Growing in Wisdom - Wabash Invitational

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Varsity Recap

On a September Saturday, we arrived in Wabash, Indiana, grateful that no rain was in the forecast. Instead, we had two matches to play, for a chance at another trophy. First we would play the Marion Giants, a team we were supposed to face last year before we got rained out.

And the match got started right at noon. We took early leads at all the positions. Gideon was strong on serve, and came forward really well in the match.Judah had too much consistency for his opponent, as did Ethan when he was moving and hitting well. Once #1D was able to focus and be present for their match, they had too much power and net presence for their opponents. They also began to serve aces.

We got through these matches relatively quickly, and then opened up court space for a #2D. They continued their excellent form against inexperienced opponents. In fact, the whole team did a great job with this.

By staying focused and taking care of the simple things, we secured a 5-0 victory. That 5-0 victory meant that our match against Wabash would decide the winner of the tournament. Wabash had a strong top of the lineup this season.

For the year, their number one and number two singles had only lost six times combined. That matched the top of our lineup, and it looked like we'd have close matches there. And it started out that way, with Gideon pulling ahead but in very close games, and Judah falling behind 3-0.

But suddenly a switch flipped for both of them, and their play accelerated. Gideon just continued to pull away, and the games didn't stay close anymore. Gid's baseline game was too solid, which allowed him to take chances on midcourt balls. Gideon ran away with the second set, winning 6-1, 6-0. 

Judah found new energy and consistency, forcing his opponent deep, and then into making errors. From 3-0 down, Judah won 12 of the next 13 games to win.

With those two wins, we needed one more position to win the tournament. But we got three more. Ethan breezed through his match, dropping only two games. He continues to work his way into matches, and then ends up playing his best tennis towards the end of the matches. 

Malachi and Isaiah had opponents who stayed at the back of the court, which gave the net to our number one Dubs. We were happy to take it, and finish points easily. This match saw Malachi and Isaiah really find their stride with ground soaks, and really consolidate their serves as well. 

And Dom and Aaron wrapped things up for us, again with good serves and intimidating presence at the net. It was so much fun to watch our players succeed against new and different competition today.

It's a reminder of where our program stacks up against many other schools across the state. After the victory, it was trophy time. And then, time for a victory song as we drove home.

Let's go Bruins!

Awards

Cheerleader: Sam

Hustle: Gideon

Dig Deep: Judah

Scores

Varsity v. Marion

#1S - Gideon Miller - 6-0, 6-2 - Adam Lord (11)

#2S - Judah Miller - 6-1, 6-0 - Nick Smith (11)

#3S - Ethan Claassen - 6-2, 6-0 - Landon Beal (9)

#1D - Malachi Yoder/Isaya Magatti - 6-2, 6-2 - Gabe Clark (12)/Adam Elarnaouty (10)

#2D -  Dom Ramer/Aaron Hochstetler - 6-1, 6-0 - Logan Higginbotham (9)/Peter Lomagistro (9)

Varsity v. Wabash 

#1S - Gideon Miller - 6-1, 6-0 - Eli Mattern (12)

#2S - Judah Miller - 6-3, 6-1 - Cooper Long (12)

#3S - Ethan Claassen - 6-2, 6-0 - Dylan Pence (12)

#1D - Malachi Yoder/Isaya Magatti - 6-1, 6-1 - Karson Mckenzie (11)/T.J. Tracy (11)

#2D - Dom Ramer/Aaron Hochstetler - 6-0, 6-0 - Reed Wiles (9)/Eli Dafoe (9)

Match Reports # 17 & 18: Wabash Invitational

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Varsity

What a great weekend it was. The rain went away just in time to start our drive down to Wabash, a beautiful drive through rural Indiana that I enjoy every season. There always seems to be a crispness, a newness, to the air and temperature when we arrive at this tournament each season. It's also a tournament that I've traditionally been able to bring some of my sons to. And so that all adds up to really enjoyable days!

Unfortunately, one of the teams scheduled to compete had to pull out of the tournament at the last minute. So instead of three matches we only got to play two. But those two matches were great. We were able to defeat both Wabash and South Adams 5-0 and win the tournament! But more than trophies, each player of our varsity roster was presented with a challenge, a growth moment, somewhere in their matches. And it was good for them to face those and see how they could overcome or learn from them. 

At #1S, Cameron was presented with the challenge of finishing things off. Sometimes in close matches, the hardest thing to do is finish. Finish points, finish games, finish the match with a win. For Cameron, his first match started out a breeze. He won the first set 6-0 and was playing really well. In the second set, his opponent through everything he had into the match. The Wabash player served with much higher accuracy and aggression. Behind this he began to attack.  The Wabash #1 took the early lead in the second set, 2-1, and Cameron had to win a 12 minute epic fourth game to keep the lead from growing to 3-1. When Cameron tied it at 2-2, it seemed as if he would breeze to the match victory. He went up 5-2, but his opponent dug in again. Going for broke, he forced Cameron onto the defensive, and Cam lost two straight games to make it 5-4. Now, Cameron had to finish under pressure. It was a nervy next game, because Cameron couldn't just dink the ball in and hope for errors, he had to stay aggressive. But the close scoreline made aggressive shots even more scary to swing for. Cameron was able to swing through and finish. 

This knowledge served him so well in his next match. Against South Adams, Cameron fought out a tight first set, pulling away at the end to win 6-4. But in the second set, he finished with aggression. Cameron controlled the points and just kept on taking his chances. He had learned from his first match and the challenge it provided.

For Noah, his challenge was different. His matches were not close, so they didn't provide that nervous energy. But he was playing inexperienced players who were emotionally all over the place during the match. One of the under-talked-about aspects of tennis is the emotion side. You deal with your own emotions but also have to deal with those of your opponent. Noah's opponents were alternately frustrated, angry, surrendering, listless, or motivated. This roller coaster was one that Noah needed to navigate with grace. The matches were an opportunity to play hard, stay focused and still have love for these opposing teams who were competing hard. This was a good challenge for Noah to rise to.

Ethan's challenges to navigate were the disruptive strokes of his first opponent and some difficult line calls. In tennis, there are always times that you think you've struck a ball in and your opponent calls it out. Sometimes it is a mistake your opponent has made, sometimes you just didn't see the ball clearly and it was really out, and you are the one who is mistaken. Either way, you can't change the call and you just have to play the next point. You have to find a way to refocus, be positive and give your opponent the benefit of the doubt. Ethan also had to find a way to stay in his rhythm despite his opponents playing with a very different pace and arc to their shots. This is a good challenge that Ethan made progress on today, along with playing some great tennis.

#1D was asked the question of how to regain rhythm when it has fallen away. In their second match against a talented South Adams team, Austin and Matthew took a large lead in the first set. They were playing and serving and volleying brilliantly. But suddenly, that kind of left them. They were tentative, or out of position, or their aggressive shots would fly long... just a little off. And suddenly the Starfires began to creep back into the match. Going from a lead of 5-1 to 5-4, #1D was able to grab the set, but then the out of rhythm play began again. Down 3-1, they rediscovered some confidence. And the whole match changed. They didn't lose another game as they clicked back into gear. Now that they've seen this transformation take place, now that they've refound their rhythm mid-match, they know they can do it again.

#2D had a similar thing take place. Breece and Jacob were high energy all day, provided cheers and vocal encouragement for each other and for the team. This is great, because high energy is when they play their best! But at the beginning of their fourth set of the day, their movement and energy dipped. Their opponents found some energy and put together a great couple of games to make the set really close. After winning sets easily most of the day, Breece and Jacob found themself in a tight set, up 4-3. We didn't want to go to a tiebreak, so it was imperative that we find some energy again. And in a great service game from Jacob, Breece moved all over the net and met the challenge.

