Knights Invitational Champions - 2019

Scores
Bethany Christian 5, Laville 0
Bethany Christian 5, Mishawaka Marian 0

Photos
Click here for photos from the match.

Recap
What a gorgeous day! And the Bruins came home from the day with a championship, the first for Bethany Christian tennis since 2016!

In the morning, it was crisp and we began warming up not knowing who we would play. As the players polished up their groundstrokes, the draw began. We drew Laville in the first round, and then would play either South Bend Riley or Mishawaka Marian in the second round.

Laville only had three singles players, and so our doubles guys had to sit out the first round, gaining victories by default. That was a bummer, but the guys took it well, supporting the singles players and enjoying the beauty of the Indiana morning.

Our singles players got right to work. Laville's team is still a bit inexperienced compared to our guys, but the Lancers were much improved since last season. All of our guys jumped out to early leads, but I was impressed with how well they were actually playing. Caleb's groundstrokes were unbelievably good. Braden was moving well and hitting the ball deep. Josh was doing the same, but also finishing net points with great angles. All the guys secured quick victories in the first round, sending us into the final to face Mishawaka Marian.

Last year, we had actually had the exact same draw. Against Marian, we had lost the 3 singles spots and came off with 2nd place. This year, our guys were determined to have a better showing.

And the doubles did great work getting us off to a good start. Will and Tyson were the first match to get going, and Tyson started serving for us. He struck a spinning serve into the body of the Knight returner, who moved out of the way and popped it up near the net. Will sprang forward and smashed an overhead down the middle between the two opponents. It was a beautiful start to the finals match, and one that was repeated throughout. Will and Tyson both served well and moved well, finishing simple balls at the net and playing smart yet aggressive groundstrokes. They moved quickly through their match, finishing first with a tidy 6-1, 6-0 victory.

#1D wasn't far behind. Their match looked very similar, with Nathan and Joseph really taking advantage of the net. This wasn't always the case in their win against Goshen on Thursday, so it was good to see them moving forward and getting the simple volleys. They also served with confidence, which is great to see them build on.

In the singles matches, we were really hitting our groundstrokes well. Sometimes we would get lazy feet and poke at the balls that were hit hard to us, instead of anticipating and moving - but most of the match we did a great job putting the ball where we wanted to. The result was some great wins. I was also super proud of our ability to refocus, because there were moments in these matches where we started to get weary. But with little reminders, we finished things off.

When Josh won his second #3S match of the day, we were leading the championship round 3-0. That meant that we were champions! It's been over two seasons since we've brought home a tournament championship, so I was really glad to see us win these matches. I was also proud, because are turning matches around from last season. Last year was 0-5 against both Jimtown and Goshen. This year both of those matches were 2-3. Last year, we fell to Marian 3-2. This year we pulled off a win. This is how improvement happens, little turn arounds that we continue to build on. I'm really proud of you guys!

After all was said and done, we celebrated back in Goshen with a team lunch at Los Primos. What a delicious day!

You are accepted.
Before this match even began, I was proud of you. Proud of you for getting to the school on time. Proud of you for dealing well with the uncertainties of matches like this, where we don't know who or when we'll be playing. Proud of you for wanting to support one another. Proud of you for the week of practice and the continual improvement.

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

1. This point by Caleb.
This was my favorite point of Caleb's match. It is beautiful and Chris Craw captured it on video for us!

It's such a simple point that encompasses Caleb's greatest strengths: serve, movement, placement. It shows Caleb the simple way to improvement. Love it!

2. A sweep in the first round.
Playing against less experienced teams can be really difficult. It can make people sulky, ungrateful and frustrated. It can cause laziness or silliness. But I was glad that our guys stayed focused (with a couple reminders) in the first round versus Laville. And because of that we had a team sweep, all 6-0, 6-0 victories, which is very rare.

