All of the players left at this round were top players, so we aren't belittling any of the accomplishments that individuals had because they "lose" in this made up tournament. I don't think of it that way at all, obviously, and I'm sure many of you don't either.
Thanks for all that you guys have meant to the program, and I hope to highlight some of that throughout this post.
Scroll through the brackets at your leisure! On to #1S!
#1 Singles
On one side of the bracket, Byeong Min Lim from 2015 took Nathan to the wire in two sets. Both lefties with smooth strokes, this match would have been a majestic one to watch. In fact, it makes me sad that they were never on the team at the same time, so we would have gotten to see the match take place in challenges. Nathan hit a more driven ball while Byeong had a bit more safety and depth to his shot. Both could find crazy angles, but I remember Nathan finding them more with his forehand and Byeong finding them more with his backhand. Neither player had huge serves, but they were certainly effective. In the end, the deciding factor might be that Nathan would go for a little bit more when needed. But this two set match could have lasted forever, because these guys could stand on the baseline and hit forehands and backhands for hours. I remember playing Five Errors with Nathan, which is a game to see how many shots you can get in before making five errors, and he hit well over 100 shots in before making the five errors. That's incredible consistency. Combine that with the power and he's into the final - to play Byeong again!
Because on the other side, senior year Byeong defeated Ben Mast in an even more epic match. The first set went 6-4, but the next two were tiebreaks! It can barely get any tighter. Ben Mast would give Byeong a very different look than Nathan. Ben was able to hit on the baseline, but was at his best getting forward to the net. In fact, all winter before his senior year we came in 2-3 days a week, turned the volleyball net upside down and worked on approach shots, volleys and serves. Ben went from a run of the mill #1S player to one of the best in northern Indiana because of his work that winter. It gave him a weapon, a way out of points with people who just wanted to rally all day long. In this match, I can see him working points and getting to the net. But Byeong had the weapons to answer. In the final set, the match simulator program had this match with the exact same number of points won. So it just came down to who won them last. Congrats to Byeong, moving into the final at #1S. But is he also in the final at #2S?
#2 Singles
In short, nope, Byeong did not make the final at #2S. Instead, Jared Schwartzentruber took him down. Of course, this was Byeong of his sophomore year and Jared in his senior year. The parallels between the two are awesome, both beautiful topspinners of the ball. Both worked hard on their footwork. Both were a huge area of confidence for us heading into Sectional finals, and both won their matches in those Sectional finals. But I like to think about the difference between the two when it came to Regional. Senior Jared was confident, and he came into his match against a very good East Noble team and jumped out to a big lead. He sealed up the first set. Byeong did the same against East Noble as well in his Regional match. But the difference was the second set. Full of confidence, Jared kept right on rolling. Byeong's opponent hit back, and Byeong couldn't keep his level as high in that Regional. He ended up losing in three sets.
I think this match would be much the same. Senior year Jared could keep his confidence and belief high, despite dropping the first set. Sophomore year Byeong would be a little pressured after losing the second, and maybe a little shaky in the third. It's good to remember that sophomore year Byeong grew into senior year Byeong, who took care of business in third sets. We all grow as players and people, and here Jared gets through.
In the other Semi, Seth takes down Jesse. It's funny because Seth was the assistant coach in Jesse's years with the team, and I've always thought that Jesse's game kind of modeled Seth's. So to think of them playing each other is really odd. Both of these guys were incredible movers and competitors. Both had to find ways to stay positive in their matches with themselves. I'll never forget teaching Seth the silly "ball in the court" song that he sang when things were going bad. Jesse was also a competitor. In fact, Jesse fighting spirit had so much to do with why we won Sectional in 2014. He fought to take the #1S spot, after going 15-5 his junior year at #2S. Byeong was talented and intense, but Jesse beat him out for that top spot. In every match at #1S, Jesse had to battle the best players, while often sophomore year Byeong cruised through #2S matches with easy wins. Jesse had that spark his junior year, when he played #2S. And that spark was fun to watch.
