Growing in Wisdom - Westview Match

  Video

Varsity Recap
Our match against Westview was exciting, nerve wracking and so enjoyable! It started on a bright and sunny day, the tennis was good right from the beginning - from both teams.

Westview has one of the best doubles teams in the area, a team where one of the players was part of an All-District pairing last year. They serve well and challenged Malachi and Isaya. Our #1D's had good fight back, but couldn't put a dent in the scoreboard.

But, on the other side of the courts, Judah was also not allowing the Warrior's #2S player to make a dent either. With quick feet and a lot of variety, Judah broke down the smooth strokes of the Warrior #2 to make sure the team match stayed tied, at 1-1.

In the other 3 matches, #1S, #3S, and #2D, we were in tight battles. At one point, we led all three second sets in those matches. Unfortunately, we couldn't pull them all out. At #2D, Dom and Aaron had stretches of play where they were dominant - and then stretches of play where they just missed the court. Ball in play is the simplest way to stay alive, but a couple of lobs and volleys sailed long and wide, and our slim lead gave way.

At #3S, Ethan moved and swung so confidently to a first set win, then held a lead in the second. With the lead, Ethan got timid and his feet went stagnant. He battled those nerves into a tiebreak, where he was taken to a third set. But with the reset, he came back out and had refocused, he quickly gained a 5-2 lead and then took the victory.

The varsity match then came down to #1S, where Gideon had just staged his own valiant fightback. After falling in the first, Gideon shifted gears and played a different game. He trusted his natural skills and kept the second set tight. Leading 6-5, he saw 5 set points go by. But in the tiebreak, he got another chance and whipped a forehand passing shot by his opponent to send the match to a 3rd set. It was an awesome moment.

Unfortunately for the Bruins, his opponent regrouped and came out swinging in the 3rd set. Gideon couldn't make the impact that he had in the second set, and the Bruins fell 3-2.

But I was so proud of the team. There was no quit in the Bruins tonight, no getting down on ourselves, no making excuses. Even after the match, we owned up to things we needed to work on. Before the year, we said that one thing that would define our team would be accountability... I love how that is growing in this group of people!

JV Recap

On the JV level, Elias got us started with his typical solid form. He used consistency and well placed shots to induce errors. He got us started off with a win, which gives him a team-tying 5 victories on the year! He, Judah, and Jordan are all sharing that right now.

Right behind Elias, Jordan took the court. He struggled with consistency, as his opponent made him hit a lot of shots. He also took a fall and bloodied his knee mid-match, which was tough.

Sam also played singles tonight. Sam has some brilliant shots (like a blistered forehand return I loved) but also needs consistency. And that same story continued to the doubles. #1D played really well, but simply gave too many points away during the beginning of the match. What I love about Silas and Lucas is that after they get down, they fight back. They made the match close, improving as it went along.

At #2D, Ender and Josiah were a great pairing. Josiah's consistency set Ender up for some great chances at powerful finishes. It was wonderful to see!

Finally, Ayden, Ethan, and Eli all played against higher ranked JV players from Westview who were playing for a second time. But that really pushed them and I thought brought out some of their best tennis.

And that's maybe a theme of the whole night. We were pressed by a good team, and we responded with good tennis. We missed some things, we made some mistakes, but wisdom isn't about perfection. It's about the process.

Let's go Bruins!

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

Video Chatter

When making our highlight reel, I can hear players chatting on the recordings. It is amazing how encouraging you all are for one another. Some people are just rooting for each other. Some people are commenting on how good a player's serve is becoming, or how much people are improving. It's really cool. You players are the best!

WHEN WE ARE WISE: Wisdom is Playing the Percentages

Variety

Judah warmed up in his match, sweeping topspin groundstrokes back and forth was his opponent. I was a bit worried, because his opponent's strokes looked really strong. Early in the match that was evident as well. But as it wore on, Judah's began to use a lot of variety in his singles game. High shots, sliced shots, short balls, deep rallies, powerful passing shots - Judah really used each of the tools in the tool kit. This variety is a wise choice to change the pace for your opponent.

Commitment to Volleys

In the #2D, Aaron and Dom really made a commitment to volley. Time and time again I saw points ending at the net, whether for good or for bad. And honestly, those points were heavily tilted in our favor. In doubles, it is good to be able to hang in cross court rallies. But honestly, we want to get to the net and finish those rallies with volleys. It was good to see them committed to doing that in this match.

Fast Feet

The Westview coach commented that he loved watching our team and our commitment to footwork. I noticed it too. In Judah's match it was very evident, but maybe even more so in Ethan's. When Ethan was light footed and quick, he was powerful and consistent with his shots. When he became nervous and flat footed, he pushed his shots out. That was true of Gideon in his comeback as well, #2D in taking the lead, #1D when they were pushing back. It was true at the JV, where we really are committing to footwork but not always getting the positioning right. But I love the commitment. It is something that gives us strength.

THEN WE ARE STRONG: Exceptional Outcomes

Sam's Returns

Sometimes return can be the hardest shot. Staying active with our feet, moving our bodies forward to the ball, making sure to not take too big of a backswing. But Sam has such a compact stroke, that the return is a real strength of his. Twice in this match, Sam struck sweet topspin returns for winners. Once from a forehand and once from a backhand. That was awesome.

Big Energy

At #2D, there were some big energy points. After encouraging them to dominate the net, Aaron pounded an overhead past the feet of the net player. Soon after that, a point was played where Dom and Aaron were near the middle of the court. An opponent's shot clipped the net, and Dom's sprinted forward to clip it up over the net. The volley coming back hit the net and the Bruins stole the point, thanks to the energy and attention.

Gid's Amazing Passing Shot

At the end of the second set, Gideon had so many chances to take his match to a third set. Each time, his opponent came up with a ridiculous shot on the line to steal it away from Gid. But Gid didn't fold, he fought back to take a lead in the tiebreak. Up 6-5, needing 1 point to win the set, Gid's opponent did it again - ripping a forehand on the line and following it to the net. This time, Gid pulled out his own line painting shot. He ripped the ball cross court on the dead run, leaving his opponent without even time to make a swing. It bounced inside the line and elicited a big cheer from the crowd. It was exceptional!

Prayer

God, You have given us a team full of amazing people. People who really care and really want to bring their best. I am like that too. Help all of us remember that tennis is so fun, that playing with heart and effort is enough. That the outcomes are not as important as the conversations, moments, and memories that form us along the way. Thanks! Amen.

Scores

Varsity
#1S - Gideon Miller - 1-6, 7-6 (5), 0-6 - Kaden Hostetler (11)

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

#3D - Ethan Claassen - 6-2, 6-7 (3), 6-3 - Jaxon Miller (10)

#1D - Malachi Yoder/Isaya Magatti - 0-6, 0-6 - Kaden Grau (12)/Luke Stults (11)

#2D - Dominic Ramer/Aaron Hochstetler - 2-6, 4-6 - Hudson Yoder (10)/Pierce Yoder (11)

Junior Varsity

#1SJV - Elias Magatti - 8-4 - Avery Christner (9)

#2SJV - Jordan Hochstedler - 2-8 - Ethan Fry (11)

#3SJV - Sam Brenneman - 2-8 - Grady Yoder (9)

#4SJV - Ayden Lehman - 1-6 - Blake Hostetler (9)

#1DJV - Silas Martin/Lucas Bateman - 4-8 - Blake Hostetler (9)/Evan Roth (9)

#2DJV - Ender Finnigan/Josiah Aguilar Clark - 8-4 - Aaron Roth (12)/Lex Thompson (10)

#3DJV - Eli Steiner/Ethan Miller - 0-6 - Evan Roth (9)/Ethan Fry (11)

Growing in Wisdom - Prairie Heights Match

 Video

Varsity Recap
In our first match for a week, the Bruins varsity got off to a rusty start against the Panthers. Nerves, lack of practice time, opponents playing great tennis, and slow feet were the mixture of difficulties for the Bruins. 

But to play great tennis you have to be a problem solver. And the Bruins did a great job figuring this puzzle out. At #2S and #1D, it was a simple problem. The opponents hit hard shots, but made mistakes if the points were drawn out or if we were in control of the net. Judah, Malachi, and Ethan did a great job of getting their feet going to control the points and make their opponents hit extra shots. A big part of solving problems is focusing on your strengths. #2S and #1D did that, and that was enough to get the Bruins two points.