3. Josh's joy.
Josh got his first two varsity victories today. He was really good in those matches too. He hit the shots he needed to hit, he volleyed well when he needed to, and he even returned a lob with a tweener. It wasn't the most graceful, but it was a shot of fun. Sometimes we forget that tennis is supposed to be fun, and Josh's play reminded me that today.

You are significant.
How have we used our God-given gifts to serve the needs of others?

Chris Craw didn't get to play a match today, but he is such a valuable member of our team. He practices hard every day, causing everyone to have to battle his groundstrokes and volleys to learn. He joyfully leads us in stretching, hits with anyone on the team, and has such a kind heart. Today, he came along with the team. He served us in so many ways - taking videos, yelling encouragement, and even serving up some hot dogs. I appreciate Chris so much!

You have achieved.
We came out with confidence. That is an achievement.
We stayed focused when things were difficult. That is an achievement.
We won two matches on the day. That is an achievement.
We won a tournament. That is an achievement!

Prayer
Lord God, I am pleased and grateful for our first week of the tennis season. Thank You for the grace of no injuries. Thank You for the grace of friendship and fun. Thank You for the grace of food shared together.

Scores
Varsity v. Laville
#1S - Caleb Shenk - 6-0, 6-0 - Zach Rutherford
#2S - Braden Bohn - 6-0, 6-0 - Kyle Walker
#3S - Josh Cartwright - 6-0, 6-0 - David Clayton

Varsity v. Mishawaka Marian
#1S - Caleb Shenk - 1-6, 0-6 - Dustin Greer (12)
#2S - Braden Bohn - 6-0, 6-1 - Dominic Marazita (10)
#3S - Josh Cartwright - 6-0, 6-0 - Evan Hendrickson (10)
#1D - Nathan Oostland/Joseph Mounsithiraj - 6-0, 6-0 - Keegan Quinn (9)/Keaton Voreis (9)
#2D - Will Nisley/Tyson Miller - 6-0, 6-0 - Luke Potts (12)/Payton Hayes (9)

Knights Varsity Tennis Invitational Report

More Photos: Click Here

VARSITY MATCH REPORT

All in all, we did a good job in this match continuing to mature and compete. I try to keep my focus on that because in all honesty, the result still feels disappointing. We went to Mishawaka Marian and came away with 2nd place in the tournament. But we were so very close to first.

The Laville match went quickly. We started by 8:55 and were done with all matches by 9:35. But that's because the Lancers only had two players who are continuing to gain experience, but playing at the most difficult positions of #1S and #2S. Liam and Caleb both got 6-0, 6-0 victories in that match.

Then we waited for Marian to finish their match with South Bend Riley. It became clear early on in that match that the Knights would be the victor, but several of the matches were close. By 10:30 or so, we were on the courts warming up for the championship match.

Our doubles teams played well. They've been continuing to learn the meanings of simple aggression, how they can play smart and play the percentages and still put away points. Tonight, simple cross courts, good serves and returns, and proper positioning at the net were enough to do that. I continue to be impressed with the energy that Tyson Miller and Will Nisley bring to their matches, and Jonah Farran and Nathan Oostland looked much more relaxed than I've often seen them.

That meant we had to get one of the singles positions. From the beginning of the match, I thought it would come down to #3S. So when Philip Krabill went to a first set tiebreak, I was anxious to see him win it and get the huge advantage of the first set. Philip took a 5-3 lead in the tiebreak, but tightened up with the finish line in site. He lost the final four points of the tiebreak and fell down a set.

However, hope was not lost. Liam Bradford was playing Josh Bussan, a senior who beat Liam 6-1, 6-2 last year. Most years results hold similar, but Liam was playing this match much closer. Changing speeds and styles of shot, Liam had made the first set a close one, losing 5-7. Then he took a 3-0 lead in the second set. He continued to play really well and smart in the second set, making all the finishing shots that he needed to. He held off a late comeback from Bussan and won the set 6-4. This took us to a deciding third set.