We weren't perfect in meeting the obstacles through the day. We never are. But I was so glad to see us working through them. I was so glad that Judah got to be part of the day, watching these guys grow, encourage, and then celebrate together. They challenges made the trophy even more sweet. Proud of this team and what we've accomplished through the year! And this day was so much fun!

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 :-)

Noah's topspin finishers

In Noah's first match, Noah was his consistent self and that was too much for his opponent. The same was true in his second match. But we've continued to work through the year on adding weapons to the consistency - weapons that can be unveiled in big points or big moments for big effects. In both of his matches, Noah was able to bring out these weapons on match point, finishing the matches with one simple shot.

Austin's out wide ace to begin his match

From finishing matches to beginning them, Austin started his first service game of the final with a huge ace, swung way outside to his opponent's forehand. This statement of good service had an impact on the whole match, as his opponent knew he had to get out wide and cover it. This allowed Austin to serve into the backhand and into the body the whole match. Plus, aces are always fun!

Jacob's scrambled net cord winner

And sometimes, beautiful moments and just pure luck. In #2D, Breece hit a volley out wide that forced his opponent to make an adjustment on the run. His opponent switched hands, normally right-handed, his opponent flicked the ball with his left hand for a lob right over Breece and into the backhand corner. Jacob was moving quickly, but couldn't get a clean hit on the ball. With a flick of the wrist, the ball looked like it would barely get over the net, and be slammed down if it did. Instead, it clipped the top of the net and bounced sideways, squirming away from the opponent who had been poised to cover it. It was completely lucky, but still a point that was produced by hustle. Hustle sometimes gets rewarded in these weird ways.

Cameron's passing shots

All day, Cameron's opponents seemed to decide that attacking the net was the way to beat him. But Cameron's passing shots were so nice all day. He was able to find angles, lobs, and spots that just kept his opponents having to come up with difficult volleys. These shots also gave us winners to cheer for, which...

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.

The team cheering for Cameron

At the end of the day, there was only one match left on the courts. It was late, we had secured the victory and many wanted to go home. But instead of losing attention, the team gathered under the pavilion at the end of the courts and cheered Cameron on to his final victory. It was a great win for Cameron, important for him to pull one out that he knew that he could. And the team continued to give him energy or his good shots. It grew and grew as the match continued. I love watching the encouragement grow.

Moment of Intention

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

Lord God, as we come to the end of the regular season, I am so glad for this team to have another day of victory. It has been amazing to watch this team grow. It has been amazing to see the way they have continued to believe in the building up of one another. It is amazing all You have done. Thank You that we can play from a place of security within Your love. May we give that blessing to others as well. Amen.

Scores

Bethany Christian 5, Wabash 0

#1S - Cameron Heinisch - 6-0, 6-4 - Ewing (11)

#2S - Noah Schrock - 6-0, 6-0 - Baker (9)

#3S - Ethan Pairitz - 6-2, 6-1 - Sellers (9)

#1D - Austin Shenk/Matthew Dyck - 6-1, 6-2 - Dinkins (10)/Spalding (9)

#2D - Jacob Leininger/Breece Erickson - 6-1, 6-2 - Harner (11)/Coffman (9)

Bethany Christian 5, South Adams 0

#1S - Cameron Heinisch - 6-4, 6-1 - Connor Hyman 

#2S - Noah Schrock - 6-0, 6-0 - Brayden Grandlinard

#3S - Ethan Pairitz - 6-1, 6-0 - Dulce Sabio

#1D - Austin Shenk/Matthew Dyck - 6-4, 6-3 - Camden Hyman/Alec Neuenschwander

#2D - Jacob Leininger/Breece Erickson - 6-1, 6-3 - Caleb Selking/Will Mawhorr

Wabash Invitational Match Report

Photos: Click Here

MATCH REPORT
There's lots that I could report about this match. I could give the play by play of each match, could talk about my kids running around during the day, could say all the things that I appreciate and all the things that got on my nerves. But instead, let's make this short.

It all came down to the Wabash match for who would win this tournament, and while we started out strong and were given the opportunity to win - we seemed to see that opportunity as something to fear. So instead of closing out a couple of close matches, we lost 3-2.

Which meant that our last match was a little dicey, because Wabash had only beaten Eastern by a score of 3-2. What was really important about the day is how we would respond. And we responded so well. Liam bounced back from his defeat in the Wabash match with a very controlled 6-2, 6-2 victory. Caleb fought off his disappointment to play a dominating match, winning a close set 6-4 before turning on the jets and winning 6-0 in the second. And #1D, after having lost in a 10 point tiebreak, redeemed themselves in the Eastern match. They went down 2-7 in the 10 point tiebreak, looking like they were headed to another loss. But Nathan and Jonah decided they were not going to lose, and reeled off 8 of the next 9 points to win the third set 10-8. Their demeanor, their belief, everything changed.

And Philip at #3S, Tyson and Will at #2D, they performed really well in getting 3 victories on the day. As we ended our regular season at 9-10, we have improved with 2 more victories than last season. Every position on our team has around a .500 record, and is playing their best heading into the end of the year. That's a really fun place to be.

IT WAS ENOUGH
It was enough to see your response. To see you come back from the disappointment of Wabash with a new energy and new belief. It is amazing how much our attitude and belief has to do with how we move and how we play. It was most evident in #1D, but I have seen it everywhere throughout the season. It was enough to see you return to what you wanted to do.

YOU ARE BROTHERS
You are brothers. I love this tournament because it is always such a chill environment. I love Portage because it's big, complex, and teaches you to work through matches with your partner or to motivate yourself. I love Wabash because it is intimate, the matches are close by each other, the courts are shaded by trees, it's often cold... all these things that make me want to snuggle up with my coffee and watch you guys compete. And you did. And then you sat around and laughed at the picnic tables. You gave energy to #1D as they completed their comeback. You understood what it takes to win. I love you guys. You are brothers.

I AM GRATEFUL
I am grateful for...
- the ways I saw us play at our best.
- a wonderful weather day to coach and play in.
- my kids ability to be around you players.
- the vocal support the team lent to each other in this match.
- so many more things that I can't write them all...

A PRAYER
God, it's been a great regular season. I give all credit to You for keeping us free of injury and helping us work together as different people pursuing faith and tennis. As we head into the end of the season, God, grant us freedom and lightness. Not to come down hard on ourselves but to know that where we are is enough, because we are Your children, and You've given us a lot of wonderful gifts this season. Thanks, in Jesus name, amen.

SCORES
Round 1 - v. Taylor
#1S - Liam Bradford - 6-1, 6-2 - Ethan Klepinger (10)
#2S - Caleb Shenk - 6-1, 6-1 - Casey Switzer (12)
#3S - Philip Krabill - 6-1, 6-0 - Evan Fleek (9)
#1D - Nathan Oostland/Jonah Farran - 6-0, 6-1 - BJ Pemberton (12)/Kendall Lanning (10)
#2D - Will Nisley/Tyson Miller - Forfeited by Taylor

Round 2 - v. Wabash
#1S - Liam Bradford - 2-6, 2-6 - Rob Ford (11)
#2S - Caleb Shenk - 6-4, 1-6, (5-10) - Alex Driscoll (12)
#3S - Philip Krabill - 6-0, 6-0 - R.J. Steig (10)
#1D - Nathan Oostland/Jonah Farran - 6-4, 1-6, (6-10) - Asif Khan (11)/Jonah France (11)
#2D - Will Nisley/Tyson Miller - 6-0, 6-2 - Gage Ballard (12)/Logan Lutterall (10)

Round 2 - v. Eastern
#1S - Liam Bradford - 6-2, 6-2 - Matt Harrison (11)
#2S - Caleb Shenk - 6-4, 6-0 - Lukas Darling (11)
#3S - Philip Krabill - 6-0, 6-0 - Sam Salkie (11)
#1D - Nathan Oostland/Jonah Farran - 3-6, 6-2, (10-8) - Josh Rush (11)/Caleb Newhouse (12)
#2D - Will Nisley/Tyson Miller - 6-3, 6-3 - Andrew Hartman (11)/Nolan Lapp (11)

Climbing Report 16: Wabash Invitational

Match Report
What a crazy day.