At the other positions, we had to figure out more difficult problems. At #2D, we were missing a lot of easy shots. Aaron used a great technique to figure out the puzzle. He thought to when he played well, and that was while doing drills in practice. In thinking about what he wanted to play like, he began to play like that. It carried over to the whole team, and after a close start, #2D cruised.

Elias and Gideon had similar puzzles. Their opponents made a lot of shots and made it difficult for them to win with straight forward games. Both Elias and Gideon made a lot of errors early in their matches. Gideon figured the first piece of the puzzle for him was finding a rhythm, especially with his footwork and not his swings. Also, removing simple errors was important. Then taking short balls to attack, not trying to hit winners from the baseline. Then the puzzle fell into place. Gideon came from 2-4 down to win the next 10 straight games. 

For Elias, it was all about recognizing the patterns that forced his opponent into errors. Elias began playing a style 0, making no errors, but his opponent was better at that. So Elias started playing 4D tennis, cutting the ball at tight angles, dropping it short, moving his opponent. Elias stormed back from 1-5 down in the first set to force a tiebreak, which he won. He continued the patterns in the second set to sweep up a 6-1 win, and 5-0 varsity victory for the Bruins.

JV Recap

At JV, Jordan started us out by picking up his team leading 5th win of the season. In singles, he was followed by Josiah, who also battled and figured out the puzzle as he went. Like our #2S on varsity, Josiah played to strengths of movement and consistency to win. Both doubles teams played well too, Eli hitting great forehands, Ender growing in consistency, Sam with excellent topspin, and Ethan with great reflexes and groundstrokes.

The Bruins finished things up with some JV intra-squad matches. The intensity in these matches was high, but it was good to see the high level of tennis that was displayed as well. Lucas, Isaya, Silas, and Ender all had moments of beautiful and joyful tennis, serves and returns and putaway volleys. Ayden played a great singles match, with wonderful effort and speed.

Great to see everyone begin to problem solve and compete tonight. On to the next puzzles!

Let's go Bruins!

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

Welcoming Back Our Teammates

Noah stopped down to watch the team on Tuesday, bringing along one of his classmates from college. It was great to see him (I mean, he's not that far away, but...) It was also good to see people who were eager to share and hear what he is up to. He's not the only former teammate to stop by, as players from 2021's team and others have checked in. I love that we welcome back everyone!

WHEN WE ARE WISE: Wisdom is Playing the Percentages

Rhythm

The most important thing to do in the first couple of games of a match is find a rhythm. It can be tempting to go out in your match will all guns blazing, trying to fire winners and slam putaways. This is especially tempting in singles, when you are playing consistent opponents. Typically, this rushed approach to the game produces errors. Tonight, that's how a lot of our singles started from Gid and Elias to Jordan and Josiah. But each player pulled it back in and found their rhythm, finding shots they were confident in and repeating them, before they began to attack. It was a great mental response.

Mental Practices

Last week, we emphasized finding mental practices that would let us respond in matches. Tonight, we needed to practice some of those. Many players (Aaron, Gid, among others) were using positive self talk to identify how they played at their best. Many players were using body anchors, small movements of positivity after their points (Judah). Even when we weren't playing well, many players were keeping strong, positive body language and being great sports, encouraging their opponents and teammates instead of wallowing (Malachi, Ethan, Dom and Aaron - plus the JV intra-squad group of Isaya, Ender, Lucas, and Silas). Continuing to build these practices will make a huge difference in how we play.

THEN WE ARE STRONG: Exceptional Outcomes

Getting Back an Amazing Shot and Finishing the Point

At #1D, Ethan was really playing with some great angles. In one point, Ethan went to finish a floating ball at a tight angle. The volley took his Panther opponent off the court, but he got there, and the Prairie Heights player hit an amazing "around the post" shot back into our court. But Malachi calmly swept that up and put the ball in. The Panther's next shot floated to Ethan again, but he put it away with strength at the same tight angle as the first time!

Continued Net Presence

Loved a specific point in #2D, where Dom hit his return in and then Aaron's poached on the next shot to get a leaping overhead. The Panthers were able to track down the overhead and shovel it across the net. Aaron cut it off with a backhand volley in the middle of the court while Dom came to the net beside him. Again at the stretch, the Panthers flicked up the volley but sent it right to Aaron's overhead, which he put away with power.

All Out Sprint

At #2SJV, Josiah had an amazing point. His opponent flopped a framed shot over the net and it was spinning wildly and was not going to bounce back to him. Josiah set off with a full sprint to flip the ball back into the middle of the court. His opponent moved to it nicely and now Josiah was at the net. With a passing shot, Josiah's opponent aimed for his backhand. But Josiah watched it right in the the "W" on his racket, sending a backhand sharp angled winner off to the side of the court. 

Prayer

God, tonight was a lot of fun. I never want to forget to praise You when we get to enjoy our gifts like tonight - gifts like the community of people that you have surrounded us with. Tonight, as the matches ended and players wanted to go play more tennis... I love watching that. So thanks. You are good. Amen.

Scores

Varsity
#1S - Gideon Miller - 6-4, 6-0 - Landry Keipper (12)

#2S - Judah Miller - 6-1, 6-1 - Braeden Morr (12)

#3D - Elias Magatti - 7-6 (5), 6-1 - Sean Bontreger (12)

#1D - Malachi Yoder/Ethan Claassen - 6-0, 6-2 - Keegan German (12)/Brady Strater (12)

#2D - Dominic Ramer/Aaron Hochstetler - 6-3, 6-0 - Koltan Vaillancourt (12)/Luke Johnson (10)

Junior Varsity

#1SJV - Jordan Hochstedler - 6-1 - Landon Wylie (10)

#2SJV - Josiah Aguilar Clark - 6-3 - Landon Wylie (10)

#1DJV - Ender Finnigan/Sam Brenneman - 6-0 - Miles Travis (9)/Alex Weller (9)

#2DJV - Eli Steiner/Ethan Miller - 6-1 - Miles Travis (9)/Alex Weller (9)

Growing in Wisdom - Concordia Match

Video

Varsity Recap
Concordia is a new match on our schedule this year. It's always exciting to get to play against new competition, because we don't know quite what to expect. So we drove to Ft. Wayne, warmed up in a new environment - with singles courts and behind a large football stadium - and we then got rained off the courts. We scurried to the bus to give it ten minutes and see if we could play.

It actually stopped raining and the courts began to clear. As it dried, we started warming up for our matches, got a few points in... and then it rained again. 

We halted, waited six minutes, then restarted. It was already an hour after our starting time, and the rain continued to spritz every now and then. Finally the sun came out and we really played. And the Bruins played well. 

It started from our #1S court. Gideon stayed focused and energetic during the rain delays, and really took it to a hard-hitting opponent. Handling his opponent's big serve and big backhand, Gid played with angles and precision that helped him establish control and win the match.

Both doubles followed a similar pattern, establishing themselves early with angles and strong net play. The serves and net patrol of Malachi and Ethan was simply too much for their less experienced opponents. 

Dominic and Aaron had a goal of being aggressive and getting forward, and they really put the pressure on. These were good matches, because we had to play points well to win them. Concordia's players had good instincts and athleticism, which made for some really fun points. In the end, both doubles went the Bruins way.

At #2S, Judah worked his way through an aggressive opponent. The Concordia #2 really tried the typical tennis strategy of sweeping the ball to the backhand and getting to the net. But Judah simply didn't make that easy for him. Judah used all kinds of variety - slice, pace, lob, passing shots - and pulled away to win.

Isaya really worked hard in his #3S match. Playing against a typical #3S senior, he was required to hit a lot of balls in the court. He did a great job, and we learned a lot of things, but the key is going to be finding what works.

So the varsity won 4-1.

JV Recap

The JV absolutely swept through their match. They were playing much less experienced players - and as I've said before, I think our JV is generally going to be very good this year. Coming off of a match against Oak Farm's varsity, this match was a change of pace.

Not everyone felt like they played well, but there was great consistency and finishing showed by the Bruins. I loved the team spirit of this group, determined to find what they need to get better.

But for tonight, we feel content. The rain passed us by, the sun was shining, and we ate Subway and sang together on the bus ride home. Things were good!