Unfortunately, Philip had never really been able to get back into his match against Marian's #3S. Though Philip was holding his serve well, he was never able to break through on his opponent's. As Liam finished his second set, Philip's serve was broken and he lost his match 7-6, 6-4.

So, the team match came down to Liam. He promptly went out and took the first game, but then became increasingly tight and frustrated. Understandable considering the weight of the team match, but a bummer still. He attempted to swing through it, but Bussan gained confidence as the match went on and found a new strategy to attack Liam with. By the end, Bussan finished off the match by refinding his big serve, and served out a 7-5, 4-6, 6-2 win for the Knights.

So, swept in the singles, we lost 3-2. We are still struggling to find confident ways to finish points in our singles matches. So, I suppose that's where we'll go to work :-)

IT WAS ENOUGH

It was enough that you competed. You controlled the things that you could control. There was no doubt that you were trying, you were giving effort, and that you cared. You gave effort to keeping a positive attitude too. You guys even had good plans. The execution is something that we can't always control. But it is enough that we competed.

YOU ARE BROTHERS
You are brothers. You showed it as you waited patiently during the forfeited matches in the Laville match. You joyfully took the court in different doubles and singles pairings and helped each other relax. You carried your joy over into your support of Liam and Philip as they tried to pull off the final victory we needed. You are brothers.

I AM GRATEFUL
I am grateful for...
- a team that has fun together.
- a team that has grace for each other's weaknesses and "failures."
- a team that lets my oldest son tag along to tournaments without abusing him.
- a team that gets better with each match.
- a team that eats an enormous amount of chips and salsa.
- a team that still encourages.
- a team that has JV players like Joseph, who give their all even in a match they don't get to play.
- a team that are my brothers.

A PRAYER
Lord, be enough for me. Don't let me build my worth on wins, or hang my hat on my brilliant forehand or smashing serve. Instead, my worth is in Your love and I'll hang my hat on my response to Your love. Let me enjoy the gifts You give. Let me reflect the love You are. Amen.

SCORES
Round 1 v. Laville
#1S - Liam Bradford - 6-0, 6-0 - Zach Rutherford (11)
#2S - Caleb Shenk - 6-0, 6-0 - David Clayton (11)
#3S - Philip Krabill won by forfeit
#1D - Nathan Oostland/Jonah Farran won by forfeit
#2D - Will Nisley/Tyson Miller won by forfeit

Round 2 v. Mishawaka Marian
#1S - Liam Bradford - 5-7, 6-4, 2-6 - Joshua Bussan (12)
#2S - Caleb Shenk - 2-6, 1-6 - Dustin Greer (11)
#3S - Philip Krabill - 6-7 (5), 4-6 - Caleb Suarez (12)
#1D - Nathan Oostland/Jonah Farran - 6-2, 6-2 - Charlie Graham (?) / Seth Beeker (10)
#2D - Will Nisley/Tyson Miller - 6-1, 6-2 - Jacob Kramer (10) / Dominic Marazita (?)

Prayers from Laville

Match Description
This match was a really fun way to start our week. With 8 matches in the next 8 days, we need to find ways for our players to get some rest this week and get some practice. So we had to play this match with a modified lineup. That meant that our JV guys got a chance to play some varsity competition. It was fun to watch these players compete, and play longer matches, and win.

One of the most enjoyable matches for me to watch was Daniel Robles playing #2S. The effort Daniel gives and the way that he competes is something I'd love to transfer over to each player on the team. In the first game, Daniel mostly stuck to the baseline, and his sophomore counterpart, Cam McDaniel, did the same. It was a long game, going to multiple deuces as they played similar consistent styles. At the fence after Daniel pulled out the game, I suggested that he see what happened when he attacked the net. First point of the next game, Daniel hit an approach and came in. The pressure caused McDaniel to strike the ball long. Daniel repeated the strategy, and found a new style to win points quicker in this match, which gave him the advantage.

