What We Really Enjoyed 11: Portage Invitational and Fremont JV Invitational

Enjoy Some Highlights! 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Matt (@bcbruintennis)

What Happened in the Varsity Match?

For the varsity tournament, we had three team matches to play. First we matched up against Merrillville, then Triton for a second time, and finally with Portage. Last year, we had been able to win the first two matches, but fell in the final one - finishing 2nd then behind Portage. This year, we came into this tournament wanting to secure the title :-)

In the first match, we started out very nervy. All the singles matches either fell behind or look to be involved in very close matches. Merrillville's players were fairly consistent and not putting a lot of pace of their shots. We were struggling to finish points and getting impatient. But quick reminders to our players of our ability to be positive and patient and we were back in control. The doubles had started out much smoother. All four of Justin, Tristan, Emerson and Adam looked very in control at the net. We were finishing points quickly, before they really had a chance to get started. Our singles players moved back to their variety, mixing spins and heights of the ball and suddenly we rolled through the first round. After less than an hour, all our matches were done and we were getting some rest while our other two opponents played on.

And what a great match the Triton v. Portage one was! Portage took early leads at all five positions, but then Triton came back. Despite losing 4 of 5 first sets, Triton was able to push three of the matches to three sets. In two of those, Triton has able to win the third set tiebreak and clinch the match victory. It was actually exciting for us as well, watching Triton's #2D team win a third set tiebreak 16-14 to decide the match. 

Next up, we played Triton. We were wary about the positive energy that they might have after coming off of a big win. And the Trojans did play well, but I was so pleased with our team. Gideon was the first to begin, and he quickly took care of business. He had won his #2S match quickly on Monday when we played Triton, and he did so again tonight. Simple shots and smart play have been his domain lately. He's been on a roll. That gave us an early lead before any other matches had really even gotten started.

Next up, both doubles rolled. Triton's doubles had provided key challenges and victories against Portage, but again, our doubles four controlled the net. It was so key in putting things away and keeping the Trojans on their toes. So many times our net players found angles through the defenses, with short forehands or half slammed volleys. I loved that.

Noah started out close but gained speed as he began to move to better spots for his attacking shots. He pulled away from his opponent as the match went on. But Ian was in a close battle. After splitting sets with his opponent Monday and not being able to finish the match due to rain, Ian picked up where they had left off - with the Bruins having the momentum. Ian raced out to a 5-2 lead before the nerves kicked in. Trying to close out the set, Ian got tight, and suddenly the match was close. After losing back to back games, Ian squeaked out a break of serve to take the set 6-4.  

Ian served out the first game of the second set confidently and looked like rolling as well. But his Triton opponent fought back. Back and forth went the second set, all the way to a tiebreak. Ian had chances to finish it after being up 5-3, but again, that's when the nerves set in. 

At this point, our team was on to playing the final match. #2S, #1D, and #2D were already well underway as we moved through the schedule. I found myself running from one side of the court to the other, trying to keep track of strategies and scores. 

Ian got down big in the second set tiebreaker, then brought it all the way back to 6-6. But Ian couldn't close it out, so against Triton, Ian headed to a third set tiebreak.

Against Portage, Gideon continued his strong play. Early in the match, it was easy to see that Portage's #2 player - who had two victories on the day before this match, was frustrated and beginning to lack belief. Gideon kept things simple and served well to secure our first point against Portage.

In the meantime, Ian was still finishing our match against Triton. Ian went down big again in the 10 point third set tiebreak, trailing 5-1. But then something clicked for Ian and sent the pressure the other way. Ian reeled off 9 of the next 10 points to win the tiebreak and get a big win. As a coach, I was so happy that Ian cleared this hurdle of nerves and finishing. Can't wait to see the confidence it gives!

In the final Portage match, #2D continue their wonderful net-controlling day. Against a team that hit more powerful groundstrokes than the other two they played, Emerson and Adam continued to find the angles and touches to put them in difficult positions. This allowed them both to find great shots to put away at the net. But their serves also put a lot of pressure on the Portage returns. It was a really nice day for these two.

#1D found themselves in a real battle. Both #1D teams in this match were 2-0 on the day. Portage came out really fired up and played incredible tennis (almost untouchable tennis) for the first part of the first set. They took a 4-0 lead on us and had their fans and parents in a frenzy. But Tristan and Justin handled themselves well. They came back from 4-0 down to only trail 5-4. Unfortunately, they couldn't quite tie up the set and had to move into the second. But in the second, we continued our new found confident play. So much of how our doubles play is determined by how well we control the net. In the second set, we were making simple plays and causing Portage to scramble. This sent the match to a third set tiebreak, and the whole thing was back and forth. No team took a large lead. We were able to secure a match point, but saw it fall by the wayside with a return in the net. Portage was able to convert their first chance, and won the match. 

I was so impressed at how Justin and Tristan kept their heads in a competitive atmosphere. Hopefully they will keep their confidence the next match they have that gets tight.

So the Bruins needed one more position win to secure the tournament title, and it had to come from Noah or Ian, who both entered the courts after the rest of us. In the end, there was little drama, as Noah quickly and consistently moved to a 6-0, 6-0 victory. Noah was followed by Ian, who also secured a 6-0, 6-0 win. In both matches, the Bruins were simply too consistent and too able to come up with the attacking shots in the right moments.