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

Judah's Match Ends

I don't always see our players as they come off the courts. I am often off coaching or dissecting another match, and giving the players a little space to celebrate or be sad together. Tonight though, someone took a video of Judah coming off his court. There was a little walkway in between all the courts, and the team was gathering to finish watching Isaya, Silas and Lucas who were all still playing. Every single person who walked past Judah gave him a fist bump. It was great. A simple acknowledgment that we care.

WHEN WE ARE WISE: Wisdom is Playing the Percentages

Crosscourt Aggression

In several of the matches, it was remarkable how well the Bruins used our crosscourt angles to create aggressive shots to safe spots. The first place I noticed this was on the opening point of Gideon's match, where he went wide to the forehand to stretch his opponent, got a shorter ball and went back crosscourt again for an angled winner. But I also noticed this at #2D, who were returning the weaker serves of their opponents with great crosscourt angles. All of the percentages get higher when the shot is hit crosscourt, so it was good to see these angles. 

No Let Up

Jordan finished his match before I even had a chance to get down to him. He was the much better player, but I loved his efficiency in finishing his match. In tennis, the thing to do is simply to play your game and let your opponent have to adjust. If they don't, you just keep playing your game right to the finish. Jordan didn't try to mess around. He hit balls in, he hit balls hard, he won the points. Just playing his game. 

THEN WE ARE STRONG: Exceptional Outcomes

Droppers and Angles

Gideon played some outstanding points tonight. He made excellent use of his touch and his angles. A favorite of mine was match point, where he came forward to get a mid court ball and approached hard up the line into his opponent's forehand. The approach shot was untouchable!

Overall Aggression and Control

One of the things I loved tonight is that we played like we were in control. I have multiple examples of this. Judah using short balls to attack the net. Dom ripping backhand returns. Silas stepping up to a high bouncing serve and hitting an overhead as his return. These points speak of a confidence we should take into any match.

Overhead Over the Fence

My favorite point of the night goes to Isaya. He approached the net when his opponent left the ball short. Coming forward to his opponent's weaker backhand, he earned himself a lob, and a chance at the overhead. He didn't miss, nailing the overhead down into the court and then bouncing it up over the fence and the alley between the two banks of courts. It was an assertive point!

Prayer

God, thanks for tonight. It was beautiful to watch the rain dance through and then the sun to come out. The temperature was magnificent for playing tennis. We were able to not arrive back at the school too late. I really enjoyed the bus ride and the team camaraderie. Thanks. Nights like this are a blessing and we are full of gratitude.

Scores

Varsity
#1S - Gideon Miller - 6-1, 6-2 - Hudson Kraft (12)

#2S - Judah Miller - 6-1, 6-0 - Neil Jain (9)

#3D - Isaya Magatti - 5-7, 0-6 - Adam Bible (12)

#1D - Malachi Yoder/Ethan Claassen - 6-0, 6-1 - Jude Peters (11)/Joey Beights (12)

#2D - Dominic Ramer/Aaron Hochstetler - 6-0, 6-1 - Akar Shein (11)/Brody Groheen (10)

Junior Varsity

#1SJV - Elias Magatti - 8-0 - Ben Hemsoth (12)

#2SJV - Jordan Hochstedler - 8-0 - Liam Herman (10)

#1DJV - Silas Martin/Lucas Bateman - 8-1 - Ben Hemsoth (12)/Liam Herman (10)

Growing in Wisdom - Oak Farm Match

 Video

JV/Varsity Recap
The Bruins JV faced the Oak Farm Falcons on a beautiful Monday night. For the Bruin players, this was a great chance to play full varsity matches and get the feel of what the step up in competition feels like. What a fun night it was, as the competition was really good and there were some standout matches.

One standout performer was Jordan. At #2S, he started his match quickly getting into a lead. He traded big forehands with his opponent, but he was moving better and quicker - and that advantage made a huge difference as he swept to a 6-2, 6-0 win!

Then #2D followed, with Eli and Ender playing a consistent brand of doubles. They did a good job making serves and not over-hitting. They also did a great job staying ready at the net.

Next to win was Lucas and Silas, who really played a good doubles team at #1D. Silas and Lucas were hot and cold in their match, usually one partner playing well when the other was not. In the match, they took a close first set and by coming to life with their feet. The second set they closed out when they began to swing through their nerves rather than push the ball. Now consistency will be the next step.

That gave the Bruins 3 positions and the team win, but there were two 3 set matches still being played. Josiah had won his first set, but then watched his opponent become much more consistent. This pushed him to a third set, where, despite great rallies and some of his best hitting, he did not prevail.

Finally, we come to Elias at #1S. His match was one of the longest in Bruin history, clocking in at the 6th longest ever in just short of 3 hours. It was epic, with two tiebreaks sets and Elias saving 5 different match points. In the end, it became a battle of passing shots versus net play. Elias came back time and again with great effort, but fell in a super-tight match. He was cared off the court by his teammates who had watched his amazing hustle.

So the JV Bruins won 3-2, but there were other matches. In those matches, three players got their first high school wins. Ethan, Ayden and Sam all played good matches, securing 2 singles wins and 2 doubles wins for the Bruins. Sam's groundstrokes looked solid, Ethan made few errors, and Ayden's forehand controlled points. It was great to see them play to strengths and win.

And that's what we hope to continue to do!

Let's go Bruins!

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

Carried Away

After Elias dropped the third set of his super long, super competitive #1S match, the whole team jogged onto the court to congratulate him for his effort. The varsity players who stayed to watch were super proud of his hustle and determination, as he showed great mental strength trying to stay positive. In a jovial moment, they propped the exhausted Bruin on their shoulders and carried him out to the team meal, where they plopped him down to be the first in line. Then the older students insisted that the rest of the JV go in front of them for the meal. Awesome job team! Way to encourage and think of others, honoring their effort and belonging!

WHEN WE ARE WISE: Wisdom is Playing the Percentages

Start With Your Feet

In the matches tonight, very few players started with good footwork. The Bruins in general were reactive, only starting to move after the ball was already to its spot. We appeared slow and tentative - probably because our players were nervous. A match is always kind of nervy to begin, but this match included special challenges. Playing a varsity team, in a varsity format, while many people were watching... these are all new experiences. As we get nervous, we often stop moving and get tight. The best way to deal with nerves is to move them out, by physically moving your body. When we began to do that in this match, we began to win more points. It was very plain to see from the coaching perspective.

End With Your Feet

When matches got close and we got nervous again, we would stop moving our feet. A lot of things in tennis are not very controllable, but the energy we bring to our pre-point and between stroke footwork is very controllable. The #1D team did a great job of countering a letdown by beginning to move quickly again and be positive. That movement really shows the other team that you are not going away, and helps bring the match to a positive outcome.

THEN WE ARE STRONG: Exceptional Outcomes

Reflexes When Ready
In Eli and Ender's match, there were many short points. Their forehands and serves were simply too powerful for their opponents. But one great point showed Eli's improving readiness and touch at the net. On a return of a serve, the ball got popped right toward Eli with pace. He made a quick reflex volley, and the ball kind of fell behind the net opponent on the other side.  They scooped it up and the volley clipped the tape, then fell on the Bruin side of the net. Eli reacted quickly again, with quick steps forward to scoop it up. His soft flick bamboozled the opponent, who was barely able to get a racket on it. But the ball did come back and hit the tape of the net again! Again, Eli was ready, but the ball fell back onto the Falcon side. It was great readiness and reaction for the Bruins.

Wonderful Placement

Elias did a great job of getting lots of shots back to his opponent, but one of my favorite points is one where he took charge. When the first ball came to his forehand, he drove the ball into his opponent's forehand corner. It was a driven, deep shot that forced a short return from the Falcon #1. Elias came to the mid-court and perfectly guided the ball down the line. The low hopping ball never had a chance of being retrieved despite the great effort from the Oak Farm player. Elias showed exactly how a point can be won with precision instead of overwhelming others with power. A great point!

Prayer

God, I love the matches and places where we get put into new positions. This was a match that really can help each player who played to grow and learn. Thanks for those lessons. Keep us learning fresh lessons like this in life as well. Amen.