I also loved watching Liam Bradford, who plays matches with a great instinct for strategy. He seems to know just when to keep the ball in and when to go for a big shot. Playing against a senior, he held control of his match, most of the time. But even when he got behind in the second set, he continued to play smart tennis. He made the adjustments needed (mostly moving forward quickly) and took the final four games of the set.

At the doubles positions, we played with simplicity and controlled aggression. We didn't hit stupid shots, but are beginning to learn about playing the percentages. I loved the resulting play, as we made simple cross-court volleys, returned with consistency, and set ourselves up for overheads and putaway volleys.

And I loved that after the match, some more of the JV guys got to have some close matches against each other. It was a laid back night for the Bruins, which is a fun change of pace. Now, on to some more intense fun!

Prayers
for the team
I pray that the loose feeling of the matches and practice tonight continues to fill us as we play closer matches. I pray that nights like this will be the basis of smiling. God, I continue to pray that tennis be the fun and exciting gathering point for the team, where we begin to come together. As we come together around each other and around this activity, let us then look to You.

for Ethan
I pray that Ethan will begin to find his serve, and with it his full confidence. God, You've given him the talents of listening, but as he has taken leadership, I feel like the weight of each match ends up feeling like it is on his shoulders. Take that off of him, let him come to You and the others without pressure, and then... let him serve well :-)

for the team
Lord, let us find an honest way to be focused and to improve. I thank You for those on the team who understand the importance of focus, and I pray that they become a vocal example to those who don't. I so desire the character of this team to be like You: prepared, faithful, focused, and honest. And so much more. Help us to grow in that, because we aren't there yet. We're moving in that direction, please meet us on the way.

for Simon
I pray that his joy will overflow into our team this year. I was so happy to watch him stay after the match last night to hit, practice, and smash some tennis balls. I pray that his sheer and savage joy in hitting a moving object will become a characteristic of the whole team. God, fill us all with joy!

Moment of Beauty
Ethan had one of the coolest points of the year in this match. First, he hit a rope of a forehand crosscourt, landing about a foot inside the sideline. His opponent Dustin Royer, a lefty, looped back a backhand into the middle of the court. Ethan stepped up and inside-outed a forehand that landed right on the opposite corner, on the sideline and the baseline. At full sprint toward that forehand corner, Royer scooped it just before it hit the ground and put it back softly behind Ethan's service line. But Ethan stepped in again and smacked a forehand crosscourt, for a second time landing it right on the sideline and baseline. At full speed again, Royer this time couldn't catch up to the shot and Ethan got his winner.

At #2D, Jonathon Yousey got his match off to a savagely joyful start. In the first game, Dustin Miller's serve to the deuce court forced a weak return from the Lancers. Jonathon stepped into the middle and hit a shoulder height volley with good force, right through the legs of the opposing net player. The Lancer at the net tried to jump, spin, and still get his racket down, but the shot was too quick. It was the way doubles is supposed to be played. Quick, simple and aggressive. Lane and Jackson had a point just like this on Jackson's serve, where Lane leaped to a high backhand volley and struck right through the gap between the net player and returner. I love these points, but because Jonathon was first, he gets the "Byeong."

Scores
Varsity
#1S - Ethan Lapp - 6-0, 6-0 - Dustin Royer (12)
#2S - Daniel Robles - 6-1, 6-1 - Cam McDaniel (10)
#3S - Liam Bradford - 6-0, 6-3 - Leo Martinelli (12)
#1D - Jackson King/Lane Miller - 6-1, 6-1 - Brandon Haisley (12)/Erik Eggebrecht (12)
#2D - Dustin Miller/Jonathon Yousey - 6-0, 6-0 - Connor Carlisle (11)/Robert Clingaman (10)

Chapter 11 - vs. Laville

We were young incidentally, stumbling

into joy, he said.

