Match Report #1: Jimtown

Instagram Reel 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Matt (@bcbruintennis)

Varsity Recap
Last week, we opened the season against Angola in our scrimmage fairly timidly. Having six new varsity players, we were trying to see whether we could play at this new level. And that question was answered: we could definitely compete. Tonight, we started play with confidence right across the board. 

We didn't take leads at every position, but each player started strongly. Noah paced out to a 3-0 lead, Josiah and Jacob went up 3-1, and Matthew and Austin held a 2-1 advantage. Cameron and Breece each played close games and looked confident. I was really proud of the way we took to the court!

At #3S, Noah was able to keep up his early advantage. His opponent struggled with errors throughout the match, and Noah was able to take advantage of that by staying consistent and even tempered. With his calm demeanor, you never would have known he was a freshman playing his first varsity match. He finished up first for the Bruins with a 6-0, 6-0 win!

Breece was battling his own match of consistency, but in this case, it was his opponent was the one who was really bringing that. Breece had a good rhythm, but struggled to find a way past his junior opponent. I was super proud of the positivity that Breece brought to this difficult type of match. 

And Cameron at #1S brought a lot of competitive fire. Despite not having his very top level today, he was committed to trying to find a way to win. Serving well, he kept the first set pressure on his senior opponent. He also changed paces and placements, trying to find a weakness. Cameron found some cracks, but the experienced Jimtown player closed them up quickly, running around backhands and becoming a bit more aggressive in the points. Cameron struggled to keep control of the points, and while keeping games close, he couldn't quite find the closing shot.

#1D, Austin and Matthew, had a similar match. They got out strong, really confident and attacking. As their opponents swung back, they began to get tentative. A tentative stretch at the end of the first set cost them the first set. Then Austin and Matthew began a run of their own. They pressed toward the net and looked fired up, taking a 5-2 lead in the second set. However, they couldn't maintain their aggression to close the match. The Jimtown doubles team expertly kept them back at the baseline, and came back in the set. It was a nervy end of the match, that saw both sides have multiple chances in each game. In the end, Austin and Matthew lost a close one.

But at #2D, we ended up winning a close one! Josiah and Jacob were also competing in their first varsity match together, and they went through some of the same ups and downs that Cameron, Matthew, and Austin experienced. At times, the #2D's shots were intentional and directed. At times, they became timid and unsure. In the big moments, however, Jacob and Josiah were able to find a vicious backhand slice or a timely net intervention to pull out the big points. Jacob served particularly well in the match and Josiah really cut off the middle well. They also had so much fun. They were forced into a second set tiebreak as Jacob's serve was broken, but responded by winning it 7-1 with lots of energy!

So, the varsity lost 3-2, and has a lot of good information to take into the next practices. Lots of places to build on!

JV Recap
Jimtown had a small JV, so only three matches were played. But these matches offered us much of what we needed to grow. Both Jimtown players were players who didn't have the most smooth looking strokes, but they kept the ball in play. And so it forced us to play with consistency and placement to win points. And each of our JV representatives took to that challenge well. 

Jacob Shank is an attack minded player, which I love. His match was a great opportunity to see if he could control and direct that attack, while keeping the attacking mentality. It was a challenge, but one that Jacob was able to navigate. It was fun to see him hitting volleys and flying overheads. 

The same with Tristan and Ian, who played the same Jimtown player in each of their matches. I was so impressed by their ability to stay focused and keep moving. The difference often times between a JV and varsity player is often the ability to keep your feet moving and split stepping through a point, because that split-second movement is what keeps the ball in your perfect contact zone or allows it to slip away. Both Tristan and Ian moved really well in their matches today.

I was really pleased by the progress that these three made in their matches!


Moments of Joy
These are going to be moments that I saw in the match that were fun, beautiful and memorable! Again, just from what I happened to see :-)

Jacob Shank's flying overhead

Watching #2D by the railroad tracks, I looked down to see how things were going for Jacob. When I looked down, I saw him hitting a forehand approach and coming to the net. His opponent bent low and lifted a low altitude lob that wrong-footed Jacob a bit. He couldn't get stopped and turned back in time, so he launched up to take a forward momentum, leaping overhead - and smashed it right away for a winner. It was a super fun shot.

Matthew's forehands

We have a lot of good players on this team with a variety of skills. We don't always have a ton of weapons. Matthew's forehand is a weapon. I loved all night watching it whip across the net cross-court, or finding a winner down the sideline. My favorite was when it came off of a return, ripped into the alley where the other team can only hope that it goes out. It's a risky shot, but beautiful and energetic when completed. 

Josiah and Jacob's tiebreak energy

After leading the whole second set, #2D had to go into a tiebreak to decide the set. I was afraid they'd be down on themselves, or concerned, but they picked it right up. A big part of this was the energy they kept through each point, especially provided by a super-hyped Josiah. They really wanted to seal this victory and kept going after it. Both guys hit some of their best shots, and had some of their best high fives in the tiebreak. To check out an example of that energy, see the final point in the reel at the top of the post.

Moments of Encouragement
This segment is where I'll highlight ways that we built each other up during the match or the lead up to it.

Cameron's Speech

I love teams where the players do the talking. After stretching, Cameron gathered up the team and all the sudden we were clapping and shouting and I had nothing to do with it. Afterwards, the guys told me that Cameron basically encouraged the team to not be afraid, to go out expecting to win. Yes. I love this type of team inspired confidence. Way to go Cam and team!

Moment of Intention

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

God, I am filled with gratitude to be the coach of these young men. They are listeners, they are encouragers, they are strong. Lord, remind us that nothing that we can do will make us worth more than we already are. Wins are fun, hitting winners can make us shout, and getting better is important - but it doesn't add anything to who we are. Help us celebrate that, embrace that, proclaim that, and live it out to each other and others. Thanks for the ways that You are with us. Amen.

Scores

Varsity

#1S - Cameron Heinisch - 3-6, 1-6 - Matt Magraf (12)

#2S - Breece Erickson - 1-6, 0-6 - Beau Kaler (11)

#3S - Noah Schrock - 6-0, 6-0 - Caleb Koets (11)

#1D - Austin Shenk/Matthew Dyck - 4-6, 5-7 - Aiden Short (12)/Dylan Cook (11)

#2D - Jacob Leininger/Josiah Schlabach - 7-5, 7-6 (1) - Gaege Wachs (11)/Zane Wort (9)

Junior Varsity

#1SJV - Jacob Shank - 7-5 - Payton Phillips (11)

#2SJV - Tristan Mast - 6-0 - AJ Allen (9)

#3SJV - Ian McHugh - 6-1 - AJ Allen (9)