Three close matches ended up in two wins, but it didn't always look likely to happen. In fact, in each match of the day, it looked like things could go either for a win or for a loss.

But what I liked most about the day is that we are really learning to respond well. At the end of the season, it's good to see us rise up to take on challenges.

In the first match against Taylor, our biggest challenge was against ourselves. It became clear early in this match that we would be able to win the doubles matches fairly easily. Dustin, Nathan, Jonah and Philip all played nice matches and the two teams won. That meant we only needed to win one singles position. But Taylor throughout the year has had strong singles lineups, and so winning just one position would still be difficult.

In fact, it ended up all coming down to Jonathon's match. A match that he had lost the first set 6-1. A match that was close in the second set. Jonathon knew what he needed to do, all he had to figure out was whether he had the confidence to execute it. He had to hit the ball deep and confidently approach the net. And so, he did. In the second set he kept piling on the pressure, and slowly he began to win points and then games and build momentum. He also kept his energy up by vocalizing it with positive encouragement for himself. He won the second set and headed into the 3rd set 10 point tiebreak, which would decide the team match as we were tied at 2-2.

In the tiebreak, Jonathon started out well and built a 8-3 lead. After he lost a point, he had an overhead to make the score 9-4, but he hit the net. Credit to Jonathon, he honestly told his opponent and the score was 8-5. It looked like it might get close again. But Jonathon reattacked and won the final two points to seal the first match for us.

So we moved into the second match at 1-0 on the day, and faced up against Wabash, the hosts, who had also won their first match. This match was a 3-2 win for Wabash, but the interesting thing is that even though the score seems close, none of the matches were particularly close or particularly intense. There were still great things about it... like Braden Bohn's first varsity win, or Dustin and Jonathon decisive turn in their match where they ran off 7 straight games to seal their win, or even Liam's change in attitude. But all in all, it wasn't the most dramatic match. Perhaps that was because of the 90 degree heat draining us all as we played on the courts in the sun :-)

But we headed back to the shade for our last match, and played against an Eastern team whose lineup could give us some problems. Their strength lay in their singles lineup, with their #1S and #2S both being very competitive players. Once again, we started off well by winning both doubles. But with both #1S and #2S losing their first sets, it looked like the match would come down to Braden Bohn, playing at #3S.

It's worth mentioning the discipline and focus that both doubles teams played with. Eastern had one doubles player who hit an unorthodox underhand serve, and strokes like that can make it hard to stay focused. But Dustin and Jonathon used a lot of positive energy to ensure their win. At #2D, the Comets were trying to hit the ball hard much of the time. This can be intimidating. But Jonah and Nathan stayed calm and made good solid strokes and volleys.

But the thing that was amazing in this match ended up being Liam Bradford. After difficulty earlier in the day, Liam played a very positive match. He stayed under control, didn't hit his foot, and after losing a close first set, he ended up being in control of the rest of the match. There were even several times where he let loose with a fist pump :-) His game followed his attitude and he played some of the best tennis I've seen from him. He won the second set 6-1 and then the tiebreak at 10-4 to seal the second win of the day for the Bruins and 2nd place in the tourney.

Braden Bohn followed that up with his 2nd win, and we ended up with a 4-1 victory over Eastern. Not a bad day for the Bruins. One in which we learned a lot, one that hopefully serves as a turning point for several players and one that sends our seniors out of their regular season with 3 straight great victories!

Climbing Up (A Prayer)
Lord, we are thankful. Today, You taught me about grace. Often, You give me gifts that I don't deserve. I have been given opportunities to raise wonderful children, to coach gifted athletes, to work at a caring school. And I still make the mistakes of being lazy, neglectful, hurtful, or saying the wrong thing at exactly the wrong time. But You are love. And that means that You are patient and kind. Thanks. Continue to show us how gritty You are :-)

Scores
v. Taylor
#1S - Jonathon Yousey - 1-6, 6-3, 10-5 - Bailey Owens (12)
#2S - Liam Bradford - 6-2, 6-7 (4), forfeit - Peyton Tray (12)
#3S - Jacob Woolace - 1-6, 2-6 - Wynn Takacs (12)
#1D - Dustin Miller/Nathan Oostland - 6-0, 6-0 - Jacob Doty (12)/Casey Switzer (11)
#2D - Jonah Farran/Philip Krabill - 6-2, 6-1 - B.J. Pemberton (11)/Kendall Lanning (9)

v. Wabash
#1S - Liam Bradford - 1-6, 3-6 - Rob Ford (10)
#2S - Jacob Woolace - 1-6, 1-6 - Luke Mattern (12)
#3S - Braden Bohn - 6-1, 6-2 - Gage Ballard (11)
#1D - Dustin Miller/Jonathon Yousey - 6-4, 6-0 - Matt Stein (12)/Alex Driscoll (11)
#2D - Jonah Farran/Nathan Oostland - 2-6, 0-6 - Asif Khan (10)/Jonah France (10)

v. Eastern
#1S - Liam Bradford - 3-6, 6-1, 10-4 - Isaac Beachey (12)
#2S - Jacob Woolace - 1-6, 2-6 - Matt Harrison (10)
#3S - Braden Bohn - 6-4, 6-0 - Lukas Darling (10)
#1D - Dustin Miller/Jonathon Yousey - 6-2, 6-2 - Manny Moreno (12)/John Rush (10)
#2D - Jonah Farran/Nathan Oostland - 6-1, 6-0 - Caleb Newhouse (11)/Andrew Hartman (10)

Big Words from Wabash

"CONTENT"

What a fun day. Thank God for a wonderful group of guys to spend a Saturday with. Yes, we won this tournament. And so it makes it easy for me to say that this was a good day. But I enjoyed watching guys work through the bits of difficulty the day put in their way. I enjoyed the relaxed confidence in which people played their matches. No one panicked, no one complained, we just played.

Two years ago, I was reading a Eugene Peterson book. He suggested that the real way to go through life is "playing and praying." It is a relaxed way of sorting through life, praying through the difficult things and playing through the beautiful. But it is a freeing statement too, there's no worry in it. There's no fear. There's no anger. 

Saturday's tournament felt this way to me. I was either praying or playing. The moments of play were awesome - watching Brandon sprawl across the doubles alley to drop volley an Eastern player's best forehand, cheering Simon as he spiked an overhead to secure match point, bouncing on the bus to "Sarasponda." And the moments of prayer helped me keep perspective - prayers for us let go of anger, prayers for energy, prayers for protection, prayers for confidence, prayers for our team to be filled with the Spirit's fruit. Prayers for God's will - for Christ character to be forming in us.

The other thing I love about the idea of praying and playing - they are in progress. They are present tense verbs. And so I plan to keep right on praying and playing until the end of the season!

Enjoy some pictures! Read the scores! Pray and play wherever you are today!

