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

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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 (?)

Climbing Report 7: Mishawaka Marian

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Varsity Match Report
This match was one of the best matches that we've competed in all year. But we lost. And that loss stings.

Not because the Knights didn't deserve it - no, they played awesome. At #1S, I believe Jacob Woolace played by far his most impressive tennis, and lost 6-1, 6-1. And at #2S, Marian junior Josh Bussan rarely made mistakes in wrapping up a victory over Liam. Even at positions where they lost, the Knights looked well prepared and changed strategy mid-match to keep pace. At #3S, where Caleb Shenk had locked up the first set at 6-0 for us, Marian's Caleb Suarez adjusted to try to get everything in the court and it made the second set run a little closer.

The loss stings because we were so close. And that feeling (for me) is getting a little old.

In the end, the match came down to #1D, which went into a third set (which is also getting old, by the way :-) We've had 6 dual matches, and every one of them has had one varsity match go to three sets. And tonight, it decided the match. We came out firing in the 3rd set, taking a 3-1 lead behind Dustin's confident forehands and net putaways and Jonathon's cagey service games and consistency. But soon, we got a little tight. We had a chance to take a 4-1 lead, but a short lob and overhead for the Knights ignited them and propelled them into a run of 5 straight games to take the third set. In those games, we got a little tentative and a little fearful. But we are learning. It was a difficult match.

But this makes 3 straight 3-2 losses. And Northridge was 3-2. And even our 4-1 defeats have been closer than the score indicated. We just can't seem to find the one thing to flip us out on the winning side.

So, I have to step back and remind myself to take a deep breath. We knew going into this season that we were going to have to work hard to get wins. We are improving, that was seen across the board tonight. So now, we got back to the practice court on Wednesday and we improve some more. We keep working to build an attitude of gratitude - which I'll cover more in the "Climbing Up" section.

And so, I'll just say thank You, God, for these guys who are working hard to leave a positive legacy on Bethany Christian tennis. What they've done may not be seen by everyone, but I appreciate the confidence and energy with which they conduct themselves. I pray that You give us eyes to see all the moments of joy, the twinkling of beauty, and the love of our brothers.

Good match everyone, way to show some grit.

JV Match Report
In all matches except for Joel's, the JV match was fairly straightforward. We won most of the matches easily, and I was impressed by the play of several of the players. First of all, Will Nisley. Will was not moving when I first walked up to the fence to speak with him. He was taking long, slow steps around the court. I encouraged him to make the match go quickly by taking quick steps. The next thing I knew, he was walking off the courts with an 8-0 victory. Moving is THE KEY to getting better, and Will began to do it.

Another impressive player was Aaron Shenk. He's been shaky with his confidence throughout the early season, but in this match he looked very solid and dependable. His serves had some weight behind them and his groundstrokes looked smoother and cleaner. It was fun to watch he and Chris as they've both been players who dramatically improved in each season.

Other matches, I didn't get to see as much of. Braden Bohn completed an 8-0 set quickly. Braydon and Philip served well in their match. In fact, I saw several aces :-)

Speaking of aces, Joel Yoder told me that he had several in his match. That was one of the highlights for him. But, he didn't end up winning. He didn't end up winning because he lacked a finishing touch to end points. Each tennis player, to move up and become a consistent winner at a higher JV or varsity level needs to develop two things:

1. MOVEMENT
2. WEAPONS

What I mean by weapons are ways to end points. This could be coming forward to the net to putaway volleys and overheads. This can be a strong winning shot that we blast through the open courts. This might be a heavy topspin deep ball that you can consistently drive from corner to corner. But to be good players, we have to develop these with consistency!

Climbing Up (Great Moments of the Match)
Normally, I do the moments that were emblematic of what I want to see this team become, but today I want us to be grateful. Here are the things I am grateful for.

1st Rung - I'm grateful that Caleb is starting to play like himself again. His injury really bummed me out, because he was playing so well at the beginning of the season. I'm thankful that he's able to move and be more healthy.

2nd Rung - I'm grateful to see tangible ways that we are getting better. Jacob Woolace is competing in points with HIGH level players, and he's able to bring some aggression to these points. Nathan is starting to show confidence in his net putaways. Braden is beginning to find consistency in his serve. And we could go on...

3rd Rung - I'm so grateful for the beautiful day we had to play tennis. Last year, there were many days in which we were wondering whether we would play or not. This year has been gorgeous. Now, God, I pray that continues through September!