But Seth's groundstrokes are just too much. To put it in perspective. Seth played varsity #2S for two years. He lost 1 match that whole time. 40-1 at #2S. 40-1! And that loss? It was 6-7, 4-6! About as close as can be! So, yeah, no shame in losing to Seth Krabill :-)
#3 Singles
Another upset, moving into the final. The #6 seed, Abe Thorne, defeats the #2 seed, Jonny Shenk. He meets up with Sol Brenneman, who defeated Wes Klassen to advance to the final. Both Semis went to three sets, but interestingly, only one of the sets was actually very close.
That close set came in Abe Thorne's victory over Jonny Shenk. I feel for Jonny Shenk, the simulation let him down here. Jonny set a tone for our three singles for several years to come. He was an almost guaranteed point at #3S. And I feel like he deserves at least an appearance in the final.
But Abe Thorne does have a huge weapon, his serve, which is always a benefit in a singles match. A lot of singles matches are decided by who can play their weapon at the right times and without making errors. That's why Isner, Raonic, Kyrgios and others are able to succeed despite shaky or inconsistent movement or groundstrokes or motivation. Because they have the big weapon of the serve. Abe used that well in his #3S career, hitting a serve that many couldn't deal with at that position.
Jonny would have been able to deal with the serve, as he returned Luke and Jared and Matthew and Daniel and others on a regular basis during practice. But one other thing that Abe had was the ability to get in the zone and not miss. He did it when he won a third set tiebreak at the Wabash tournament 10-0. He did it at the Merrillville tournament when he lost a first set 6-0 and then turned it into a three set victory. He did it through the whole 2012 season, when he won 13 matches in a row at #3S. He could get in a zone.
And yet, I think Jonny may have been the best #3S player we've had. He was a hard working player. He moved well. He would not miss a groundstroke. He developed a pinpoint passing shot. He mostly stayed calm and won. And won a lot over the course of two seasons. I appreciate everything he did for our team.
In the other Semi, Wes Klassen lost out to Sol Brenneman. Wes was a typical #3S player. Scramble around the court, get the ball back, have one really solid shot. Sol Brenneman was not typical. He zoomed around in a bit of a crazy manner. He looped a forehands which huge topspin. He came to the net (!) Wes was so amazingly steady. But in this, I think he would have trouble dealing with the relentless pressure Sol would have put on as he came to the net over and over.
Now Sol and Abe, both #3S players with attacking weapons, playing for the championship.
#1 Doubles
Double Simon's to the championship round, but neither match was easy. In the first match, Dustin and Jonathon gave quite a fight. Dustin and Jonathon were such a fun doubles team. They were intense, they were leaders, they would never give in. But Simon and Brandon had the better tennis strokes. Here's an example, Dustin was a great returner. But he did that by simply punching the serves back like volleys and rushing the net. It was really unorthodox, but he was consistent at it. Brandon was a great returner, but he did it with a driven topspin ball. Jonathon and Dustin rushed and crushed, getting to the net and trying to dominate with volleys and overheads. Brandon and Simon played 1 up and 1 back most of the time.
Dustin and Jonathon have some of the most memorable doubles matches I've ever watched. Their match against Fairfield was epic, and one of the best displays of sportsmanship that I've ever watched. We tied 2-2, the match coming down to their position, and we had match point on Dustin's serve, 40-15. Dustin hammered a serve and the returner flubbed one off the frame, down the line that got over Jonathon. It looked like it was going long and Dustin called it out. That was it, match over, Bruins win - except that Dustin realized he made the wrong call. So he corrected it, and they played on. The Falcons ended up winning the match, and the because of it the team match. It was just part of the great guys that Dustin and Jonathon were. But also, that same season, they had a match at Individual Sectional, against NorthWood's #1D. NorthWood's doubles would end up going to the final 4 in state, but we actually forced them to a third set and held a 2-1 lead in the final set. Dustin and Jonathon pushed everyone they played.
But Simon and Brandon were the best doubles team we've ever had. When their net game and serves were on, there was no place to consistently attack. And so, despite dropping a set, they move on.