 

Scores
vs. Taylor
#1S - Byeong Min Lim - 6-3, 6-0 - Bailey Owens (11)
#2S - Jonathon Yousey - 6-4, 6-3 - Preston Pearce (11)
#3S - Lucas Brownsberger-Keyes - 6-0, 6-0 - Jakub Hvizdos (12)
#1D - Simon Hurst/Brandon Nguyen - 6-2, 6-2 - Wynn Takacs (11)/Peyton Tracy (11)
#2D - Lane Miller/Dustin Miller - 6-1, 6-1 - Quentin Inman (10)/B.J. Pemberton (10)

vs. Wabash
#1S - Byeong Min Lim - 6-0, 6-0 - Luke Mattern (11)
#2S - Jonathon Yousey - 6-7 (1), 2-6 - Rob Ford (9)
#3S - Lucas Brownsberger-Keyes - 5-7, 2-6 - Alex Driscoll (10)
#1D - Simon Hurst/Brandon Nguyen - 6-2, 6-1 - Cal Stone (12)/Asif Khan (9)
#2D - Lane Miller/Dustin Miller - 6-1, 6-0 - Matt Stein (11)/Ayden Kochar (11)

vs. Eastern
#1S - Byeong Min Lim - 6-2, 6-1 - Ryan Manfred (12)
#2S - Jonathon Yousey - 2-6, 2-6 - Isaac Beachey (11)
#3S - Lucas Brownsberger-Keyes - 6-2, 6-0 - Manny Moreno (11)
#1D - Simon Hurst/Brandon Nguyen - 6-1, 6-0 -Zach Cowart (12)/Evan Kozienski (12)
#2D - Lane Miller/Dustin Miller - 6-2, 6-1 - Matt Harrison (9)/Caleb Newhouse (12)

Prayers from Wabash

Match Description
This was a day that kept seeing our play get better and better as the day went on. At basically every position, we got our games going the longer we played. Unfortunately, we played the best team of the day in the first round. So, this meant a 2nd place finish for the Bruins at the Wabash Invitational.

Taylor defeated us 4-1 in the first round. They are an excellent team, and they beat us at our 2 biggest positions of strength from our season, #1 doubles and #1 singles. Both of those matches were classic battles, #1D split sets and was decided in the third set tiebreak while #1S also included a tiebreak, but didn't reach the third set. Our guys played well in stretches, but Taylor's top positions seemed perfectly suited to put the pressure on our guys. Byeong played seemingly thousands of good shots, but they always seemed to come back to him. Brandon and Simon played very few poor shots, but their opponents anticipated very well, and cut off many shots at the net. In the end, these tendencies ended us in losses.

Ethan Lapp began his perfect day with his easiest match. He stroked the ball deep into the court, hit behind his opponent and overall played a super match. He continued his streaking ways throughout the day, beating all three of his opponents. He has now won 11 of his last 13 matches, and continues to gain confidence going through the season. His play was beautiful to behold on the day. In this first match, he gave us our only point.

At the other positions, we played close matches but couldn't keep our confidence going through the matches. Jackson and Lane at #2 doubles took an early first set lead, but then couldn't stay consistent. They got the match into the first set tiebreak... but couldn't finish it out. Then the couldn't stay positive and lost the second. Jacob stayed confident on his serve throughout his match, but was unable to find the break of serve he needed. So it was a 4-1 loss for our team.

In round 2, we started out tight, probably still feeling disappointment from the first match. Ethan led us out again and took his first set before anyone else even got on the courts. Then Jacob and #2 doubles got started, but neither of those started out well. At one point, we were trailing in the second set of Ethan's match, in #3S and in #2D. It looked like this match might be trouble.

But then we relaxed and started playing the points like we wanted to play them. The biggest reason for that was that Lane got on fire. He all the sudden was an intimidating and consistent force in his match. He has pounded balls at opposing net players, running down lobs. This helped Jackson get his groundstrokes going, and when their first set went to a tiebreak, they took a big lead and never looked back.

By the time #1 doubles and #1 singles hit the courts, things looked a lot better. Ethan had won, #2D had won, and both #1D and #1S took their first sets 6-0. The team finally relaxed, and as we sat together watching the end of these 2nd round matches, it was obvious that the day was becoming fun. We got some snacks from the Lapps, we started to laugh and we watched the third round begin.

The third round was over fairly quickly. #1 doubles and #1 singles quickly finished off their matches and #2 doubles looked well on their way. Ethan at #2 singles won the first set quickly but then had to hold it together to win the tiebreak. Still, those wins put us at 4-0. Lane and Jackson played some of their best tennis of the year against a passive #2 doubles from Eastern. Byeong, Simon and Brandon just did what they needed to in order to take care of business.

We left this tournament feeling good about where our tennis was at. But even better, I think we left feeling good about each other. There's just something about hanging out together, eating together, cheering together that makes the season seem worth it all. And that something is the togetherness. As we wrapped up our regular season, it was good to look around and see who we'd accomplished it with.

Prayers

for our team
May our team togetherness breed confidence. May it push us toward You. God, You are the source of all of our relationships. Bring us to You. In the name of Jesus we pray!

Scores
Round 1 - Taylor
#1S - Byeong Min Lim - 5-7, 6-7 (5) - Camden Kimbler (12)
#2S - Ethan Lapp - 6-0, 6-2 - Colton Kimbler (10)
#3S - Jacob Gonsalves - 4-6, 4-6 - Bailey Ownes (10)
#1D - Simon Hurst/Brandon Nguyen - 4-6, 6-4, (8-10) - Cole Schroeder (12)/Connor Leicht (12)
#2D - Lane Miller/Jackson King - 6-7 (5), 2-6 - Wynn Takacs (10)/Peyton Tracy (10)

Round 2 - Wabash
#1S - Byeong Min Lim - 6-0, 6-2 - Luke Mattern (10)
#2S - Ethan Lapp - 6-4, 7-5 - Taylor Vigar (12)
#3S - Jacob Gonsalves - 1-6, 0-6 - Alex Driscoll (9)
#1D - Simon Hurst/Brandon Nguyen - 6-0, 6-0 - Adam Driscoll (12)/Gage Miller
#2D - Lane Miller/Jackson King - 7-6 (2), 6-3 - Matthew Stein/Austin Black

Round 3 - Eastern
#1S - Byeong Min Lim - 6-2, 6-1 - Ryan Manfred
#2S - Ethan Lapp - 6-2, 7-6 (4) - Isaac Beachey
#3S - Jacob Gonsalves - 6-7 (4), 0-6 - Jacob Kinder
#1D - Simon Hurst/Brandon Nguyen - 6-1, 6-1 - Jake Hartman/Manny Moreno
#2D - Lane Miller/Jackson King - 6-1, 6-2 - Braden Evans/Trey Thomas

Letters from Wabash

BETHANY CHRISTIAN BRUINS - 2014 WABASH INVITATIONAL CHAMPIONS

Dear Team,
Thus ends our regular season. And it was a day where we all played well and experienced good success throughout. Typically this tournament is one where all the teams are close in their talent levels and performance levels. Scores are typically 3-2 or 4-1 at best. But this was the one year where our team was at a different level. The other teams had talent, but were mostly inexperienced. You performed with talent and experience and looked like a well-oiled team.

Each match was a different type of trial. Against Taylor, they were an athletic team that hit a lot of balls back in the court. This always presents a difficult challenge because it means that we have to stay confident and finish points. Early in the season, this type of match would have given us fits. But we've grown and stayed focused even when matches were tight early on. All the singles endured close first sets, but then widened the lead and finished confidently in the second set except #1S, which stayed close throughout. But even in that match, Jesse continued to learn about belief.

In the Wabash match, we encountered a team that was loose, playing for fun because they had nothing to lose. Sometimes that can make a team lose focus, but in this match we stayed calm, had fun, and finished the matches with as little drama as possible.

And in the Eastern match, we played against a team that was inconsistent. They hit amazing shots on one point, and then the next might hit it into the net. Often, this causes teams to get lazy and not play their own style of play, to just push the ball in and wait for a mistake. We didn't. We continued to attack, to stay on our toes.

Each team presented a different challenge, and each challenge we were able to meet. I was thankful for the team attitude and encouragement throughout. I was thankful for the high fives and the smiles throughout the day. We need to bring the joy that we give to each other to the next challenges as well! Great job champions!

