deal of last season at singles. To see people adapt and try new things is to see people grow.

Number four, it was fun to see that we got the win. Several times last year, the JV dropped close matches. So it was super encouraging to see us compete all the way to the end and win!

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 :-)

Gideon and Ian's Scrambling

#2D can be a position of randomness. Random abilities in your opponents, random tactics, players at the net and then suddenly a team that just lobs all the time. Often, the best #2D players can adapt. They can have the ability to scramble through points, taking the smart shot at the right time to the simplest spot. Ian and Gideon did that so many times tonight, lifting up lobs when they were in defensive positions, attacking the net, picking up balls from their feet, finishing with simple balls to simple spots. I love the touch and the scrambling!

Breece's Patience

Breece played a great match tonight. Last year, he lost to this same player 6-0, 6-1. Tonight, he made it much closer by patient and powerful play. Kaler, the Jimtown #1, tried to change tactics several times. Breece stayed calm and smart and played into the new tactics. The match actually ended up being closer than the final scoreline, a couple of key points going to the Jimmies. But Breece's patience and belief was a joy to see. As was his wonderful volleying!

The team's timing :-)

I mean about the end of matches. We had four matches on at the end of last night that would determine the team winner and loser. Dominic and Gabo were playing to see if the JV would win 3-1 or tie 2-2. #2S, #1D, and #2D were on for the varsity, and we needed to win 2 of those 3. And the timing at the end of the match was so fun and perfect. #2D won to give us a 2-1 varsity lead, then seconds later Noah won for the varsity to clinch 3-1. I turned to see if Dom and Gabo were done and they were shaking hands, having secured victory for the JV. So I turned back to #1D and unfortunately they had just lost and were shaking hands as well. But that meant that we could all get together and celebrate the victory as a team, as we sung together on the bus ride home!

Noah's Big Shots

Noah plays a consistent game, but I love how he's stepping in and finding the final ball this year. Several times he was able to step into a short ball and rip a winner. And he would punctuate it with a "C'mon!" It's such a great addition to his game!

So Many More...

Tristan's big serves, Cameron's putaway volleys, Oscar's dominant serving, Justin and Keagan staying positive, Emerson's great movement, Adam's consistency, Dominic and Gabo's growing groundstrokes. everybody had something to enjoy tonight!

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.

Echoes

I loved the energy tonight, especially when the match was tight for the varsity. There were four guys gathered behind Noah's match to cheer him on. There were three guys watching each point for Cameron and Tristan and then watching Gridian as well (and keeping up the nicknaming of doubles teams :-) But I loved the positivity of these interactions. "You got this!" "Great shot!" "Oh, yes!" I loved how you were supporting one another. Teams that are on each other's side are the teams that often can pull out close matches... and even when they don't they are there for each other. I love to see that building.

Moment of Intention

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

Dear God, tonight was a fun match. Not everything went right, we worked through rough patches but played strong games. We kept coming back, kept fighting, kept our heads up. Help us to breathe: breathe in with gratitude, breathe out to get rid of our fear. Keep filling our lungs with Your Spirit, enabling us to see the beautiful things in this world. In our games, in our teammates, in our opponents. Fill us with joy, let that be a defining feature of this team. Amen.

Scores

Varsity

#1S - Breece Erickson - 3-6, 2-6 - Beau Kaler (12)

#2S - Noah Schrock - 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 - Zane Wert (10)

#3S - Oscar Pairitz - 6-1, 6-1 - Dalton Cook (?)

#1D - Cameron Heinisch/Tristan Mast - 5-7, 6-7 (4) - Dylan Cook (12)/Gaege Wachs (12) 

#2D - Ian McHugh/Gideon Miller - 6-3, 4-6, 6-0 - Caleb Koets (12)/Casen Campbell (?)

Junior Varsity

#1SJV - Emerson Landis - 8-6 - Payton Phillips (12)

#2SJV - Adam Siemens-Rhodes - 4-6 - Payton Phillips (12)

#1DJV - Justin Hochstedler/Keagan Meyer - 8-3 - Lleighton Gingerich (?)/AJ Allen (10)

#2DJV - Gabo Brenneman Ochoa/Dominic Ramer - 8-6 - Lleighton Gingerich (?)/AJ Allen (10)

Match Report #1: Jimtown

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Varsity Recap
Last week, we opened the season against Angola in our scrimmage fairly timidly. Having six new varsity players, we were trying to see whether we could play at this new level. And that question was answered: we could definitely compete. Tonight, we started play with confidence right across the board. 

We didn't take leads at every position, but each player started strongly. Noah paced out to a 3-0 lead, Josiah and Jacob went up 3-1, and Matthew and Austin held a 2-1 advantage. Cameron and Breece each played close games and looked confident. I was really proud of the way we took to the court!

At #3S, Noah was able to keep up his early advantage. His opponent struggled with errors throughout the match, and Noah was able to take advantage of that by staying consistent and even tempered. With his calm demeanor, you never would have known he was a freshman playing his first varsity match. He finished up first for the Bruins with a 6-0, 6-0 win!

Breece was battling his own match of consistency, but in this case, it was his opponent was the one who was really bringing that. Breece had a good rhythm, but struggled to find a way past his junior opponent. I was super proud of the positivity that Breece brought to this difficult type of match. 

