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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!
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.
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)
#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)
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