Dear JV guys,
Thanks for your voices and encouragement and for coming along with us to this match. It's always good to have a couple of you come along and see that it's not so scary, what you are going to be doing next year. And it's good to have as many brothers around as we can. And yes, you do deserve to be there and celebrate the trophy with us. We do all these things together. Without you, we'd be missing a part of our team. You've pushed us, and practiced with us, and prayed with us. So thanks for coming and being positive!

Dear Jeff Miller (and other parents),
Congratulations, you get an award today! As nominated by Pat Duckworth, you get the "Servanthood Award" for being Landon's personal assistant and carrying around his chair and crutches all day. In reality, I'm so thankful to all the parents. The players were remarking how much better quality our food is than other teams, with stromboli, chocolate-chip banana bread and muffins, fruit and M&M bars. And your support is always beloved as well. Thanks for being a wonderful support group, for your sons and for our team.

Dear Sol,
You get the "Not Savage Moment of Beauty" for today. In playing your first match, you hit an excellent ball that forced your opponent back to the net where he got to the ball but hit it way up in the air and then slipped and fell down. You waited on the ball to come down and bounce, and then felt bad that he slipped and hit the ball right back to him. In giving him the extra time, he stood up, got back into the point and eventually won it. While you may not have won the point, and while in tennis we want to take advantage of things like this, I'm actually glad to see that your compassion towards people creeps through. That's better in the long run. And it is the long run that we are aiming for.

Dear God,
I could go on and on about the tennis played today. It was fun. I could go on and on about the beauty of the day, because the sun was shining and it was great. But my moment of beauty was really in the early mist of the morning, when I got up to pray. I've been praying much the same thing for my tennis brothers throughout the season, and this morning, I found that most of my prayers have been answered in clear ways. I pray now that you continue to fill us with confidence, goodness, and joy. Continue Your Spirit's work in our hearts, molding us more like You. Use tennis however You want to bring us closer and closer, revealing Your presence to us. Through Jesus we pray, amen.

Moment of Sheer Beauty
Our player of sheer beauty from the preseason, Hans Miller has had many moments worthy of the award again this season. But today I saw his smile return in a way that we hadn't seen in about a week. My favorite tennis expression of that was the way he used his forehand return in the match versus Eastern. When he would get a short serve, Hans would take aim either cross-court to set he and Simon up and the net or down-the-line to win the point outright. From the first game, I knew that this was going to be a good match when he hit the first ball hard at the net man for a volley error and the next ball Hans placed in the doubles alley for a passing shot. It great to see Hans doing what he does!

Moment of Savage Beauty
Ethan Lapp has come to own this part of tennis more and more as the season has progressed. Early in the year, he was more comfortable playing baseline tennis, playing very consistent singles. Then he was called on to play doubles. My prayer for him has been, since before the season, that he would become a confident contributor wherever he was called upon. Doubles requires that net presence, that attacking power. Ethan has developed that. Today we saw it in several ways. First, his serve. He's put more pop on his serve that slides low over the net. It's a true weapon that can set up lots of Ryan's super slams. Even better though have been his slams. Today, in the first match against Taylor, he had a net set up and put it toward the Titan net player. It was hit with such pace and force that he couldn't get out of the way, jumping straight up into the air. As he tried to get out of the way, Ethan's slam pegged his foot. He wasn't hurt. It wasn't vicious. But it was the right play and executed with power.

SCORES

Bethany Christian 4, Taylor 1
#1S - Jesse Amstutz - 4-6, 4-6 - Camden Kimbler (11)
#2S - Byeong Min Lim - 6-3, 6-1 - Cole Schroder (11)
#3S - Sol Brenneman - 6-2, 6-3 - Bailey Owens (9)
#1D - Hans Miller/Simon Hurst - 6-1, 6-3 - Conner Leicht (11)/Wynn Takacs (9)
#2D - Ryan Duckworth/Ethan Lapp - 6-1, 6-1 - Colton Kimbler (9)/Peyton Tracy (9)

Bethany Christian 5, Wabash 0
#1S - Jesse Amstutz - 6-1, 6-1 - Kody Fuller (12)
#2S - Byeong Min Lim - 6-1, 6-1 - Taylor Vigar (11)
#3S - Sol Brenneman - 6-2, 6-2 - Luke Mattern (9)
#1D - Hans Miller/Simon Hurst - 6-2, 6-0 - Aaron Hartley (12)/Cal Stone (10)
#2D - Ryan Duckworth/Ethan Lapp - 6-0, 6-1 - Adam Driscoll (11)/Aidan Benysh (9)

Bethany Christian 5, Eastern 0
#1S - Jesse Amstutz - 6-0, 6-1 - Ryan Manfred
#2S - Byeong Min Lim - 6-1, 6-1 - Daniel Pugh
#3S - Sol Brenneman - 6-1, 6-0 - Isaac Beachey
#1D - Hans Miller/Simon Hurst - 6-1, 6-0 - Jacob Kinder/Jake Hartman
#2D - Ryan Duckworth/Ethan Lapp - 6-1, 6-1 - Sam Rocchio/Manny Moreno

Chapter 19 - Wabash Invitational

"I like this tournament the best," said Abe Thorne, "because we get to be with the team all day."

At the Merrillville varsity tournament, singles players play at one site while the doubles players play down the road. It makes the tournament go faster, but the team experience is quite different. It's not as unified. I echo what Abe said. A lot of memories are made when we get to hang out together. The majority of the team nodded their agreement at Abe's statement.

What's even more awesome about this statement is that at the time Abe said it, we had won the tournament. I think it's a testament to this group of players that what they enjoy most is spending time together, playing together, and making memories together.

Coming into the tourney, I knew that this, once again, was an excellent collection of teams. Taylor was a conference champion for the second year running, going undefeated in their league. Wabash finished 2nd in their conference, with an 8-5 record on the year. Eastern was the weakest of the teams, sporting a respectable 7-10 record.

Again, we played Taylor first, and boy did we get a close match. Well, at least, the final score said 3-2. But in all honesty, the match didn't feel that close at all. Taylor won the first two matches off the courts, big wins at the #1 positions. Those had been their strengths all year, at #2 singles and #3 singles, we were playing quality opponents, but we were playing incredibly well. Sol especially had his game working in this round, hitting incredible shots like baseline overheads and leaving his opponent shaking his head. Finally, it all came down to #2 doubles, and Parth and Landon had a set advantage plus a 5-2 lead. But as Parth said, there's always got to be drama, so they faltered in finishing the set and soon it was tied 5-5. But they were able to break serve and hold Landon's serve to finish the match, as they showed continually improving nerves under pressure.

With that victory, we began play against Wabash. Sol and Abe started first, at #1 and #3 singles and both lost their first sets. It looked like we'd need all three of the other positions to win as they took the court. But enjoying their opportunity, all 3 of those other positions won with relative ease. In the meantime, Abe and Sol captured their second sets and played the third set tiebreakers. Sol won his in a close one 10-8. Abe, it wasn't so close. Abe won an unprecedented 10 straight points to win his tiebreaker 10-0. That's unheard of.

2 victories down, and we matched up against Taylor only needing this win to secure the championship. Abe won easily, overpowering his younger opponent. Jesse followed suit. Sol and #1 doubles quickly won their first sets. It looked like we'd have a 4-0 advantage and win before #2 doubles even began. But then both Sol and #1 doubles lost a little focus and had to regain their form. Things looked dicey as both matches tightened up and the Comets took the lead, while also winning the first set of #2 doubles. Luckily, Hans and Joel did the work and took the lead late in their match. Sol followed, and 10 seconds before Hans and Joel finished, Sol watched his opponent's shot fall wide to clinch the championship for us.

We hugged, ate some peanut butter sandwiches and watch #2 doubles finished. We took pictures biting the trophy and then carried the trophy to our table at Applebee's. We laughed about all the funny things of the day. Things like...