4th Rung - I'm grateful for listeners. Yesterday, lot's of people listened and tried when I coached them. That makes for growth. People who don't listen just stay on their same trajectory, they don't get better. Yesterday, Will, Dustin, Jonathon, Caleb, Braden, Joel, and Jacob all had moments where I remember them listening, trying and succeeding. I am so thankful for that!

5th Rung - I am grateful for the support we have of each other. After Dustin and Jonathon lost, Dustin was feeling down and sitting on the bench, exhausted, as we headed toward the bus. Two players came over to me and specifically told me that they would stay behind and walk with Dustin, to make sure he knew they were there for him. We are there for each, and I'm thankful.

Scores
Varsity
#1S - Jacob Woolace - 1-6, 1-6 - Cam Rafinski (12)
#2S - Liam Bradford - 2-6, 0-6 - Josh Bussan (11)
#3S - Caleb Shenk - 6-0, 6-4 - Caleb Suarez (11)
#1D - Dustin Miller/Jonathon Yousey - 4-6, 6-2, 3-6 - Dominik Rafinski (12)/Michael Gray (12)
#2D - Jonah Farran/Nathan Oostland - 6-3, 6-1 - Dustin Greer (10)/Jamisan Whitaker (10)

Junior Varsity
#1SJV - Joel Yoder - 6-8 - John Thomassan (10)
#2SJV - Will Nisley - 8-0 - Max Hall (11)
#3SJV - Braden Bohn - 8-0 - Luke Potts (10)
#1DJV - Braydon Harshberger/Philip Krabill - 8-1 - Seth Beker (9)/Jacob Kramer (9)
#2DJV - Chris Craw/Aaron Shenk - 8-2 - Seth Beker (9)/Jacob Kramer (9)

Moment of Beauty: Mishawaka Marian

Moment of Beauty #1: Dustin Miller
Okay, this was one of the best moments of beauty all season long. Dustin and Lane got rolling in the third set against the Knights, but the most awesome point of the match was Dustin's overhead.

From the baseline.

From of his opponent's overhead.

Yep, it was so epic it deserved it's own paragraphs. Dustin and Lane were doing a great job trying to attack the net before the Knights were able to get there, but on this point, the Knights took the net before us. They forced Dustin back with a deep ball, and his response was a great low attacking forehand. Then the Knights volleyed it deep and Dustin put up a lob over the right side of the net. The Knight player on that side shuffled two steps and pounded an overhead down, just over the tape and powerfully into the ground. It bounced up high in the air, threatening to go over Dustin's head but Dustin quickly stepped back two steps and reached up for his own overhead. Which he laced right through the two Marian players at the net. It landed inside the baseline in the middle of the court, a no doubt winner!

Moment of Beauty #2: Jackson King
Playing against an opponent who didn't hit the ball very hard, Jackson had plenty of opportunities to use his strength, his forehand groundstroke. And Jackson used that all over the court today to put pressure on his opponent and force errors. My favorite example was a point in the middle of the match, just a regular old point but it did exactly what it needed to. First, Jackson returned the ball through the middle of the court, forcing his opponent back. Then he sent the next forehand with little speed or spin but down the line to his opponent's backhand. The return came back down that line, floating high and landing inside the service line. Jackson skipped up to it and came over the top, sending a spinning ball crosscourt and just inside the sideline. Though his opponent sprinted for it, he was too late and the ball ended up a cleanly and safely hit winner. It was a beautiful set up and a beautiful way of Jackson using his strength.

Big Words from Mishawaka Marian

"STRENGTH"

Yesterday, during the school day, an 18 year old tennis player named Francis Tiafoe took the first two sets off of John Isner, the 20th ranked player in the world, at the US Open. I was watching bits of the match as I passed by my computer and then after the final bell rang I watch Tiafoe fall in the third set tiebreaker. But one thing that impressed me was how, as an 18 year old, Tiafoe kept playing with confidence in his strength (which was a rocketing forehand). Crafting points to take advantage of his strength ended up with a ton of highlights.

At lunch yesterday, I watched Taylor Townsend, a young American woman play against Caroline Wozniacki. She played really well, taking the former world no. 1 to three sets, but under pressure she relied on trick shots - drop shots and insane angles - to try to win points instead of playing to her normal, simple strength. The attempts ended in errors or set up winners for her opponent instead. The final set didn't contain a lot of highlights for Townsend, despite the crowds who filled the stadium to root for her.