- from "Once Upon a Time" by Jack Gilbert

When we are young, we don't think about potential. We don't prepare much for the future. We don't get too many real glimpses of what we might be. On Monday night, at practice, I sat the freshman give them the opportunity of imagination. On Thursday night, we tried to back that image up with reality. What can you be?

We've never had a freshman class as deep and talented as this one. I mean, just glance at their records this year and you can tell that they are finding success. But ultimately, success at JV level is not the goal for high school tennis. It's success at that next level, at varsity, that many players thirst for.

So, the freshman got their varsity shot, as a whole class, on Thursday night. They took on the Laville Lancers' varsity team, a team that lacks a single freshman. I was afraid that they might be nervous, but they seemed excited (and confused) about playing in their first varsity match together. 

In every match, we won the first game. We aggressive tennis, the Lancers made some mistakes, and we were able to capitalize. The closest game was for Jacob Gonsalves, actually going back and forth to deuce several times. Of course, he was fighting his own double faults, and once he got that under control he was able to win a few more games. 

In our other matches, we gained great experience. Byeong Min Lim got the varsity victory that escaped him at Fremont. Simon Hurst and Lane Miller paired together in a great way, getting to the net and hitting a few emphatic volleys, things we love to see from a #1 doubles pairing. Jackson and Brandon struggled through a few inconsistent games, but were able to use their strengths in order to win the match. Bryce Miller also played to his strengths, strong back and forth groundstrokes, moving his opponent all over the court. Matthew Peters moved well to the ball, swung through most of the time. Daniel Robles played his best game of the season, not dropping a game.

And the freshman class picked up their first varsity win. But what was remarkable to me was the joy with which this class plays tennis. Sure, they mostly work hard. Sure, they mostly listen to instruction. But they play with smiles on there faces. 

I hope when they look back in four years at all they've done, all they've accomplished, all the matches that they've won, all the matches they've lost, and all else that happens as they play this wonderful sport, that they look back with the same smiles they started with.

Great job, freshman!

Varsity
#1S - Byeong Min Lim - 6-0, 6-1 - Matt Dickson (12)
#2S - Bryce Miller - 6-2, 6-1 - Pierce Frick (12)
#3S - Jacob Gonsalves - 6-3, 6-1 - Adam Baker (11)
#1D - Simon Hurst/Lane Miller - 6-0, 6-1 - Brandon Haisley (10)/Dustin Royer (10)
#2D - Brandon Nguyen/Jackson King - 6-2, 6-3 - Dennis Feitz (?)/Eric Eggerbrecht (?)

Junior Varsity
#1SJV - Matthew Peters - 8-1 - Chris Nicodemus (12)
#2SJV - Daniel Robles - 8-0 - Luke Wilson (10)

#07 - What's the Same

Tonight, we had a fairly easy victory over a young, inexperienced Laville squad. Many would say that you can't take very much from a match like this, but I'd challenge that.

The mistakes that cost you the few points that you lost in an easy match tonight will be the same mistakes that cost you in an intense under pressure match.

Maybe you mentally lost focus. Maybe you hit a few approach shots long. Maybe you were pushing your second serve. Maybe you hit a forehand down the line into the net. Maybe you double-faulted a whole game away. Maybe you framed some returns.

All of these were errors that we made tonight. And they are the very things that are our weaknesses, no matter who we are playing. The thing to learn from a match like tonight is where to work.

In watching the match tonight, I've got specifics in mind for every player, from Nate down through the lineup to Hans. I hope you do too. I hope you're ready to go to work, because we've still got a ways to go in this season, and it still will be very special.

Notes & Stats
- Nathan lost the first point of his match, then he won all the rest. That's right, you read that correctly. He won 48 straight points.

- This is the least games that a Bruin team has surrendered as a team since I've been coaching.

- Laville's varsity included at least 5 players who are in their first year of tennis. This is also only their second match. That's a good definition of inexperienced.