Scores

Bethany JV v. Oak Farm Varsity
#1S - Elias Magatti - 6-7 (9), 7-6 (10), 4-6 - R. Kochanski (12)

#2S - Jordan Hochstedler - 6-2, 6-0 - F. Hayden (10)

#3D - Josiah Aguilar Clark - 6-1, 3-6, 3-6 - I. Witmer

#1D - Silas Martin/Lucas Bateman - 6-3, 7-5 - R. Elias (12)/L. Moser (12) 

#2D - Ender Finnigan/Eli Steiner - 6-1, 6-3 - 

Other Junior Varsity v. Oak Farm JV

#1SJV - Ayden Lehman - 8-2 - A. Parker (9)

#2SJV - Ayden Lehman - 8-0 - J. Porter (9)

#1DJV - Sam Brenneman/Ethan Miller - 8-6 - H. Brinker (11)/Leah Cook (11)

#2DJV - Sam Brenneman/Ethan Miller - 8-0 - M. Burtch (11)/M. Reeves (11)

Growing in Wisdom - Goshen Match

 Video

Varsity Recap
In a match against our crosstown rival, the Bruins came out wanting to show a confidence and conviction. In most matches, we were really streaky with our aggressive tendencies. #2D and #3S both had moments where they were in charge and in control of the points, and then also stretches of tentative tennis. 

Dominic and Aaron fell behind quickly in the scoreline. Near the end of the first set, we set out to change the patterns of the match, to really be the ones in control. From that point forward, we kept the match tight, winning 3 games and making Goshen really dig in for good shots or fortuitous ones, like a framed forehand that landed on the line. During this time period, Aaron and Dom really looked to get forward to the net. But that framed forehand seemed to take it out of us. We struggled to continue the aggression. 

At #3S, Isaya was playing a big hitter who had a year of varsity experience under his belt, having defeated Judah last year when we played Goshen. Again, Isaya had good intentions throughout the match. But his best stretch is when he became a Type 2 singles player. He kept the ball in most of the time, but if he saw a weak shot, he approached the net. My favorite point (probably of the whole night) happened in his match, and I'll detail that more below, but it involved selectively coming to the net. We loved to see the conviction in approach and net play, but there wasn't enough to pull the matches out. So both Isaya and #2D lost their matches despite learning some lessons about how to control points.

At #1S and #1D, those stretches of great movement and simple play were longer. Gideon at #1S traded baseline rallies with his opponent and was able to claw his way back into a tight first set. Down 1-5, Gideon was able to get all the way back into the match by calming his game down a bit. With better positioning and simpler groundstrokes, Gideon was able to draw a few more errors and also find a bit better angles to win points. Facing set points, Gideon played his best moments. He was a drop shot that surprised his opponent, then a running cross court forehand passing shot, and then was able to tie the whole thing up at 5. Unfortunately, at this point nerves hit. And it was difficult for Gideon to find a rhythm for the rest of the match.

For #1D, there was a similar story. Malachi and Ethan led by a game pretty much the whole first set, they were serving really well. Unfortunately, they were struggling to find a break of serve. Stepping up to #1D is an adjustment as far as the quality of serves that you face. Still, the pair was playing their first doubles match together this season and against a quality opponent, and they pushed the first set into a tiebreak. A couple of breaks went against them in the breaker, and they lost the first set. 

In the second set, #1D picked right up where they left off - serving really well. After trading a pair of holds, nerves set in again. A double fault caused them to lose more rhythm, and the confidence began to deflate. But it was a truly great performance in this match a good Goshen doubles team, with just a little letdown. 

At #2S, Judah was able to grab our only team point. His match was marked by playing to strengths. Judah was able to force errors and find passing shots. He was able to serve well and force return errors. It was a really solid match. What really impressed in this match was Judah's ability to mentally stay engaged and in "Robot Mode." In fact, late in the match there were a lot of really close games and a strategy change from his opponent that made him really have to deal with big shots. His opponent was winning points with winners, and Judah had to stay positive. He did a great job, even keeping his calm through a scoring misunderstanding and sealing the match with confidence. 

And that's what the Bruins need, solid matches that build confidence. Confidence that we can be the ones in control. That's what we'll continue to build with our mental effort in practice.

JV Recap

I don't have first hand stories from the JV match, because I was at our home courts with the varsity while the JV was away at Goshen's courts. However, from what I hear Elias had an amazing match of digging deep. He kept points alive and then pulled away at the end when he started controlling with his placement and net play. Like many matches, being the aggressor and the controller in the big moments helped him pull away.

At other positions, we weren't able to get as close. At #1DJV, Silas and Lucas got down early by a large scoreline. They were able to turn their match around when Silas put on a propeller hat and lifted the mood, but it wasn't enough to come all the way back. Many others, including the doubles pair of Eli and Ethan, played well, but couldn't grab a victory.

At the close of the evening, the Redhawks had defeated both the JV and varsity teams. Back at it again soon, growing in wisdom.

Let's go Bruins!

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

Waiting for Dinner

Our match was split between two different sites, so timing out team dinner was a matter of guessing. I guessed wrong by about 20 minutes, so we had some time to spare before eating our delicious team meal (thanks parents!) While we waited, we shifted into different groups to just hit some tennis balls. The groups were so interesting - varsity playing with JV, upper grade students selecting lower grade students to be their partners. I continue to hope that there are no real dividing lines on our team when it comes to being accepted. We are all the Bruins!

WHEN WE ARE WISE: Wisdom is Playing the Percentages

Deep and Down the Middle

In Gideon's singles match, he was struggling in the first set with missing too many shots. Errors can build on each other quickly, especially at the beginning of sets and matches. It's important at the beginning of matches to find points where the main goal is building a rhythm of your stroke and making your opponent make a lot of balls in a row. You do this by staying alive in points, when you are pulled off the court you simplify, lift the ball deep and down the middle, and live to hit the next shot. You also take some of your own aggressive shots to simple spots like the middle of the court. Gideon was able to do that when he climbed back into the match, so I loved seeing that.

Play to Your Strengths

Our varsity doubles are great players at the net. Good reflexes, good overheads, intimidating power. We should be trying to do that as much as possible, because it is such a strength. Deep and down the middle is a strength of our singles players, so we should be playing that as a Plan A. We can adjust, but we always want to make our opponents adjust first if possible. I loved that Judah really did this tonight, using serve and groundstrokes, mid-court volley battles and more. I loved when doubles strung together a couple games of this, using Malachi's serve or Dominic's lobs as opportunities to get forward. Using our strengths is playing the percentages.

THEN WE ARE STRONG: Exceptional Outcomes

Serious Tennisly
In Silas and Lucas's doubles match, Silas's beanie with a propeller is an excellent example of a delicate attitude balancing act tennis players have to do. We can't get too serious, because we soon turn self-critical and put the pressure on ourselves. And we can't be over-the-top silly, because there is focus and decision making needed within the sport. So we have to learn to take serious tennisly, a phrase developed from when I accidentally misspoke when speaking to the 2008 tennis team. I meant to say "take tennis seriously" but I like the little joyous mistake better. When are serious, but with a hint of play and joy. Silas's hat was a great example of that. Still playing hard, still moving and wanting to win, but really enjoying the sport together. Taking "serious tennisly."  

Wisely Chosen, Powerfully Finished

My favorite point of the night came in Isaya's match. We had just talked at the fence about choosing the right shots, trying to keep the rallies going by keeping the ball in play, and then transitioning to being aggressive when he received a weaker shot from his opponent. As his opponent hit a high loopy ball mid-rally, Isaya returned it with another high loopy lob. It came back as a lob, and Isaya again maintained balance and lobbed a second time. The next shot from his opponent was a lob, but it landed mid-service box. Isaya zipped up to it and casually slammed away an overhead, letting out a shout. I love when strategy works out, it is such a joy!

Prayer

God, thanks for a beautiful evening. The temperatures are coming down and our level of play was much better. We pray that we continue to grow... in the Spirit, in wisdom, and in our friendships and encouragement of one another. You are the source of wisdom, and we thank You for Your grace! Amen.