- Seth telling Abe to get his "swag" going during the second set comeback against Wabash.
- Parth crushing the ball at an Eastern doubles player, and the player catching it between his legs.
- Sol's ridiculous overheads and attacking against a Wabash player who had not lost at #3 singles.
- Hans angled slam after the ball barely got over the net, winning the match against Eastern.
- Sol's "granny shot" winner against Eastern, where he scooped the ball from between his feet for the winner.
- Landon's awesome slams throughout the day, running his opponent's into the fences.
- "Are you kitten me right meow?"
- The seniors getting back-to-back championships at this tournament.
- Great pictures of the event from our next great varsity players: Ryan Duckworth, Simon Hurst, Ethan Lapp and Byeong Min Lim.
- Singing "Sarasponda" with the trophy for a second year in a row as well.
- A rain-free tournament for the first time in years.
- Bringing our record up to 14-4 on the season.
- Jesse and Sol both finishing undefeated on the day.

And other great things. What a nice way to spend a Saturday!

Bethany Christian 3, Taylor 2
#1S - Abe Thorne - 1-6, 0-6 - Jack Lipchik (12)
#2S - Jesse Amstutz - 6-3, 6-1 - Cameron Kimbler (10)
#3S - Sol Brenneman - 6-2, 6-1 - Casey Glick (12)
#1D - Joel Gerig/Hans Miller - 3-6, 1-6 - Austin Douglass (12)/Cole Schroeder (10)
#2D - Parth Patel/Landon Weldy - 6-2, 7-5 - Conner Leicht (10)/Treavor Harris (10)

Bethany Christian 5, Wabash 0
#1S - Abe Thorne - 1-6, 6-1, 10-0 - JD Boone (12)
#2S - Jesse Amstutz - 6-2, 6-0 - Edward Dillard (12)
#3S - Sol Brenneman - 3-6, 6-3, 10-8 - Kory Fuller (11)
#1D - Joel Gerig/Hans Miller - 6-2, 6-1 - Thomas Grier (12)/Aaron Hartley (10)
#2D - Parth Patel/Landon Weldy - 6-1, 6-1 - Jalen Grier (12)/Taylor Vigar (10)

Bethany Christian 4, Eastern 1
#1S - Abe Thorne - 6-1, 6-1 - Ryan Manfred (9)
#2S - Jesse Amstutz - 6-2, 6-1 - Logan Colwell (12)
#3S - Sol Brenneman - 6-3, 6-4 - Robbie Walling (12)
#1D - Joel Gerig/Hans Miller - 6-2, 7-5 - Austin Chase (12)/Zach Walker (12)
#2D - Parth Patel/Landon Weldy - 3-6, 3-6 - Daniel Pugh (12)/Riley Haupert (11)

T #02 - Champions

It was cold, windy and threatening rain all throughout the tournament this morning and afternoon. It was a tournament that we were not favored to win. Entering the tourney, Wabash had only lost 1 duel match all season, and the same was true of Taylor.

But for all the outside circumstances, we were ready. We knew this was a chance for us to practice, to play in circumstances that would be a lot like our Sectional this coming week. We knew that we had practiced well and hard throughout the week leading up to this match. We knew that we had to focus and battle.

First Round - vs. Taylor
In the first match, we played Taylor. Turns out, we got a little bit of a break. Their regular #1 singles player, Nathan Gotshall, had to attend his sister's wedding. This forced Taylor into some lineup changes, but they were certainly a formidable team nonetheless. Nathan Brendle would faceoff against an undefeated #2 singles player, sophomore Jack Lipchik. Though he didn't know it at the time, Lipchik would go on to win his next two matches at the tournament, so he was definitely a talented opponent.

Taylor then split up their #1 doubles team to play #2 and #3 singles. These players had both played singles before, with Logan Barnes who was playing #2 slated to play singles during the Sectional and Regional series. At #3 singles was Drew Hansen, who had played #1 singles 2 years ago.

But we were ready to perform. Nathan played absolutely beautiful tennis. Playing long points with Lipchik, he worked him all around the court and breezed to an unbelievable 6-1, 6-0 victory. At #2 Abe couldn't seem to find the answers to Logan Barnes touch and placement. But at #3 singles, Ike attacked and counter-attacked with precision against Hansen. After a close first set, he piled it on in the 2nd set to pull away for our second win.

At #2 doubles, Joel and Hans eased to a victory over 2 players normally slated for the Taylor JV. At #1 doubles, Himal and Parth got off to a great start to the day. They attacked, stayed patient and played well under pressure. Despite cold and windy conditions, they came from behind in each set to get a two set victory.

The early round victory against Taylor set up a big match in the second round against Wabash. They had also won their first round, and so it looked like perhaps this match would decide 1st place for the tournament. I was really proud of the way we were ready to play, no matter the conditions or opponents.

Taylor Scores
#1S - Nathan Brendle - 6-1, 6-0 - Jack Lipchik
#2S - Abe Thorne - 2-6, 3-6 - Logan Barnes
#3S - Ike Lehman - 7-5, 6-1 - Drew Hansen
#1D - Himal King/Parth Patel - 7-6 (5), 6-3 - Austin Douglas/Casey Glick
#2D - Joel Gerig/Hans Miller - 6-2, 6-2 - Chris Cheeser/Camden Kindler

Second Round - vs. Wabash
In our second round, players went out onto the courts as their opponents were ready. Because their were only 7 courts in use in the first round, only #1 and #2 singles were ready quickly, while we waited on Wabash and Eastern first rounds #3 singles and doubles matches to finish. So Nathan and Abe got a quick start on the match.

And Abe got a quick finish. Playing junior Edward Dillard, a player who was 13-1 on the season, Abe couldn't get anything going. He tried to play with depth, and couldn't win a game. He tried to play with pace, and couldn't win a game. He tried to attack, and couldn't win a game. Dillard was great, playing with precision control.

Meanwhile, #1 singles was a great match as well. Apache senior David Driscoll had worked tirelessly during the off-season, and was a much improved player. Sporting a record of 12-2 on the year, he played out long points with Nathan and was in no mood to give away easy errors. This became especially true as the wind kicked up in the second set. While Nate had been aggressively taking points in the first, the wind seemed to make him more tentative. With Nate leading 4-1 in the second, Driscoll took 3 very consistent games to tie the score. Nate was able to hold serve, but couldn't get the break to win. Holding again, he became more aggressive, and built himself a love-40 lead in Driscoll's last service game. Two points later, the second round was tied 1-1.

And the doubles matches were just starting, but not in a way that looked good for us. It was clear that both matches would be close matches. While #1 doubles took a 3-2 lead, #2 doubles fell down 5-2 in the first set. Suddenly, #1 doubles couldn't find their volleys and they were trailing 5-4. In the course of the next 10 minutes, we found ourselves down a set at both positions.

Meanwhile, Ike got started in his #3 singles match. Looking for his second win of the day, he quickly took a 4-1 lead and looked like he would cruise to victory. That meant we needed to make a comeback at one of the doubles positions.

How about both of them? Early in second set, it looked like both teams had found their games. At #2 doubles, Joel and Hans actually began to dominate. Looking like the much better team, they began to attack the net and put away balls left and right. Adding to their good play was the frustration of the Wabash team. As the wind picked up more and more, the Apache team seemed to be more and more disrupted. Joel and Hans took all that momentum and wrapped up the second set, 6-2.

#1 doubles continued to play well in spurts, but the consistency wasn't there to take the lead in the set. While Joel and Hans entered the super tiebreak to decide their match, Himal and Parth were down 5-2.

In the tiebreak, Joel and Hans started out strong. They won the first 3 points, then took a 4-2 lead into the switch of sides. They quickly built that lead again, going up 7-3, then 8-4 at the next switch. The whole tiebreak was more of the same from the second set. They were simply the more aggressive team. They were finishing points and staying confident. With the lead at 9-4, they faltered for 2 points, but they were able to finish it with a Joel overhead. That gave our team the dramatic 2-1 lead.