And thus, a really easy formula appeared for playing points in pressure situations.

1. Play simply.

2. Play to your strength.

After watching all that tennis, I walked out to the courts to see how we'd do applying this "formula." As it turns out, we did it very well.

Following a somewhat frustrating week, Byeong looked like his old self today. He was controlled but swinging through shots, moving his opponent from side to side. At one point, the Marian player said out loud, "He keeps moving me side to side!" I was excited at that point because I knew Byeong was playing to his strengths. 

As did Lucas at #3S. He struck balls consistently and aggressively when he was in position. He pushed the ball deep and made his opponent do a lot of work. He played some of the best tennis that I've seen from him this season, and was able to come away with a victory.

At #2S, Jonathon Yousey fought hard. He played the longest singles match of the day, rivaling the third set at #1D in length. And yet, when it would come to deuce, when it would come to his ad, he didn't quite have the finishing shot. That's because I'm not sure that Jonathon knows what his strength is yet, and so he had difficulty playing to it. Which is why we get to practice :-)

The best varsity examples of playing simple and playing to your strength though, came from the doubles matches. There is a tendency in doubles to try to play hero shots. Its a more aggressive game in general than singles, because of taking the net and the number of putaways that happen. But when we are playing are best we are active with our feet, preparing early for shots, making the easy ball, attacking the net and volleying through the middle.

In our worst moments we didn't do this. At #2D, in the first set, Dustin and Lane saw far too many errors happen because they stood a foot in front of the service line rather than at the net. But in the second set, they began to drill the ball in and attack that net. Dustin has strong groundstrokes, and when he combines those groundstrokes with quick feet, preparation and smart placement, he came dominate from the baseline. In the first set he stood flat footed and then tried to go for big shots. In the second and third he moved in and thought about placement. Lane covered the center of the net and the backhand returns. And in playing to some of their strengths, the whole tide of the match turned. They won a relatively easy second set 6-1 and continued on to the second, getting a 5-1 lead before cruising to the 6-3 final.

At #1D, the story was mostly the same. Simon and Brandon faced a great test in this match, their opponents had both big serves and solid groundstrokes, especially forehands. Early in the match and in the second set, the Bruins wanted to play to their strengths and show that we could do it better and harder. But in the decisive third set, we settled down and became smart about placement and aggressive in our net play. Simple doubles really. As we relaxed, we played even better and were able to pull out the set.

All through the JV, the story was much the same. Daniel played his driven groundstrokes and was able to pull away with the victory, Jackson took advantage of his forehand, Liam had to overcome some early laziness - but then committed to moving and not letting any easy points go by. Joel improved his court positioning and took good tempered swings from the baseline. Caleb and Jacob took advantage of their groundstrokes to make passing shots. Philip used depth to push Nathan around. Nathan used a great and simple rhythm to be more consistent. Braydon hit great serves and forehands. Jonah attempted to get to the net as often as possible. Chris and Tommy ramped up great groundstrokes struck at the feet. Angel tried to play as close to the net as he could. And more and more example from each match.

But these are our strengths. And we build around these. Each match, let us get joy from playing to our strength. 

Because ultimately, that's what the Christian life is about too. Our strength as Christian isn't ourselves and what we can do, it's Jesus and what he has done. When we are pointing to that strength, that is when the most gets accomplished. That's when we are "winning." Under pressure in life, we have to keep it simple: pray and point to Jesus' strength and love. Just like our strengths in tennis strokes are trustworthy, so is our God. 

It was awesome to watch so many play to your strength tonight. Pray to your Strength, Jesus, today as well. 

Scores

Varsity

#1S - Byeong Min Lim - 6-1, 6-2 - Cam Rafinski (11)

#2S - Jonathon Yousey - 2-6, 0-6 - Evan Kovatch (12)

#3S - Lucas Brownsberger-Keyes - 6-1, 6-1 - Josh Bussan (10)

#1D - Simon Hurst/Brandon Nguyen - 7-5, 5-7, 6-0 - Michael Gray (11)/Dominik Rafinski (11)

#2D - Lane Miller/Dustin Miller - 4-6, 6-1, 6-3 - Michael Deranek (12)/Kenny Klimek (12)

Junior Varsity

#1SJV - Daniel Robles - 6-1 - Dustin Greer (9)

#2SJV - Jackson King - 6-1 - Aaron Jackson (11)