Scores

Varsity
#1S - Gideon Miller - 5-7, 1-6 - Logan Beck (9)

#2S - Judah Miller - 6-3, 6-3 - Tristan Keiser (11)

#3D - Isaya Magatti - 1-6, 2-6 - Mo Watt (12) 

#1D - Malachi Yoder/Ethan Claassen - 6-7 (3), 2-6 - Eli Stickel (12)/Isaac Moore (11)

#2D - Dominic Ramer/Aaron Hochstetler - 1-6, 2-6 - Holden Ebright Zehr (11)/Logan Yoder Rupp (9)

Junior Varsity

#1SJV - Elias Magatti - 8-6 - Liam Post (11)

#2SJV - Jordan Hochstedler - 2-8 - Aiden Saner (10)

#3SJV - Josiah Aguilar Clark - 0-8 - Shaun Paetsch (11)

#4SJV - Sam Brenneman - 0-8 - Manny Arredondo (9)

#1DJV - Silas Martin/Lucas Bateman - 5-8 - Ethan Sloan (10)/Jordy Miller (11)

#2DJV - Ender Finnigan/Ayden Lehman - 0-8 - Nate Corbin (12)/Graham Ebright Zehr (9)

#3DJV - Ender Finnigan/Sam Brenneman - 2-8 - Andrew Hughes (11)/Leo Herber (10)

#4DJV - Ayden Lehman/Eli Steiner - 1-8 - Tristan Schmitz (11)/Michael Troyer (11)

#5DJV - Eli Steiner/Ethan Miller - 4-8 - Vincent Castillo-Miller (9)/Connor Yoder (9)

#6DJV - Josiah Aguilar Clark/Ethan Miller - 3-8 - Dom Keiser (9)/Carsyn Querry (9)

Growing in Wisdom - Northridge Match

 Video

Varsity Recap
The Bruins took on the Northridge Raiders, a team returning 6 of their 7 varsity starters from last season. And in the match, the Raiders looked like the more seasoned team.  

Gideon and Judah had some breakthrough moments at the top singles spots, but the Raiders players they played looked polished and played to their strengths. The Raider players had different strengths, at #1 it was power and placement, at #2 simple consistency. Gideon and Judah also need to use their strengths - Gid's counter punching and never say die attitude and Judah's consistent pace and driven forehand - to combat others. Our games are often good enough that we don't have to change everything, just make the very little tweaks mentally, emotionally and physically. The top two Bruin singles players made moments where they got that just right, but couldn't keep it up for the matches. 

The other three positions then really dug in to try to provide the three points. #2D matured as the match went on, moving and hitting with more and more conviction. When Dom and Aaron were decisive they played some really great tennis. I really enjoyed watching Aaron's forehands drive the players away from the net and the aggressive nature with which they were going for any reachable volley. I know this group will continue to grow in confidence, developing an attitude of wanting to hit every ball and make the great plays. 

That is similar to #1D. Malachi and Isaya jumped out to an early lead in their match with some great net play. Their opponents, who had played singles last year, did a good job of finding ways to push Malachi and Isaya off the net. Again, consistent pressure was the key. Stringing together three or four shots that force reaction plays instead of only one - or instead of being the team reacting all the time. Malachi and Isaya went down in the second set, but made a great attempt at a comeback as they loosened up again. Unfortunately they couldn't get close enough to really quite put the pressure really on. Both doubles team fell in straight sets.

Ethan had also lost his first set, but raced out to a great second set lead. This whole time he was moving and hitting his spots, really forcing his opponent to make difficult aggressive shots or defend from Ethan's mid-court approaches. In the second set, Ethan led 5-0 but then tightened, watching his opponent come all the way back. Amazingly, Ethan was able to stop the slide and seal the set to send it to a third. The third was back and forth, with Ethan really having stretches of amazing tennis. But in the end, a little tightness meant that some shots started falling short. So the Bruin varsity lost 5-0.

But on we go, learning and growing in wisdom and how we apply it. Always good to play good teams, we learn and grow. So onward, forward.

Let's go Bruins!

JV Recap

The JV had several really epic matches. Both Elias and Jordan went deep into their first singles matches, hanging tight and playing really competitive tennis. Jordan was able to surge to the finish line, winning 8-6 while Elias just couldn't quite get the same final push. In doubles, Silas and Josiah seemed to figure things out right at the end of their match, winning the last three games before Silas and Lucas won in their second match of the night.

At many of the JV positions, Northridge did just a slightly better job of moving and keeping the ball in the court. That's such a key. If we can find the touch to keep the point alive, it allows our opponents a chance to make the error. We will also continue to improve where we place the ball, so that retrieval becomes more difficult.

We can also pick up our level of effort with our feet. Tonight, the Bruins looked like slow movers on the court - the short, quick little steps of our footwork drills were nowhere to be seen. But I know we can do it. We've seen it in practice, we've seen it in conditioning. Often, we get a bit nervous and that makes us a bit stagnant. But again, we learn and grow!

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

Call Outs

Several players were having difficult moments tonight. Where things weren't as they wanted them, strokes felt out of balance, things felt like they were unravelling. In those moments, I was surprised at the number of times I'd hear teammates call down the courts to them. I heard it in almost every varsity match as I walked the sideline. I love to encourage you all, but I love it even more when you encourage one another. Keep reaching out and letting your positive voices be heard.

WHEN WE ARE WISE: Wisdom is Playing the Percentages

Using Strengths

I really loved watching Ethan's match. I love we I get the opportunity to just watch one match at a time. Ethan has a real strength in moving into the short balls. He can place approaching shots with precision and power. With a set point at the end of the second set, he ripped a ball into his opponent's forehand corner. It missed by a small margin. But I knew at that point he'd be fine and would win the set. He was using his strengths, and not trying to do something crazy and new in the middle of a match. 

Net Pressure

Our varsity doubles are active net players. I love it. Their movement and threat is really evident when they are playing well. I loved that from the first game, Malachi was all over the place at the net. He had a point where he had to go down low to his right to pick off the first volley, and he lifted it into the middle of the court with great touch. Then another shot came, this one down the middle and he got low and drove his legs through the next volley. It stayed low and skidded into the backhand corner, drawing an error from his Raider opponent. Active net play is a really high percentage play!

THEN WE ARE STRONG: Exceptional Outcomes

Seriously
In Silas and Lucas's doubles match, it may have been that both players were a bit frustrated about their first match results, but they weren't super locked in when playing doubles. The match was too close, and Daniel pulled them to the fence to just talk about moving their feet and playing seriously. The transformation was immediate. Lucas shuffled around and barely missed any more shots, Silas finished at the net and the match went from a nail-biter to an easy victory. The first point after Daniel's encouragement was a lob to the Bruin net player, who put away a vicious overhead volley with pace, right at the opponent. That was an awesome response!

Prayer

God, there will be days in tennis where we play exceptionally well. There will be days where we don't quite rise to the challenge. Yet, we are loved. May we pursue growth because we love the sport, we love our teammates and we relish a challenge. Please, help us to grow in our love and gratitude for You. Amen.

Scores

Varsity
#1S - Gideon Miller - 0-6, 0-6 - Seth Lomas (11)

#2S - Judah Miller - 0-6, 1-6 - Graham Tabor (9)

#3D - Ethan Claassen - 4-6, 7-5, 4-6 - Ty Stahly (10)

#1D - Malachi Yoder/Isaya Magatti - 3-6, 3-6 - Peyton Graber (12)/Josiah Schrock (12)

#2D - Dominic Ramer/Aaron Hochstetler - 1-6, 4-6 - Jayden Ramirez (12)/Ollie Burnstine (12)

Junior Varsity

#1SJV - Elias Magatti - 6-8 - Grant Kauffmann (10)

#2SJV - Lucas Bateman - 0-8 - Lucas Ellis (9)

#3SJV - Jordan Hochstedler - 8-6 - Silvan von Holzen (12)

#4SJV - Eli Steiner - 3-6 - Jacob Stephens (10)

#1DJV - Silas Martin/Josiah Aguilar Clark - 3-8 - Finn Schmidt (10)/Miles Hainlin (11)

#2DJV - Eli Steiner/Sam Brenneman - 3-8 - John Stephens (12)/Joseph Snyder (12)

#3DJV - Ayden Lehman/Ethan Miller - 0-8 - Brady Barkby (10)/Truman Mast (10)

#4DJV - Silas Martin/Lucas Bateman - 6-1 - Caleb Miller (10)/Nathan Beer (12)

#5DJV - Josiah Aguilar Clark/Sam Brenneman - 2-6 - Garin Wilkinson (9)/Drew Yoder (9)

Growing in Wisdom - Lakeland Match

 Video

Varsity Recap
Rain came in the late part of the school day, but with much squeegeeing and an ever present leaf blower, the Bruins got the courts clear and ready to play. To open the season, we welcomed the Lakers of Lakeland High School. 