- Nathan has now won 2 matches in a row with 6-0, 6-0 scorelines. He also took a set from Fremont at 6-0. Over the last 3 matches, his total games score is an astounding 36-1.

- Ike Lehman finally didn't have a tiebreak!

- Both #1 and #2 doubles won their first sets 6-0 and then lost the first game of the second set. There is a tendency to lose focus after winning the first set for all tennis players. That will be something to continue to work on.

- There was no JV contest tonight.

Scores
#1S - Nathan Brendle - 6-0, 6-0 - Brandon Haisley
#2S - Ike Lehman - 6-0, 6-0 - Matt Dickson
#3S - Abe Thorne - 6-0, 6-0 - Dennis Feitz
#1D - Himal King/Parth Patel - 6-0, 6-1 - Chris Nocodemus/Adam Baker
#2D - Joel Gerig/Hans Miller - 6-0, 6-1 - Eric Eggerbrecht/Pierce Frick

Bethany Christian vs. Laville

It was a short night at Bethany as the varsity moved to 6-2 on the season with a 5-0 win over Laville.

Most matches were short and too the point as Laville continues to build their program. When I started coaching at Bethany, Laville was one of our close matches and every year we would travel to Laville for a tournament with South Bend Washington, Michigan City Marquette and Laville that was the highlight of the season. They had some really tough players, and they've always been a good team to play. So I was sad several years ago when they had to drop off our schedule because they didn't have enough players. I was pumped to see that had a full varsity this year. I hope that the program is on the way back up.

Mikey was the first to start his match and the first to end. His opponent was simply overmatched by the power and experience that Mikey brings to the #3 singles position. Mikey did a good job keeping things quick, focusing and playing to his strengths, while opponent Troy Siple would not wilt under the pressure of Mikey's serve and did a good job getting it back and making Mikey finish points. But Mikey again played a stellar match, and was able to take it without dropping a game.

Seth had a similar match at #2 singles. He has maybe been playing the most consistently for us lately, always playing his steady game and never backing down in the face of pressure. Seth just seems to know how to have fun and enjoy the points and therefore deflect pressure away from him. He too won, only dropping a few points and closing out at 6-0, 6-0.

#1 singles was a much closer match. Ben Mast took on Trenton Stout, and Stout showed the good strokes he has gained over the season. He was an attacking player who took chances with his forehand and had an outstanding volley. Ben had to make sure of his passing shots if he expected to win points against Stout. After Ben won the first couple games, Stout put the pressure back on to close to within 3-2. At one of the following changeovers, I confronted Ben about how timid he looked on the court, and that he needed to relax and just enjoy the points. This made a huge difference, as Ben began to truly strike the ball and react. Ben won the next 9 games then to win the match.

In the doubles matches, nothing was very different. Austin and Kyle continued to work on their tempo in their match, meaning how hard they swing even when trying to hit winners. They improved some on their mental fight to stay consistent and energetic throughout the matches. Nick continued to attack the net for #2 doubles. Hopefully he is gaining some confidence in that because he is beginning to do it very well. Russell pounded some absolutely awesome serves, and continues to get more consistent every day. Things look good right now...

But we must continue to improve. This is a match in which complacency will be the most dangerous enemy. Even though we played well and even though we won easily, we have not arrived. We do not have all the skills down to compete for the Sectional title. We're getting there, but we will not be able to relax. Not yet.


A couple of double 6-0's tonight, MIkey with his third in a row! That's a record for winning 6-0 sets in a row, breaking his own record with Daniel from last year. Also, Seth Krabill got his first shutout of the year, as did #2 doubles Russell and Nick. There were actually a lot of beautiful points to go along with the simple scorelines, including Seth having a drop shot that my wife even talked to me about after the match. If you can impress my wife, then you have impressed me, even if I didn't see the shot! Something memorable to me was Russell's ace, slicing out wide to be unreachable on the forehand side. Mikey's match didn't have the beautiful points, but Mikey's strokes look about 50 times better right now than they did to start the season. And that improvement is beautiful!

