Knights Invitational Champions - 2019

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

Photos
Click here for photos from the match.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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