Announcing lineups and the new team cheer got the Bruins off to a high energy and encouraging start, and that carried right into the varsity matches. We moved well early in the match and played with a lot of confidence from warmups right on through.

One place that this could be seen was the way we dominated the net. More on this below in another section, but all of the team seemed ready to push to the net and gain an advantage. We found angles and played with great touch. Ethan and Judah especially showed nice instincts for when to push to the net, and #2D could frequently be seen getting both players to the net. This pressure paid off, as the Lakers made either tentative errors or aggressive errors in trying to hit over and around us.

Also, this match started with our team serving really well. Especially across the singles courts, unreturned serves were the most common way for us to win points on serve. This allowed us to jump out to big leads in all the singles sets, and eventually close them out with relative ease.

It might seem like the Bruins were all offense tonight, but that wasn't really true. We actually were just doing a fantastic job of turning our defense into offense. The defense could be seen in full out sprints to retrieve drop shots, split step and quick shuffles to return overheads, and great returning were the hallmarks that set up our attacking all night long.

The matches all began ending around the same time, with the singles coming off the courts first - all with great wins. It was great to see #2D's follow, to the raucous cheers of their cheering section. That left  Malachi and Isaya to finish off. Their match was the closest of the night, as the Laker players had some big serves, and were serving well to force us into timid shots. In the end, it was our service games that carried us. We were able to avoid double faults and put in first serves when it mattered. Especially Isaya stepped it up late in a tight match, serving awesome to help set up the finishing volley from Malachi. So the Bruins swept to a 5-0 win.

JV Recap

The JV began with 9th grader Elias getting his first chance on the high school courts, and he started with a  victory. He moved quickly though his match, with solid serving and simple groundstrokes. His consistency is often the difference, but I loved to see him practicing what Coach Daniel taught last week about ripping second serves and using them to attack. Lucas Bateman did the same at #2SJV, especially on his forehand. Silas and Jordan put the finishing touches on a JV sweep, with strong serves and groundstrokes. I was impressed by the quality of our JV players.

Our JV is going to be really good this year, as I've often said we have a number of JV players who would play varsity in any other season. This is especially true because of the consistency with which we can get the ball back. The main ingredient to better play is to get more balls in the court, and we do that well.

It was also good to see our guys who didn't get a Lakeland match play a super competitive match against one another, before settling in together to eat some haystacks on the court. A great start!

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

Eating Together

It always makes me so grateful each season when we circle up on the court to eat our team meal together. Each person has a place in the circle, and it's a reminder about what tennis really is - an opportunity to deepen our relationships and have a group who knows us and loves us. Tonight there was laughter and joy, other nights there might be silence and sorrow, but the circle will be there. We will be there.

Singing Together

With a victory comes the song. I reflect on how this simple tune with nonsensical words (Sarasponda, sarasponda, sarasponda ret-set-set) can become a place of joy. On the bus ride home from a mid-season match 20 years ago, a 10th grader burst out with this 9th grade choir song, and everyone spontaneously joined in. Now two decades later, we won't end a match that we've won without the song. Just one moment of joy, shared with others, has spawned countless others. I love that! We got to pass the song on to some of our new 9th graders tonight :-)

WHEN WE ARE WISE: Wisdom is Playing the Percentages

Getting to the Net

We've learned from our drills and games - like Middle-Middle, Doubles Passing, and Running Doubles - that getting two players to the net is a high percentage play in doubles tennis. We know that in singles taking the mid-court ball and approaching puts us in a good place to win points at the net. So it was encouraging to see the whole varsity team make the net a priority. I think this was best seen at #2D. If you watch the highlights, Dom and Aaron are always looking to get on the front foot and get forward. But really, we liked seeing that throughout the lineup!

High Serve Percentage

We're a really good team when the point gets started well, and it was very encouraging to see a match at the beginning of the season with such a high serve percentage. Players hit good serves, but paired them with consistency - sometimes even choosing a second serve style shot as their first serve. This really kept the pressure on the returners. Especially in doubles, it was good to see Isaya and Aaron choose this strategy at times to put Malachi and Dominic in good positions to pounce on the returns. Especially in the close-out game at #1D, it was impressive to watch Isaya's high percentage serving!

Patience, Young Padawan

Matches, especially varsity matches, are long events. They have twists and turns of momentum, focus, and ways of play. As such, we have to be gentle with ourselves when we go through patches of mistakes. Sometimes we can call this "Robot Mode" as Daniel described to Judah last year, or we can "Be a goldfish" and forget the previous points to focus on the current one. Tonight, we made the mistakes of a first match. We had inconsistent play, sometimes made poor choices, or just felt rusty. But we can have patience with ourselves. I thought we did a good job of staying calm and performing in the big moments... the deuces, the ads, or the close out games. 

THEN WE ARE STRONG: Exceptional Outcomes

Sprinting to the Net
In Judah's match, his opponent had a decent forehand, but would sometimes frame things in odd ways that created unexpected bounces and angles. In the second set, a highly sliced forehand trickled from the Laker racket and landed for a perfect drop shot. Judah was caught at the baseline but took off in a sprint when he realized what happened. Playing good tennis, the Lakeland #2 moved forward to try to pick off the rising shot Judah would eventually flick over the net and put it away for a simple winner. But Judah's effort paid off, getting to the ball before it was basically on the court. He was able to poke a line drive passing flick across the court, surprising the Laker player with it's power. It bounced inside the right hand sideline for a sweet winner and a testament to hustle.

Big Time Defense

In Isaya and Malachi's match, offense was basically winning the day. The team with big serves or crunching net play was winning a high percentage of the points. But little moments of great defense were a huge difference. One came near the end of the first set. First, a hard serve drove Isaya back but he met it out in front and drove his return cross court. The Laker server then crushed a forehand, taking Isaya far off the court to his right hand side. Isaya dug and reached and popped a lob, unfortunately to the Laker net player. With time and open court, the Laker player slammed it to the open left baseline. But Malachi - would had shaded to the middle of the court when Isaya was drawn off of it - Malachi appeared out of nowhere, getting a racket on the ball easily and lifting another lob. This one was slightly deeper, and the Laker players were frustrated at not having already won the point. Their second overhead was drilled into the net and the scramble gave the Bruins the game. 

Prayer

God, we are asking for eyes to see ourselves like You do this season. To experience Your love through this sport and our teammates. Tonight was a beautiful answer to prayer, as we got to experience many gifts as the rain subsided and the weather cleared. Thanks for the wonderful night and help us to continue to see You in the year. Amen.

Scores

Varsity
#1S - Gideon Miller - 6-0, 6-0 - Mason Miller (11)

#2S - Judah Miller - 6-0, 6-0 - Matthew Miller (9)

#3D - Ethan Claassen - 6-0, 6-0 - Maxwell Mishler (11)

#1D - Malachi Yoder/Isaya Magatti - 6-3, 6-4 - Will Hofer (11)/Logan Curtis (11)

#2D - Dominic Ramer/Aaron Hochstetler - 6-0, 6-0 - Caleb Hahn (10)/Bradley Miller (9)

Junior Varsity

#1SJV - Elias Magatti - 6-0 - William Berrick (10)

#2SJV - Lucas Bateman - 6-0 - Atreyu Ramachandron (9)

#1DJV - Silas Martin/Jordan Hochstedler - 6-0 - William Berrick (10)/Atreyu Ramachandron (9)

Season Opening Match - Scrimmage vs. Angola

 Enjoy highlights and some commentary on our season opening scrimmage!