With Noah's victory, we clinched the title. With Ian's, we began to celebrate. We picked up the trophy, snapped some photos, and went to Buffalo Wild Wings to celebrate. It was a wonderful day!

 

What Happened in the JV Match?

While the varsity were at Portage, the JV traveled to Fremont. This was supposed to be a tournament with 6 squads, but when they arrived they found that 2 groups couldn't make it. So it was also a 4 team tournament that they would be competing in. 

Several players continued their late season surges, playing excellent tennis. Both doubles positions got great wins on the day. Keagan and Elliot were able to get a fast start and defeat a good DeKalb doubles team, before also collecting a win over Oak Farm's varsity. Silas and Malachi have really played great doubles when they've been focused, and they followed Keagan and Elliot's pattern. 

Isaya was able to defeat Oak Farm's varsity player as well, meaning that the Bruins JV picked up a win over the Oak Farm team. Unfortunately, we weren't able to secure any other victories in the singles matches. That may be because of a slight injury (Ethan) or a sickness (Dominic). But we had a great day. 

(P.S. I'll try to add more to the match report after I talk to Daniel :-)

What Were the 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 :-)

Angles!

Justin and Tristan were forced to play with angles all day. Several of the doubles teams they faced made them, by either being quick and running down un-angled balls or by whipping wide angle forehands themselves. I was impressed at the way that both Justin and Tristan chased down the wide angled shots and replied with great angles of their own. I was especially excited by the volley angles they were able to find, dropping them short, through the middle or at cross court angles.

Serves!

The team really served well today. Constantly we were the recipients of "free" points on serve, either from aces or unreturnable serves. At doubles, I even saw several versions of my absolute favorite tennis play. A great serve from Emerson would lead to a popped up return, and then Adam would slam it down. A spinner from Justin would jump into the body of the returner, prompting a floated return that Tristan would stab through the middle of the court. At singles, Ian and Noah limited double faults and were able to force a lot of errant returns, while Gideon actually found a number of aces in his match. Serves were a strength today.

Falling Down!

Gideon won two more points today while falling down. While I don't want this to become a thing, it does speak to our tenacity, our willingness to never give up. I also noticed Emerson really getting low to lunge for volleys in his match, a skill that he also has. Falling down isn't ideal, but it does make the point fun when we give so much effort :-)

What Were the 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.

Gathered Around

Because we had just 7 players at these tournaments, most of the time everyone was playing. What I experienced however, with the varsity, was that when someone's match finished they rushed down to support and cheer and enjoy whoever was still playing their match. After Emerson and Adam had won their final match, they jogged over and wondered what we still had to do to win the tournament... and then jogged over to cheer for Noah to wrap it up for us, and for #1D to complete a comeback. I love the times when we can gather around together, on the bus or at a meal after the matches are done, sharing stories and encouragement for one another. It's makes me grateful every year.

Let's Take a Moment of Intention

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

Lord, this was a day that we got to enjoy lots of time together. I'm grateful for that, whether we win or whether we lose. Thanks for our teammates and sharing this world with a lot of cool people. Amen.

Scores

Varsity

Bethany Christian 5, Merrillville 0

#1S - Noah Schrock - 6-2, 6-0 - Ahmed Sulieman (12)

#2S - Gideon Miller - 6-2, 6-1 - Steffen Smith (12)

#3S - Ian McHugh - 6-2, 6-1 - Mareo Mukes (12) 

#1D - Tristan Mast/Justin Hochstedler - 6-0, 6-1 - Cameron Fields (11)/Tristan Thomas (9) 

#2D - Adam Siemen Rhodes/Emerson Landis - 6-1, 6-0 - Cole Hurst (11)/Dariyon Ganaway (10)

Bethany Christian 5, Triton 0

#1S - Noah Schrock - 6-2, 6-1 - Caden Large (11)

#2S - Gideon Miller - 6-1, 6-0 - Ethan Shively (12)

#3S - Ian McHugh - 6-4, 6-7 (6), 10-6 - Colton Large (9)

#1D - Tristan Mast/Justin Hochstedler - 6-2, 6-0 - Zac Greer (12)/Isaiah Vaca (11)

#2D - Adam Siemen Rhodes/Emerson Landis - 6-1, 6-0 - Max Ritchison (9)/Blayze Hensley (9)

Bethany Christian 4, Portage 1

#1S - Noah Schrock - 6-0, 6-0 - Nolan Sheets (11)

#2S - Gideon Miller - 6-0, 6-1 - Michael Bourge (11)

#3S - Ian McHugh - 6-0, 6-0 - Logan Podgorski (9)

#1D - Tristan Mast/Justin Hochstedler - 4-6, 6-4, 9-11 - Tim Brewster (12)/Nathan Pollard (11)

#2D - Adam Siemen Rhodes/Emerson Landis - 6-2, 6-0 - Casey Winicky (12)/David Lopez (11)

Junior Varsity

#1SJV - Ethan Claassen - 0-3

#2SJV - Dominic Ramer - 0-3

#3SJV - Isaya Magatti - 1-2

#1DJV - Elliot Hertzler Gascho/Keagan Meyer - 2-1

#2DJV - Silas Martin/Malachi Yoder - 2-1