#3SJV - Liam Bradford - 7-5 - Caleb Suarez (10)
#4SJV - Joel Yoder - 6-3 - Aaron Jackson (11)

#1D Exhibition - Caleb Shenk/Jacob Woolace - 6-3

Bethany v. Bethany Matches
Nathan Oostland - 7-6 (4) - Philip Krabill
Braydon Harshberger - 6-5 - Jonah Farran
Tommy Nguyen/Chris Craw - 6-1 - Liam Bradford/Angel Torres

Prayers from Mishawaka Marian

Match Description
Underneath the hottest and heaviest summer sun of the season, the Bruin tennis team was able to overcome early sluggishness to play some of our best tennis of the year. It truly encouraged me that maybe the lessons learned this weekend are started to become habits of who we are.

My assistant coach at the match, my 7 year old son Gideon, thought that we played "Awesome!" His favorite to watch was Dustin and Jonathon, because he got to watch the whole match in the shade and because Dustin was his coach at the Bright Times camp. But he also noted that, "Your whole team is really good."

That's how I felt tonight, that we got to see our tennis near our best. For example...

Byeong hit his spots with confidence. So much so that the opposing coach literally said, "He hits his spots so well," and then wanted to go hit with Byeong.

Ethan found a way to continue his attacking. He found a weakness and hit confident balls to that weakness.

Jacob found his stroke, and then didn't try to do too much. He just hit that stroke all around the different sides of the court.

Brandon and Simon took a bit to find their shots, how they wanted to hit the ball. But once they did, and didn't try to do too much also, they found an attacking balance that was hard to crack.

Lane and Jackson moved with energy and joy and hit the simple shots, setting themselves up to finish at the net.

Dustin and Jonathon played well from the baseline so that they could also finish from the net. There match had a lot of overheads and a lot of simple volleys.

Daniel stayed steady, consistent and attacked with placement from his forehand. Braydon and Paul continued to show consistency and aggression in coming to the net.

And those are the ways that we want to play. Now we need to keep carrying those into the next matches. Beautiful tennis tonight!

Prayers

for the team
Lord, it's been a long beginning of the season. I feel like my spirit is still tired and hurried, but tonight was a breath of air. Marian's court are quite beautiful, tucked back into the trees on the hillside, and it reminds me that as we play, as we think, as we grow we are always tucked into Your arms. As we get into a rhythm of the season, let our rhythm include resting in You.

for Simon
Dear God, I pray that Simon can relax. I know that he expects a lot out of himself, and has started the year off really well. As he presses to grow and become even more excellent in his play, let him go about that without feeling any added pressure. Let him measure his worth not in shots made, overheads pounded, matches won... but in his relationship to You and to the team. I know that he knows it, help him to feel it. And for all the rest of us too!

for our opponents
It was neat tonight to hear the Marian players praying before the match. It was a great reminder that the true "brotherhood" of life extends all over the globe, and includes members of all the teams that we've played and will play this season. We praise You with each other, with our families, with our churches, with our opponents and with all creation. I pray that Your will is done across the world, and that You bring joy and peace to our opponents throughout their seasons as well.

for our team
Just keep bringing us together, Lord, centered around Jesus.

Moment of Beauty
As the matches go on, these are getting harder to discern. Jacob Gonsalves gets a big shout out with the first "Byeong" for the match. After a long point where Jacob had been run all around the court, he found himself in the short ad side service box with his only option being a cross court backhand. His opponent knew this, and so he had slid over to cover the cross court shot. But he couldn't cover the one handed backhand Jacob unleashed, because the ball skimmed the net, slammed down an inch inside the sideline and and spun past him in a split second. It was a gorgeous shot that even the opposing fans and the opposing player himself clapped for. On the changeover, Jacob's opponent stopped him again to say what a great shot that had been.

In the other matches, we've got to give a second "Byeong" of the year to Byeong! His double bagel (a 6-0, 6-0 win) was mostly all beautiful. But my favorite shot of the match came in the second set, when he worked his opponent's backhand 3 shots in a row that the Knight #1 scrambled back. Shuffling up to the next forehand inside the baseline, Byeong looked posed for an inside-in shot again to his opponent's backhand. The Marian player turned and began to prepare for it, when Byeong suddenly turned it inside-out and sent it short and cross-court. The ball slid right off the sideline, and Byeong's opponent had no chance with that type of placement. He threw his hands up and said "Not again."