Scores

Varsity - Segment 1

#1S - Gideon Miller - 6-1, 0-1 - Haven Stockamp (12)

#2S - Judah Miller - 3-6 - Aiden Buchanan (12)

#3S - Ethan Claassen - 3-5 - Cooper Bacon (12)

#1D - Malachi Yoder/Dominic Ramer - 6-1 - Yuan Mina Carlo (10)/Ethan Gollif (10)

#2D - Isaya Magatti/Aaron Hochstetler - 3-4 - Keith Lucernis (11)/Alex Berry (12)

Junior Varsity - Segment 1

#1SJV - Elias Magatti - 5-1 - Myles Lang (11)

#2SJV - Lucas Bateman - 6-1 - Urban Fletcher (11)

#1DJV - Silas Martin/Josiah Aguilar Clark - 7-1 - Alex Sanchez (10)/Caden Enyeart (12)

#2DJV - Eli Steiner/Sam Brenneman - 5-2 - Carter Vonderau (10)/Marcus Hicks (12)

Varsity - Segment 2

#1S - Judah Miller - 4-2 - Haven Stockamp (12)

#2S - Ethan Claassen - 3-6 - Aiden Buchanan (12)

#3S - Elias Magatti - 1-4 - Cooper Bacon (12)

#1D - Malachi Yoder/Isaya Magatti - 2-2 - Yuan Mina Carlo (10)/Ethan Gollif (10)

#2D - Dominic Ramer/Lucas Bateman - 0-5 - Keith Lucernis (11)/Alex Berry (12)

Junior Varsity - Segment 2

#1SJV - Josiah Aguilar Clark - 3-1 - Myles Lang (11)

#2SJV - Eli Steiner - 3-3 - Urban Fletcher (11)

#1DJV - Silas Martin/Aaron Hochstetler - 8-0 - Alex Sanchez (10)/Caden Enyeart (12)

#2DJV - Ayden Lehman/Sam Brenneman - 6-2 - Carter Vonderau (10)/Marcus Hicks (12)

Varsity - Segment 3

#1S - Judah Miller - 6-0 - Haven Stockamp (12)

#2S - Gideon Miller - 3-2 - Aiden Buchanan (12)

#3S - Isaya Magatti - 0-5 - Cooper Bacon (12)

#1D - Malachi Yoder/Ethan Claassen - 6-0 - Yuan Mina Carlo (10)/Ethan Gollif (10)

#2D - Dominic Ramer/Aaron Hochstetler - 2-2 - Keith Lucernis (11)/Alex Berry (12)

Junior Varsity - Segment 3

#1SJV - Lucas Bateman - 6-0 - Myles Lang (11)

#2SJV - Ethan Miller - ? 

#1DJV - Silas Martin/Elias Magatti - 4-3 - Alex Sanchez (10)/Caden Enyeart (12)

#2DJV - Ayden Lehman/Josiah Aguilar Clark - 4-1 - Carter Vonderau (10)/Marcus Hicks (12)

I really like the way... Sectional Final v. Fairfield

Video 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Bethany Christian Tennis (@bcbruintennis)

Recap
It was a beautiful Friday night as the Bruins competed for the Sectional title against the Fairfield Falcons. Fairfield entered the evening with an 18-2 record, and had beaten the Bruins 3-2 earlier in the season.

The two positions that we really needed to win to have a chance tonight were the #2 and #3 singles positions. Gideon and Judah had won in tight matches earlier in the season. Tonight, Judah pulled ahead early, continuing the fantastic tennis he's played here at the end of the season. Taking the first set, he raced out to a lead in the second as well.

Gideon's match started on serve, Gideon trailing early 2-1. Then, like the Sectional Semi-Final, Gideon ripped off 5 straight games to take the set. He really was steady in these games, not making mistakes and finding a great rhythm. The second set started on serve again, but Gideon made the breakthrough, taking a 4-1 lead.

Both Judah and Gideon were able to close out their matches and give the Bruins two needed points on the night.

Unfortunately, the other three matches didn't go our way. #1D and #2D came out with great focus and energy in their matches. They took the leads in the early games and had game points to get on the board. But they couldn't quite convert and fell into early 3-0 holes.

But there was plenty of fight in the Bruins. Malachi and Ethan came back, pushing toward the net and putting pressure on their opponents groundstrokes. Emerson and Keagan ripped forehands from the baseline, sometimes right through their opponents at the net.

But all credit to the Falcons, they responded each time. They played some of the most error free and solid tennis the Bruins have faced this season. They took the first sets and the confidence that came with that at both doubles spots.

Fairfield built solid leads in the second set as well, but the Bruins made a final push. Both doubles teams played their best tennis in these second sets, pushing and trying to make the matches go on. But again, things fell off and the Bruins lost both doubles after putting up a great effort.

And it was another stellar effort from Noah against his undefeated opponent at #1S. Noah tried every strategy in the book, high shots, low shots, slice, power, coming to the net, moonballing... and the Falcon #1 dealt with them all. In the end, the variety and skill of Noah's game was on display. He can be so proud of all that he's gained and showed for the Bruins. Yet it wasn't enough to find the third point.

And so the Bruin season comes to an end. I can't put into words how incredibly proud I am of this team and its accomplishments. For now, I'll just end by saying I love how this team played in a way that was positive, electric, and full of belief. Thanks for a great season!

Love you Bruins!

I really like the way...

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

- I really like the way the JV supported us

Even before the match they were lending their energy. We were the only school throughout the week that brought their whole JV with us, and our guys were engaged and helpful. They gave us energy with every good point. They got to hear and see exactly what Sectional is like, so they are ready for their chance next year. I can't wait to see them step up.

- I really like the way we played

Despite the scores, we played really well tonight. We pushed our opponents, we made them come up with great tennis and great shots. They just... did. But I don't regret the way we were playing. We stayed positive. Even when we were down big, every point seemed to give us new hope and new energy. I loved that.

- I really liked the way we ended together

The seasons really starts together at tennis camp, where we hang out, play games, and eat together. Tonight, at Dominic's, we ended the same way. Playing Madden and ping-pong. Eating pizza. Just spending time together. It's a reminder that we really do this sports thing because of the people. And I'm thankful for this group of people!

Prayer
God, thanks for this season. It was unbelievable. Many blessings and memories formed together. Thanks for the way You were with us, in the good and the bad. We are grateful, and worship You.

Amen.

Scores

Varsity

#1S - Noah Schrock - 0-6, 1-6 - Garrett Stoltzfus (12)

#2S - Gideon Miller - 6-2, 6-2 - Drew Beachey (10)

#3S - Judah Miller - 6-2, 6-1 - Conner LeCount (11)

#1D - Emerson Landis/Keagan Meyer - 2-6, 0-6 - Brant Garber (11)/Andrew Mathews (11)
#2D - Ethan Claassen/Malachi Yoder - 0-6, 1-6 - Cameron Cripe (11)/Grady Garber (11)

I really like the way... Sectional Semi-Final v. Bremen

Video 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Bethany Christian Tennis (@bcbruintennis)

Recap
In the first round of Sectional, the Bruins took on the Bremen Lions. Fans gathered to see if the Bruins could turn around a 3-2 loss to the Lions from earlier in the season. 

And the Bruins came out on fire. All five positions took leads early in the first sets. Noah played close games where he wasn't quite finding his best game, but was often winning the big points. Noah's opponent was really swinging away at his shots tonight, hitting much bigger serves and attacking groundstrokes than the last time we faced the Lions. His attacking style forced some errors, but Noah was able to find the right shot at the big moments. Though the match wasn't moving quickly, Noah build a 4-1 lead and was able to close out the first set.

Gideon was in a great place, serving well and being patient, making his opponent hit multiple volleys to win points. His opponent was always trying to put pressure on, either by making the points long and consistent or by driving a low ball and attacking the net. Today, Gideon was keeping cool and making the Bremen player dig out tough low volleys if he attacked. That was setting Gideon up with mid-court balls to make the passing shots. After trailing 2-1 on serve, Gid ran off a series of 8 straight excellent games to take the first set and stretch out to a 3-0 lead in the second. It was great tennis, on the front foot and in control of points without overhitting.

Judah was also playing well. His style of staying on his toes and never giving in was paying dividends. His Lion opponent had beautiful groundstrokes, with plenty of power. But Judah was a pro at finding the right shots to draw errors. He hit his forehand cross court to drive into the left-handed player's backhand. He found a variety of shots to move the Bremen #3 around the court. Judah played with great tempo and confidence, winning the first set and moving ahead in the second.

At the doubles, Emerson and Keagan were sharp, the perfect balance of placement and pace. The groundstrokes in this early part of the match were so beautiful, driving the Lions deep back in the court. We were also sniping off points at the net. What I loved early in the match is that Emerson and Keagan were really winning the big points, putting the games into deuce and then getting the Ad. It was nip and tuck close, but we were staying in a positive mindset. 