Looking over at Ike's match, he had gone from 4-1 up in the first set to 4-1 up in the second set. He was easing through his match and getting little resistance. Soon we had our third point, while #1 doubles wrapped up their match. They made it interesting, as they took 2 games to pull within 5-4. Unfortunately, they couldn't pull it out. But the Bruins were 2-0 in the tourney, with wins over the best two teams in the tournament.

Soon, we learned that Taylor had defeated Eastern. That meant that no matter what happened in the last round, we would win the tournament. We had two wins already, and the best that Taylor or Wabash could do would be two wins. The first tiebreaker was head-to-head, and head-to-head, we beaten both teams. We were champions, but the only way it would be truly satisfying would be if we could pull out the last game. Then we'd feel like champions. It wouldn't be simple, we'd need to always focus...

Wabash Scores
#1S - Nathan Brendle - 6-1, 7-5 - David Driscoll
#2S - Abe Thorne - 0-6, 0-6 - Edward Dillard
#3S - Ike Lehman - 6-1, 6-1 - JD Boone
#1D - Himal King/Parth Patel - 4-6, 4-6 - Stephen Elits/Jack Stein
#2D - Joel Gerig/Hans Miller - 2-6, 6-2, (10-6) - Breyton Nealis/Kody Fuller

Third Round - vs. Eastern
While #1 and #2 doubles and Ike were finishing up their matches, Abe got started with our final match with Eastern. And it was a quick start. In the wind and growing sunshine, Abe took little time getting through his match. Before any of the final 3 Wabash matches were done, Abe got us a victory in the Eastern match.

As soon as Abe cleared off his court, Nate took his place. And in about the same small amount of time, Nate was coming off the court with his 20th win of the season. His opponent, Connor Young, tried to meet Nate's attacking style and hit several amazing shots for winners. But Young couldn't continue to win points with as much risk as was needed. Nate got an easy win, and the team was up 2-0 with only one more win needed.

After their exciting matches against Wabash, our final three positions went into the final matches very confident. The opponents that we had beaten from Wabash had defeated the Eastern players from the same positions, so we were pretty sure of victory. After all, we only needed one more position to win the match.

And Joel and Hans got up 3-0 in their first set, and it looked to be easy. Then they lost 6 straight games to lose the first set. And Ike, who had beaten Wabash 6-1, 6-1, didn't even get a game in the first set until he was down 5-0. He couldn't find the court with attacking balls and was a bit slow with his feet. His frustration level was growing as well.

And many of the team's were as well, as #1 doubles also lost their first set. To win the match we needed to get these matches to super tiebreaks, and win them.

Of course, to our credit on this day, we did. All three positions made second set comebacks and played their best tennis of the day. #1 doubles played especially well in attacking a #1 doubles team that was undefeated on the day. #2 doubles had to go to a tiebreak in the second set, but again they played their best under pressure. Ike stormed through his second set, and entered his tiebreak third set with a lot of confidence.

In fact, it was Ike who clinched the final match for us. After attacking through the second set, he went right into the tiebreak and took a 5-1 lead. Soon he was up 9-3 with 6 match points. It took him two to finish the match, but he pounded away the final overhead.

We went from cheering for Ike's tiebreak to cheering for Joel and Hans. Again, they attacked the net well under pressure and took a big lead in the final set tiebreak. In the end, they sealed their second tiebreak win of the day.

That gave us the 4-0 lead in the final match, and we went to watch Himal and Parth in their third set tiebreak. Despite playing one of their best matches of the season, Himal and Parth couldn't keep up the error free play in the final set.

But it was an awesome day for the Bruins! A trophy and lots of pictures were in store for us. Hopefully that was practice for Sectional week as well.

Eastern Scores
#1S - Nathan Brendle - 6-0, 6-1 - Connor Young
#2S - Abe Thorne - 6-1, 6-0 - Logan Colwell
#3S - Ike Lehman - 1-6, 6-1, (10-4) - Austin Chase
#1D - Himal King/Parth Patel - 3-6, 6-2, (6-10) - Joel Coffman/Josh Evenson
#2D - Joel Gerig/Hans Miller - 3-6, 7-6 (4), (10-6) - Robbie Walling/Zach Walker

Wabash Invitational Results

It seems that the moments that I am most proud of my team are also the moments in which we have the most disappointment. I wish that the mix could be different in this case, but after this tournament I was so proud to coach this group of guys. We worked hard, we played our best, played well under pressure and prepared ourselves for Sectional. Unfortunately, we lost a chance to win the whole tournament as well. But there were so many positives in what were some of our best played matches of the season.

We played our first match of the day against the Taylor Titans. Taylor is down near Kokomo, and on the season their team was 7-4. So this was a team that had a similar record to ours, and they gave us a really good match. They reminded me a lot of Triton, who we had barely beaten 3-2 earlier this season.

The Titans were young at their singles positions, but they have several players with a bright future. Junior #1 Matt Brankle played with a lot of heart, running down many of Seth's attacking shots with spot perfect lobs. But Seth controlled his frustration at the long points that he had to play and increased the velocity on his overheads and putaways and beat the counter-punching junior 6-3, 6-1.

The next two Titans were freshman, and Ben Mast played a great match against occasionally inconsistent Logan Barnes. Barnes had all the talent, but couldn't quite finish points against Ben. Ben used nice approaches and well-placed balls to frustrate Barnes and won in two good sets. Blake was less fortunate, as freshman Drew Hansen worked him back and forth across the court. Hansen was one of the better #3 singles players we've seen this season, and Blake stayed right with him in the first set. Blake simply was not able to stay attacking against Hansen, as his passing shot and lob kept Blake away from the net.

In doubles, Kyle and Austin played against lobbers. The Titans #1 doubles team was fast and accurate. They ran down almost all of Kyle and Austin's shots and put them up high into the air. Much like #1 singles, Austin and Kyle had to be ready to play longer points than they were used to. And they had to hit a lot of overheads. After some simple instructions as to where to hit their shots, the Bruins were able to stay aggressive and put pressure on. They finished the match out in two close sets over athletic opponents.

#2 doubles used this match as a launching point for a great day. They started out playing aggressive and well, attacking from the net and from the baseline and taking a 4-1 lead. Then, as has been the pattern much of the season, they let the Titans sneak back into the match. In a back-and-forth tense end to the first set, Russell and Nick lost in the first of many tiebreakers on the day. But they didn't get down. In what was a super important mental match, Russell and Nick stayed positive and attacked in the second set. We've been talking about how we respond to difficult situations, and Russell and Nick made me proud by their response in this match. They went back to attacking ways, hitting people on groundstrokes and cutting off volleys, and won the second set. Using the momentum they created, they entered the third set super-tiebreaker confident, and without much stress they won.

And so we won our first match 4-1, setting a good tone for the rest of the day. Most of the matches were close, and that prepared us for Sectional. What was awesome was that we were able to find success in these close matches, especially at the doubles positions over competent and experienced opponents. I was psyched to see us start on a good foot over a good team.

Scores

#1S - Seth Krabill - 6-3, 6-1 - Matt Brankle (11)
#2S - Ben Mast - 6-1, 6-1 - Logan Barnes (9)
#3S - Blake Shetler - 4-6, 1-6 - Drew Hansen (9)
#1D - Austin Loucks/Kyle Miller - 7-5, 6-4 - Matt Petty (12)/Reomey Northington (12)
#2D - Nick Rebec/Russell Klassen - 6-7 (3), 6-3, (10-7) - Cody Hinton (12)/Nathan Gotshall (9)


So before we had even wrapped up the victory over Taylor, Ben and Seth were back on to start our second match against Wabash. Last year we had defeated the Apaches at all 5 positions to win the Wayne Tennis Invitational. However, we were a quite different team, and they returned a number of their varsity players. On the season, they entered this match at 10-2.