Scores

Varsity

#1S - Byeong Min Lim - 6-0, 6-0 - Cam Rafinski (10)

#2S - Ethan Lapp - 6-0, 6-1 - Max White (11)

#3S - Jacob Gonsalves - 6-0, 6-0 - Michael Deranek (11)

#1D - Simon Hurst/Brandon Nguyen - 6-1, 6-0 - Dominic Rafinski (10)/Josh Bussan (9)

#2D - Jackson King/Lane Miller - 6-2, 6-0 - Evan Korath (11)/Kenny Klimek (11)

Junior Varsity

#1SJV - Daniel Robles - 8-2 - Jonah Davey (12)

#1DJV - Dustin Miller/Jonathon Yousey - 8-1 - Son Kim (11)/Alex Berta (10)

#2DJV - Paul Krabill/Braydon Harshberger - 4-6 - Aaron Jackson (10)/Caleb Suarez (9)

Letters from Mishawaka Marian

Dear Team,
Let's call it a winning night, okay? We were leading at all positions when the rain struck. Then we went on to have a blast eating hamburgers and brats, downing cake and homemade ice cream. That sounds like a winning night.

As far as our play went, you are continuing to impress me. Byeong was a mere six points from victory after playing only 21 minutes. The rest of us had put our 21 minutes to good use too, as we were leading by a set at 4 of the 5 positions (and Jesse was up big, but not finished, with his 1st set). This wouldn't have happened at the beginning of the season. We are learning to take care of our mental preparation and go out and play the way we want to play.

That sounds like winning also. So we'll call it a winning night.

Dear Seniors,
You are an outstanding group of young men. In choosing my words about you, I was inspired by the fruits of the Holy Spirit that I see so strongly in your lives. You are men of patience, goodness, faithfulness, peace and joy (and more - those were just the ones I identified). And I say this with all sincerity despite it's sappiness... I love you all. Thanks for diving in to this group of guys, and giving it your all. Can't wait to finish this season out in joy with you!

Dear Parents,
I was overwhelmed by your help last night. Decorating the courts, hanging banners, dumping straw down for my coaching area, putting up new scorecards, cooking dinner, preparing senior gifts... I was so surprised and humbled that I don't think I probably said enough to thank you. Many of your kind words were also appreciated. You do much more than is necessary, but you help make the tennis team excellent with that extra work. We couldn't be who we are without all of you.




Dear God,
In the difficulties of rain outs and rushing around to make things work, it's easy to get hassled and harried and upset. And then aim that frustration at You. Thank You for reminding us that You are actually our place of rest. Last night, the tennis got canceled but the more important thing went on: Our celebration of how You are forming us into Your character. You are at work in the lives of this team, help us to see it and to follow You. Amen.

Moment of Sheer Beauty
Only 5 matches got onto the courts last night, so less choices would seemingly make it easy on me. However, we were playing so well last night that I didn't get to see a lot of long points, the ones that often stick in my mind. But for a beautiful player, we need to look no further than Byeong Min Lim. His serves last night we things of beauty, curving down suddenly into the box and slicing into the body of his opponent. Time after time Byeong won quick service games as his serves forced early errors or short balls that he came and finished. It nice to see him play so smoothly, though I wish he could have finished the last six points!

Moment of Savage Beauty
Ethan Lapp has been playing great. I just don't know that we'd always call it savage. This is the part of his game that will continue to grow as he gets more matches at varsity singles. But tonight, I began to see him end points emphatically more often. In the first game of the match, with Ryan serving, the Bruins saw the score go to deuce several times. We looked a little tight, starting the match, and I didn't want to see this game go the wrong way. After an error from the Knights, we had the advantage and Ethan got a backhand overhead in the next point. Swinging with authority, he slapped the backhand between the Knight players and into the hitting wall to seal the close game for the Bruins. There was never really another close game after that.

SCORES

Varsity
#1S - Jesse Amstutz - 4-2 - David Hicks (12)
#2S - Byeong Min Lim - 6-1, 4-0 - Sam Cressey (12)
#3S - Sol Brenneman - 6-1, 1-0 - Max White (10)
#1D - Hans Miller/Simon Hurst - 6-0, 1-0 - Zac Ericson (12)/Cameron Rafinski (9)
#2D - Ryan Duckworth/Ethan Lapp - 6-0, 1-0 - Domonik Rafinski (9)/Evan Kovatch (10)