Scores
#1S - Ben Mast - 6-2, 6-0 - Trenton Stout (11)
#2S - Seth Krabill - 6-0, 6-0 - Zach Young (11)
#3S - Mikey Kelly - 6-0, 6-0 - Troy Siple (11)
#1D - Austin Loucks/Kyle Miller - 6-0, 6-2 - Nick Amor (9)/Dominic Lewinski (11)
#2D - Nick Rebec/Russell Klassen - 6-0, 6-0 - Grant Frick (10)/Hunter Horvath (10)

Laville Preview

Details: August 31, 2009 at 4:30 PM. To be played at Bethany Christian High School.

Last Season Review: Last season we defeated the Lancers 5-0 with our JV team. The matches were not especially close, but it was many of the Lancers first experience with tennis.

Laville Details: The good news: Laville does have a full varsity team this year, where last year they only filled 4 positions. The bad news: I have not seen that they have won a match yet this year. I have seen the scores for a loss to Triton and a loss to Rochester. They did win #1S in the match vs. Rochester.

Bethany Christian Details: Bethany Christian comes off a good week that saw us win 4 matches, 2 during the week and 2 at the Concord Invite. Our two losses on the season still come against teams ranked in the State's top 30. Our record stands at 5-2.

Projected Matchups:
#1S - Ben Mast (BC) vs. Trenton Stout (LV)
#2S - Seth Krabill (BC) vs. Zack Young (LV)
#3S - Mikey Kelly (BC) vs. Troy Siple (LV)
#1D - Austin Loucks/Kyle Miller (BC) vs. Nick Amor/Dominic Lewinski (LV)
#2D - Nick Rebec/Russell Klassen (BC) vs. Grant Frick-Hunter Horvath (LV)

Outlook: Laville is celebrating the first season in about three years of having a full team. We are having a good season and starting to play some real confident tennis. Hopefully that will carry over from the weekend and we'll be ready to play our game once again. Ben Mast could have a close match at singles, as both he and Trenton Stout defeated the Rochester player, though Ben did have a more impressive score. The other Laville players are similar to last year, where basically this same set of Bruin players defeated them at all positions. So, this should be a match that we come into with confidence, because we've had experience with these same players before.

LaVille Match Report

We took our JV to play against Laville's varsity on Thursday night and came away with another victory. In fact, we came away with another clean sweep. The only match that was even somewhat close was at number one singles, where Ben Mast still came away with a big victory. This match was able to be JV because we picked up the Penn match for the varsity next week, but still this is a good win for the JV over another team's varsity.

Another awesome thing that happened is that Austin Loucks won his match 8-0 and only lost 2 points total. That's almost as awesome as Jeremy and Johnny's almost perfect set. I have to had a "Moment of Beauty" Austin's way for this near-perfection.

What I have been continually reminded of this season is the quality of our entire team. I mean, I know that Laville's varsity is not the strongest in the area. But still, it is the varsity of a school that is larger than us. I think of the other school's that we could have defeated with our JV as well. It's a tribute to how well this whole team has worked this season. I'm proud of each of our players efforts in improving themselves during the offseason and summer. If there is similar effort this coming year, I'm looking forward to seeing what these JV players can do as full blown varsity players.

Scores

"Varsity"
Ben Mast - 6-1, 6-3 - Trenton Stout (10)
Seth Krabill - 6-0, 6-1 - Dominic Lewinski (10)
Matthew Amstutz - 6-0, 6-0 - Zach Young (10)
Russell Klassen/Kyle Miller - 6-0, 6-0 - Brad Laidig (9)/Troy Siple (10)

"JV"
Austin Loucks - 8-0 - ???

Bethany Christian vs. LaVille {Match Report}

Click here for photos from the LaVille match.