The other match was the battle of the Hans. Hans with Joel or Hans with Simon. And honestly, senior Hans was more consistent and more of a joyful leader. That would make a difference in this match. Joel and Hans were just a fun doubles team. They also made beautiful memories that I'll never forget, like when Joel came out to talk to me during the break between sets at the Individual Sectional and was crying because he knew they were going to win. He just believed, he just knew. And then they did, beating a team that had beaten them 6-2, 6-3 during the season.
In the end, Simon is the best net player we've ever had. Powerful, full of great touch, and that makes a difference in a doubles match. The net is where matches are won and lost, and so, two Simons in the finals. Will he win with Brandon or Hans? We'll find out.
#2 Doubles
Here is another bracket that produced two 3-set matches in the Semi-Finals. And another Sectional champion team goes out of the bracket here in one of those tight matches.
This is the place where a real tournament would be amazing to watch. All of these matches would have been incredibly fun, and they all involve different teams from different areas. #2D has been a place where we've dominated other teams. Predictably, it's a position that we typically have a strong record. In the Semis, we've got Russell and Blake at 17-1 playing Ryan and Ethan who were 20-2!
Russell and Blake were such an interesting team. Blake really was a solid all around player, but what I remember most about him was his overhead. It was loose and aggressive, it was a shot to be feared. But that shot to be feared often was set up by Russell's amazing ability to drive low, two-handed forehands. Yep, that's right, Russell hit a two-handed forehand. Early in his career we tried to change it, but it was such a good weapon. As he settled into a doubles position for junior and senior year, we realized Russell wouldn't have to hit that many backhands, so the two-hander on the forehand was fine. And he could smoke that shot, down-the-line or cross court. And then Blake cleaned up the net.
Ryan and Ethan were an amazing team too. It's amazing to think of the great matches they played. At #2D, they won the Merrillville Invitational, winning 28 games and lost only 4 in that three match tournament. Within that tournament they completed a "Golden Set," winning a whole set without losing a point. They also completed some great wins in that season, defeating Concord, Northridge, Jimtown, NorthWood, Fairfield, and many others. They were such a fun team to watch.
In this match, I think things would have come down to Russell's forehand, and it's low clearance over the net, giving difficulties to an onrushing team of Ryan and Ethan. If I imagine this match in my head, there's no way it wouldn't go three sets, so it was cool to see the simulation reflect that.
On the other side, Daniel and Mikey were a dominant pairing. But Dustin and Lane were formidable as well. Dustin and Lane had a flair for the dramatics in matches, playing 7 tiebreaks and 6 third sets over the course of their season together. They also saved their best tennis for the end of the year, winning their last 6 matches, including a two set gem over Goshen in the Sectional. This was a #2D team that loved the net, which is sometimes unusual for #2D teams. But they were at their best when they both rushed forward and kept their energy high.
Daniel and Mikey were just great all-around players. In fact, for his first two years on the tennis team, I was convinced that Daniel would play singles. And Mikey did end up playing some singles for us. They had solid groundstrokes and solid serves and solid volleys. And they were so competitive, they never gave in. Next week, as I recap the championship, I'll tell the biggest comeback story ever that Daniel and Mikey made.
In this match, they sealed a fairly straight forward third set. I can see Dustin and Lane's huge energy and cheering and "C'mons!" as they took the second set, but I can also see Daniel and Mikey calming things down with a simple and aggressive third set, not making errors and being in the right places.
In the end, we have some intriguing championship rounds. Next weeks match-ups will be...
1 Singles - #1 Nathan Brendle, 2012 versus #2 Byeong Min Lim, 2016
2 Singles - #1 Seth Krabill, 2010 versus #3 Jared Schwartzentruber, 2008
3 Singles - #1 Sol Brenneman, 2014 versus #6 Abe Thorne, 2012
1 Doubles - #1 Simon Hurst-Brandon Nguyen, 2016 versus #2 Hans Miller-Simon Hurst, 2014
2 Doubles - #1 Daniel Buschert-Mikey Kelly, 2008 versus #3 Russell Klassen-Blake Shetler, 2010
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