Seth breezed through his match against frustrated senior Zach Sailors. Seth attacked smoothly and set up his points well. Sailors couldn't keep up with the pace Seth created and the points that Seth finished. From beginning to end, Seth dominated and looked like the confident player that his record shows he is throughout the year.

Ben breezed too, through the first set. He was playing sophomore Justin Middleton, a player with a 16-2 record on the season. Last year Ben had been able to defeat Middleton at the Wayne Invitational, and after taking the first set, Ben seemed to relax a little. At that point, Middleton picked up his game and began to control the points. With low shots over the net, Middleton began to be aggressor and Ben fell into defensive mood. Suddenly, Middleton had a chance to win the second set and send the match to a ten-point tiebreak. Ben tightened up a lot, and couldn't find the aggression to control the match. In the tiebreak, Middleton won a tight match 10-8.

In the #3 singles match, Misha Rebec took to the court. Senior Wesley Kosel was able to dictate this match right from the beginning. He had a huge forehand that accounted for many winners throughout the course of the match, and ran Misha back and forth. He made errors, but Misha had trouble keeping the point going long enough to force those errors. I liked the fact that Misha was able to stay in the match when he got down 5-0 in the second set, and really began to pick up his play despite the big hole that he was in. Unfortunately, it was a little too deep of a hole. Misha's loss meant that we'd need both the doubles in order to win the match.

And we got a great effort from both teams. Russell and Nick simply played their best match of the season, attacking, slamming, hitting the net man, serving their opponents off the court, doing everything they would need to in order to put pressure upon their Apache opponents. Not only did they jump out to a comfortable lead in the first set, they sustained their play throughout the match to win 6-3, 6-2.

#1 doubles was a match that Austin and Kyle knew they'd have to play well to win right from the beginning. So they came out and played well right from the beginning. The match went back and forth some, but Austin and Kyle were able to impose their will on the serve and from the baseline and push the Apaches off the net. They jumped out with their stellar play and took the first set. But seniors of Wabash were not done. They got on a roll in the second set and began to take the net with incredible power and passion. Kyle and Austin didn't seem to have an answer for this. They played well, but the roll was too difficult to stop. They lost the second set, and then the third set super-tiebreaker as well.

And so we ended with a disappointing 3-2 loss. All the more disappointing because two of the matches were lost in the third set super-tiebreakers. Much like the Westview match last year, it felt so close to our grasp, and one that we could think about for a long time. But we weren't going to get the chance, as we moved right into the match against Eastern...

Scores

#1S - Seth Krabill - 6-1, 6-0 - Zach Sailors (12)
#2S - Ben Mast - 6-2, 3-6, (8-10) - Justin Middleton (10)
#3S - Misha Rebec - 1-6, 2-6 - Wesley Kosel (12)
#1D - Austin Loucks/Kyle Miller - 7-5, 1-6, (4-10) - Ryan Richman (12)/Ethan Powell (12)
#2D - Nick Rebec/Russell Klassen - 6-3, 6-2 - Trevor Patton (11)/David Driscoll (9)


This was our best match of the season, no doubts about it. Right up and down the line we played incredible tennis against a team that has lost only once this year. We played aggressive, kept our cool under pressure, responded to coaching... and yet we still lost. It was excruciating.

At #1 singles, Seth played senior Jody Remsberger. Seth played one of his best matches of the season, defending against Remsberger's big serve and then running the senior around the court. His attacking shots were so on, and he thoroughly frustrated his opponent. When the big points came, Seth looked confident and in control, and there was just a presence and belief that shown through. And he won the big points, pulled out the big games, and hence he won the close match.

#2 singles was another great match, where Ben Mast played senior Dylan Buck. Buck was aggressive from the opening, looking to serve big, hit big, and end points at the net. This put pressure upon Ben, but he continued to handle it well and keep the match close. After losing the first set though, Ben's belief and competitiveness seemed to wane. But a brief pep talk, and I was encouraged by Ben's response. He dug his heels in and began to attack with forehands crosscourt, down-the-line and stellar lobs and passing shots. He never let a ball fall with giving an effort... and slowing he clawed back into the match. However, Buck was a talented opponent. Despite Ben's great play, Buck was able to pull out a tight final game for the victory.

#3 singles was my favorite match of the day. Blake and I set the plan before the match: Aggressive and attacking, getting to the net and playing loose all day. And Blake executed it well, leading by a game or two for most of the first set. But right at the end, Blake got a bit tight and opponent Connor Young took advantage. He turned Blake's 6-5 first set lead into a 7-6 tiebreak win for himself. Blake took the first set loss hard, and slumped to a 1-4 deficit in the second set. At this point, I told Blake how I saw him coming back into the match, and how I believed it was going to happen. And it did. Blake responded aggressively and dominated the rest of the match. My dad, who had come to watch, mentioned that Blake turned into a completely different player, confident, aggressive, and undefeatable. Blake rolled through the super-tiebreaker as well, giving the Bruins their 2nd point of the day.

So we needed one of the doubles matches. At this point, we also figured out that a victory over Eastern would give us 1st place at the tournament as well, based on the tiebreaker system.

But the chances seemed slim at #1 doubles. They faced an undefeated team in senior Brandon Hainlan and junior Noel Horvath. But like the rest of the day, they didn't back down from the challenge. Instead, they came out on fire and took a 4-1 lead in the first set. They played unbelievable tennis, both aggressive at the baseline and really controlling the net. But like a great team does, Hainlan and Horvath stayed calm and pulled a couple games back at a time. The Comets took the lead 6-5 in the second set, and I thought that Kyle and Austin might not be able to recover. But they did, and they forced the tiebreaker. But early in the tiebreaker, the Comets were able to finish off points and take a big lead. They won the first set and their level of play got even better. Kyle and Austin had trouble maintaining the their high level of play and attacking, and the Comets finished the match in the second set. I was still proud of the energy and belief that Austin and Kyle brought to the match, and if they do that again at Sectional, they will surprise teams.

So the match came down to #2 doubles, Russell Klassen and Nick Rebec. They had played great all day and kept it going right into this match. But their opponents were up to the challenge. Back and forth, back and forth went the first set. Russell and Nick continued their strong play from the baseline, ripping short balls through their opponents and staying in crosscourt rallies. Russell did a great job picking times to cut the ball at the net. The first set went into a tiebreaker (the 3rd first set tiebreaker of our match against Eastern!) Much like #1 doubles, Russell and Nick fell behind too far in the beginning of the breaker and couldn't recover. But to their credit, they didn't get down. Instead, they went right to work in the second set. They held the lead for most of the set, until they lost 2 games to go down 5-4. Nick served out a great game under pressure to bring in back to 5-5, but they couldn't find the answer against the Comets serve. Unfortunately, they couldn't take the second set to a tiebreaker too, and they lost 5-7.

It was great to see us play so well in a big match. Under pressure, Blake responded well, Ben responded well, Nick and Russell responded well, Kyle and Austin responded well, and Seth controlled it well the whole time. When we got down, not one player quit on the match. In many cases, we were able to get back into the match. Now I see us converting our chances and winning these matches, just in time for Sectional.

Scores

#1S - Seth Krabill - 7-5, 7-5 - Jody Remberger (12)
#2S - Ben Mast - 4-6, 5-7 - Dylan Buck (12)
#3S - Blake Shetler - 6-7 (4), 7-5, (10-7) - Connor Young (9)
#1D - Austin Loucks/Kyle Miller - 6-7 (2), 1-6 - Brandon Hainlan (12)/Noel Horvath (11)
#2D - Nick Rebec/Russell Klassen - 6-7 (3), 5-7 - Evan Cass (12)/Adam McKinney (11)