So LaVille has a small team, only 3 varsity players and 1 JV, but I was very impressed by their level of play and desire to get better. That said, we worked very hard last night to come away with a deserved victory in each of the three varsity singles positions.

Luke played a four year varsity player in Andrew McGee. McGee had played on the varsity for LaVille as a freshman, when they had a full team. Now in his senior year he leads the way for the Lancers, but without much support. A fine player, McGee simply lacked the consistency to deal with Luke. Luke was also able to exploit this weakness by applying some attacking pressure to McGee's strokes by charging the net and by playing with heavy topspin. I was also encouraged to see Luke continue to work on a faster and better placed first serve throughout the match, although double faults are still an area for improvement.

Jared Schwartzentruber played two opponents in the first set, LaVille junior Karl Cooper and himself. But in a turnaround that made his coach and parents very proud, Jared flowed with confidence and positive energy in the last two sets. Jared's strokes and footwork went from being tentative and hopeful to being confident and assured. The easiest indicator of this was in his serve. The first set was full of over-cautious double faults, but as Jared began to know he had each stroke, as he became more positive the double faults rarely became an issue. Jared also played some of the most beautiful points of the season. One point he lobbed over Cooper twice and then was able to place a passing shot down the backhand sideline. One point he hustled forward to a short, backspinning drop shot and then was able to hunt down a backhand that he whipped crosscourt for a passing shot winner. True beauty at its finest.

Jonny Shenk played gracefully in destroying an inexperienced opponent at #3 singles. Jonny really had his groundstroke game flowing in the match, and his consistent and deep forehand and backhands forced errors from young Trenton Stout. When Stout was able to attack the net, Jonny had his lob working well, especially from the backhand side. Stout was able to take just one game from Jonny.

We move on to play Prairie Heights Tuesday. We are in the middle of a three game winning streak right now and are picking up confidence with each win. We will need to play with the confidence and assurance of a team that deserves to win as the season goes on. This current stretch of wins should begin to provide that assurance.


Scores
------------------------------
Bethany --- Score --- LaVille

#1S - Luke Hostetter (11) --- 6-1, 6-1 --- Andrew McGee (12)
#2S - Jared Schwartzentruber (11) --- 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 --- Karl Cooper (11)
#3S - Jonny Shenk (11) --- 6-0, 6-1 --- Trenton Stout (9)
#1D - Bethany Christian wins by default
#2D - Bethany Christian wins by default

JV
#1S - Johnny Kauffman (11) --- 6-0, 6-0 --- Lucas Pearson (10)

Bethany Christian vs. LaVille {Preview}

Monday night, we take on LaVille at home for our first home match of the season. I only wish that it was a full match. LaVille only has three people on its team this year, which is good for us because it means that we're already up 2-0. It is bad for us that our whole team does not get a chance to play.

Honestly, matches like this frustrate me because we're trying to build the talent of the whole team towards a sectional title. That's the goal, to always be improving. Tacking a win on to the record is nice, but it doesn't push us toward our ultimate goal. I hope that this match helps us learn some things about our singles players, and helps the gain some more confidence as we move into the season.

We did not play LaVille at all last year because they only fielded two players, not enough to win any match. During the previous years we had played them both in the regular season and in a September tournament, and only once had we even lost a position to them. This year they do have two players returning from their last year's varsity.

LaVille has yet to win a match, which is inevitable because they must win all three positions at which they field players to win any match. Common opponents include Rochester, who we beat 4-1 and LaVille lost to 3-0. Rochester was able to take fairly easy singles victories in each of the matches, winning #1, 2, and 3 with the closest set being 6-4. We defeated Rochester at #1 and 3, falling at #2, so that may make the #2 singles matchup against LaVille interesting. I fully expect us however to win all three positions in this match.

LaVille Info:
Returning Varsity (2)
- Andrew McGee
- Karl Cooper

Probable Lineup
#1S - Andrew McGee
#2S - Karl Cooper
#3S - Trenton Stout