And Malachi and Ethan were forcing errors as they drove forward in the court. These two did a great job serving and being a presence at the net. It was something else to see Ethan flying around the back of the court, and then Malachi back and forth at the net. It was a great first set for the Bruins, converting on their energy and putting it into footwork and form. Their pointed and intentional tennis pushed their opponents back, and many Lion shots ended up in net or drifted long. 

So, the Bruins ended up winning first sets at 4 of the 5 positions. Gideon continued his great play on the day, and was the first to serve out his match and win the first team point for the Bruins. It was a great win for Gideon, turning around a spot that we had lost when we faced the Lions at the Bremen Invitational. 

#1D had lost a really close first set, down to just the difference of one break of serve. Their opponents had continually gotten more consistent throughout the first set. This continued in the second. Without errors from their opponents, more was required of the #1D's shot and net attacking. They've shown this ability throughout the year, in matches like Northridge and Jimtown. But tonight, the attacking balls seemed to clip the tape or sail a bit wide. The Lions took the #1D spot.

But Noah followed with a victory, fending off an opponent who was playing inspired with some patient points. Noah continues to be the champion of our program, winning in ways that get the job done. Tonight, his forehand really helped him, and he provided the second point for the Bruins.

The final point of the Bruin victory was provided by Judah, who held off nerves and an amazing set from his opponent to seal the Semi-Final win. In the second, Judah led 5-2 when his opponent just decided to lock-in and not hit any balls out. Trying to finish out the match was a challenge, but Judah served a great game, and played an excellent match point, hitting so well and watching an opponent backhand fly past the baseline for the win.

#2D had journeyed into a third set at this point, which they didn't end up winning. They had continued to have moments of great aggression, taking a 2-1 lead in the final set. But some errors began to pile up and their opponents had tightened the screws on their own games. Malachi and Ethan needed to force some errors but found themselves a bit too much on the back foot. They cheered as Judah provided the point to move the Bruins on to the Sectional Final, and they'll be ready to attack that match.

So the Bruins had a 3-2 victory and are into the Sectional final. So proud of the calm confidence we showed tonight. It was a great way to start off a Sectional.

Let's go Bruins!

I really like the way...

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

- I really like the way the JV supported us

I could hear them throughout the match. Calling out, getting the varsity guys to echo back. Giving energy to the places that we needed energy. In every match, we need the encouragement and support. Those outside the fence play such a crucial role in getting the team over the finish line. I loved the way our JV were positive and electric, and filled us with belief tonight.

- I really like the way we started the match

We talked before the match about coming out calm and confident. We did exactly that. I could really feel the belief in that early part of the match. Every court was decisive in their movement and groundstrokes. I believe that is what confidence really brings, a simplicity that allows us to have fun with what tennis is really about: swinging away at that moving target and enjoying ourselves as we face that challenge. I loved the way we did that!

- I really like the way we continue to be

I'll say it over and over. I like this team, this group of people. From the seniors to the 9th graders, this is a fun group to hang out with. Thanks for being there together today!

Prayer
God, we are grateful again for another beautiful day of tennis. Grateful for another day with our team. Grateful for the people you are moving us to be. Ultimately, we want to pursue trust in You over everything else. We know that we might not always succeed, but we believe that the desire to please You does please You. We thank You for the attitudes You enable us to have, and we pray for moments of joy that we can share with one another. We pray that we show Your loving and supportive care to each other as well. Thanks for all that You are, for Your way in the world.

Amen.

Scores

Varsity

#1S - Noah Schrock - 6-2, 6-3 - Brock Ginter (12)

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

#3S - Judah Miller - 6-0, 6-4 - Corbin VanVuren (11)

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

I really like the way... Elkhart

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Bethany Christian Tennis (@bcbruintennis)

Varsity Recap
The Elkhart Lions came to Bethany as the #26th ranked team in the state of Indiana. The Bruins certainly put out great effort, but couldn't find a way to defeat the Lions as a team. The Miller brothers had strong first sets, but saw things fall away at #2 and #3 singles. #1D struggled to find their shots tonight against the pace and movement of the Elkhart #1's.

But at #2D, Malachi and Ethan made the Lions feel their aggression. They played a decent first set, but didn't give up in the second. They continued to move, to challenge, to put the Lions in positions where they had to come up with difficult shots. Certainly playing their best tennis of the year, they pushed their match into a third set before falling in the darkness.

And finally, Noah played a very Noah match. The first set slipped away, but just at the end Noah found a sliver of strategy and therefore hope. Then he executed that to take a lead and run away with the second set. He took a big lead in the third to win another match on the season. This is what Noah does so often, even if he has nerves, or if his opponent is playing amazing, Noah weathers the storm and figures it out. 

In the end, the Bruins fell 4-1. But this was great competition moving us toward the post-season. Let's go Bruins!

JV Recap
The JV played at Elkhart for this match, so I didn't get video. They continued to challenge well, with Eli Steiner grabbing another victory on the season and Dominic pulling out a singles win as well. Again, I find myself super proud of the progress of this group.

As the JV season comes to an end, I really want to celebrate the progress of these players. We went from losing matches easily to teams at the beginning of the season, to taking them to tiebreaks at the end. Silas finishes with 11 wins on the season, which is amazing. Aaron and Lucas definitely began playing their best tennis, pushing the varsity in practice and winning many matches the last week of this season. Eli ended the year finding a forehand that doesn't just go in, but causes problems for his opponents. Josiah got his closest scores, Ender figured out his attacks. Preston has figured out a serve that gets things started and a forehand that keeps the rallies going. It has been awesome to see Dominic transition to some solid singles. Isaya has developed tools in his game that put pressure on his opponents. 

Seeing all these things come together is what builds the team. Can't wait to see all of our players move into a successful offseason!

I really like the way...

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

- I really like the way that Noah believes

There's no panic in Noah. At least, not outwardly. After playing as bad of a set as I've seen Noah play, he locked in. No panic, no excuses. Just finding a plan and believing in it. That believing in it part is almost as important as finding a plan in the first place. If we can be decisive, positive about our strategy, it ultimately gains effectiveness.

- I really like the way we bounce

In all of our matches, it's fun to see the confidence flow. I can see that when I see players bouncing in between points. I can see it on their faces. I love when we get that look in our eye, a relaxed confidence. A letting go and enjoying ourselves. A realization that we're going to be okay, no matter what. And then we get a very calm, very assured bounce to our game. I saw that tonight to begin the match from all of our players. We saw Noah and #2D bring it back after losing first sets. I love the positivity of it!

Prayer
God, this match was a difficult one at points. It felt like we were fighting darkness and sometimes fighting ourselves. But in those spaces are always the slivers of hope, the slivers of Your kingdom. People who will hold us up, people who believe in us, places we can trust in You. Bring us into that trust!

Amen.

Scores

Varsity

#1S - Noah Schrock - 1-6, 6-1, 6-1 - Brady Kelly (12)

#2S - Gideon Miller - 4-6, 0-6 - Logan Kelly (10)

#3S - Judah Miller - 3-6, 1-6 - Ben Miller (12)

#1D - Emerson Landis/Keagan Meyer - 1-6, 0-6 - Noah Dibley (12)/Cameron Miller (10)
#2D - Ethan Claassen/Malachi Yoder - 3-6, 6-3, 3-6 - Matt Grolich (12)/Hayden Heckaman (11)

Junior Varsity

#1SJV - Isaya Magatti - 1-4, 4-1, 2-4 - Lucas Karbaldeali (11)
#2SJV - Dominic Ramer - 1-4, 1-4 - Nate Windy (11)
#3SJV - Preston Miller - 0-4, 1-4 - Austin Linn (10)
#4SJV - Eli Steiner - 4-2, 4-1 - Dom Berkovich (9)
#5SJV - Dominic Ramer - 6-0 - Brody Rankin (10)
#1DJV - Silas Martin/Aaron Hochstetler - 1-4, 1-4 - Cortland Keim (11)/Adam Grolich (10)
#2DJV - Ender Finnigan/Josiah Aguilar Clark - 0-4, 2-4 - Albert Simeri (12)/Jackson Mitchell (10)
#3DJV - Ender Finnigan/Preston Miller - 6-7 (0) - Caden Foster (9)/Brady Cox (9)