And Cameron at #1S brought a lot of competitive fire. Despite not having his very top level today, he was committed to trying to find a way to win. Serving well, he kept the first set pressure on his senior opponent. He also changed paces and placements, trying to find a weakness. Cameron found some cracks, but the experienced Jimtown player closed them up quickly, running around backhands and becoming a bit more aggressive in the points. Cameron struggled to keep control of the points, and while keeping games close, he couldn't quite find the closing shot.

#1D, Austin and Matthew, had a similar match. They got out strong, really confident and attacking. As their opponents swung back, they began to get tentative. A tentative stretch at the end of the first set cost them the first set. Then Austin and Matthew began a run of their own. They pressed toward the net and looked fired up, taking a 5-2 lead in the second set. However, they couldn't maintain their aggression to close the match. The Jimtown doubles team expertly kept them back at the baseline, and came back in the set. It was a nervy end of the match, that saw both sides have multiple chances in each game. In the end, Austin and Matthew lost a close one.

But at #2D, we ended up winning a close one! Josiah and Jacob were also competing in their first varsity match together, and they went through some of the same ups and downs that Cameron, Matthew, and Austin experienced. At times, the #2D's shots were intentional and directed. At times, they became timid and unsure. In the big moments, however, Jacob and Josiah were able to find a vicious backhand slice or a timely net intervention to pull out the big points. Jacob served particularly well in the match and Josiah really cut off the middle well. They also had so much fun. They were forced into a second set tiebreak as Jacob's serve was broken, but responded by winning it 7-1 with lots of energy!

So, the varsity lost 3-2, and has a lot of good information to take into the next practices. Lots of places to build on!

JV Recap
Jimtown had a small JV, so only three matches were played. But these matches offered us much of what we needed to grow. Both Jimtown players were players who didn't have the most smooth looking strokes, but they kept the ball in play. And so it forced us to play with consistency and placement to win points. And each of our JV representatives took to that challenge well. 

Jacob Shank is an attack minded player, which I love. His match was a great opportunity to see if he could control and direct that attack, while keeping the attacking mentality. It was a challenge, but one that Jacob was able to navigate. It was fun to see him hitting volleys and flying overheads. 

The same with Tristan and Ian, who played the same Jimtown player in each of their matches. I was so impressed by their ability to stay focused and keep moving. The difference often times between a JV and varsity player is often the ability to keep your feet moving and split stepping through a point, because that split-second movement is what keeps the ball in your perfect contact zone or allows it to slip away. Both Tristan and Ian moved really well in their matches today.

I was really pleased by the progress that these three made in their matches!


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 Shank's flying overhead

Watching #2D by the railroad tracks, I looked down to see how things were going for Jacob. When I looked down, I saw him hitting a forehand approach and coming to the net. His opponent bent low and lifted a low altitude lob that wrong-footed Jacob a bit. He couldn't get stopped and turned back in time, so he launched up to take a forward momentum, leaping overhead - and smashed it right away for a winner. It was a super fun shot.

Matthew's forehands

We have a lot of good players on this team with a variety of skills. We don't always have a ton of weapons. Matthew's forehand is a weapon. I loved all night watching it whip across the net cross-court, or finding a winner down the sideline. My favorite was when it came off of a return, ripped into the alley where the other team can only hope that it goes out. It's a risky shot, but beautiful and energetic when completed. 

Josiah and Jacob's tiebreak energy

After leading the whole second set, #2D had to go into a tiebreak to decide the set. I was afraid they'd be down on themselves, or concerned, but they picked it right up. A big part of this was the energy they kept through each point, especially provided by a super-hyped Josiah. They really wanted to seal this victory and kept going after it. Both guys hit some of their best shots, and had some of their best high fives in the tiebreak. To check out an example of that energy, see the final point in the reel at the top of the post.

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.

Cameron's Speech

I love teams where the players do the talking. After stretching, Cameron gathered up the team and all the sudden we were clapping and shouting and I had nothing to do with it. Afterwards, the guys told me that Cameron basically encouraged the team to not be afraid, to go out expecting to win. Yes. I love this type of team inspired confidence. Way to go Cam and team!

Moment of Intention

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

God, I am filled with gratitude to be the coach of these young men. They are listeners, they are encouragers, they are strong. Lord, remind us that nothing that we can do will make us worth more than we already are. Wins are fun, hitting winners can make us shout, and getting better is important - but it doesn't add anything to who we are. Help us celebrate that, embrace that, proclaim that, and live it out to each other and others. Thanks for the ways that You are with us. Amen.

Scores

Varsity

#1S - Cameron Heinisch - 3-6, 1-6 - Matt Magraf (12)

#2S - Breece Erickson - 1-6, 0-6 - Beau Kaler (11)

#3S - Noah Schrock - 6-0, 6-0 - Caleb Koets (11)

#1D - Austin Shenk/Matthew Dyck - 4-6, 5-7 - Aiden Short (12)/Dylan Cook (11)

#2D - Jacob Leininger/Josiah Schlabach - 7-5, 7-6 (1) - Gaege Wachs (11)/Zane Wort (9)

Junior Varsity

#1SJV - Jacob Shank - 7-5 - Payton Phillips (11)

#2SJV - Tristan Mast - 6-0 - AJ Allen (9)

#3SJV - Ian McHugh - 6-1 - AJ Allen (9)