Good Bye 2010......Hello, 2011!

Late December Sunset alongside Interstate 10 in West Texas

Tonight we say good-bye to 2010 and hello to a New Year, 2011. An opportunity to look back at the accomplishments of 2010 and forward to the hopes of 2011.

2010

Kohawk Tennis sent four seniors out into the "real" world. Matei Dima, Megan Fiala, Greg Janssen, and Andrea Schupbach. Great people. We expect great things from each.

On court, both Teams enjoyed winning records again, finished 2nd in Conference, produced Individual Conference Champions (Greg Janssen singles, Tai Lucero singles, Tai & Michelle Schupbach doubles), Two IIAC MVP's (Greg & Tai) and were rewarded with Intercollegiate Tennis Association Rankings in the singles, doubles and Team categories.

Longtime Assistant Coach Mark Murphy began a new phase of his career when he became the Head Women's Tennis Coach at Kalamazoo College in January.

The Kohawks welcomed in two new Assistants, Kris Diehl (former Northern Illinois standout) in January, and Rob Rye (Whitman College player, Chapman University Asst Coach) in August.

Coach Kris earned 3 Silver Balls, One Bronze, and one 4th place finish in her first two USTA National Tournaments.

Coach Rodgers wrapped up 15 years of serving on the ITA Ranking Committee by serving as the NCAA National Chair for DIII Men's Tennis.

2011

One never knows what the next 12 months will bring but there are a few things I can guarantee for Kohawk Tennis.

....We will compete for Conference Individual & Team titles as well as ITA/NCAA Rankings

....Each & Every Individual will improve their tennis games while having a good time doing so.

....Our Spring Break Trip to Florida will be loads of fun for the players and exhausting for the coaches!

....On May 8th Kohawk Tennis will graduate some more irreplaceable and outstanding individuals (Natalie Bordignon, Prateek Haralalka, Hannah Jensen, Elliot Rausa, & Scott Stegemann)

....On August 29th Kohawk Tennis will welcome in the Class of 2015. A select group that will continue and expand on the accomplishments of those that have come before them.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Holiday Greetings from the College....

Simply wanted to share a link with all of you to the greeting card / video that the College sent out this Holiday season:

Coe College Holiday Card

Here is a direct link to the holiday video if you can't access it from the card:

Coe College Holiday Video

Lastly, a picture of Emmie for you. She got a balance bike (no pedals) from Santa....the idea is that children use their feet to gain momentum and then pick up their feet to coast once they have mastered balance. Essentially negates the need for training wheels when transition to an actual bike. Appears that Emmie mastered Mom (and my willingness to push her) before balance, huh? Note the Coe Tennis stocking cap as well...

Holiday Break

From the warmth of the lobby in the Clark Racquet Center peering out at the icicle laden remains of an early morning fog.

Although Coe College is shut down for the Holiday Break until January 5th, plenty of action in the Racquet Center as local students, professors, and alums work off the Holiday Dinners. And, away from campus, from as far away as Orel, Russia, 29 Kohawk Tennis Team members are undergoing their daily fitness routines so that they will all be prepared for the rigors and physical demands of the upcoming seasons. Men get underway in four weeks, the Women in seven weeks.

The End of the Path....

At the end of the Canyon, a more blissful stroll along the Rio Grande!

My intangible hopes for the Spring Tennis seasons.

#1--The Kohawks are physically prepared for easy or difficult challenges.
#2--That all of us enjoy the process of preparation.
#3--That all of us take the time to savor competitive challenges.

Journeys......

As most of you know, I recently spent a few days wandering around trails in Big Bend National Park. Once or twice a year, I try to get away for some "me" time, to unwind, to ponder, to plan out the upcoming months, establish goals, and courses of action. Hidden within the photo above is a trail I traveled descending some 800' to the Rio Grande River. One of the toughest non-rope descents I have ever made.

As a Tennis Player we all make Journeys too. Some easy, some difficult. Often times Tennis Players focus on results, a win or a loss, rather than the process. Easy to do. Our society is incredible in its interest in the final score. In a tennis match we cannot control the final score. What we can do is control our effort on each point, keeping our emotions positive and under control, pitting our skills against an opponent's until an outcome is reached. No matter how uncomfortable we might become.

As I wandered down that canyon, falling occasionally, slipping constantly, I thought about being done with the descent, of being on a more comfortable path. Subconsciously I realized that I had better pay attention and concentrate on getting down the canyon, rather than being comfortable, because if I didn't, I could well finish this journey with a broken bone. Or two!

More pictures from Big Bend....

Update from Big Bend

Coach Rodgers hiked the Marufo Vega Loop Trail yesterday - a 12-14 mile treacherous, true backcountry experience!

Believe Coach planned a desert hike today (flat!) after yesterday's adventure. Picture from this morning:

Back on Court!

Took a couple days off following National's, but am back on court! Perhaps in prep for Les Grandes Dames? Spent some time assessing my weaknesses, and am in the process of formulating a plan to remedy.

Off court, and as stated in one of my previous posts, my fitness level could have been higher down in Ft. Lauderdale. I am actually quite fit, but need to be fitter to compete at that level. Plus, FITNESS is one of the core principles of the Coe Tennis Program....can't hurt to lead by example! Thinking I may par down the 60 day Insanity program to 5 weeks, with "maintenance" workouts the week of the tournament. This past Spring, I tackled the full 60 day Insanity program, and found myself in the best shape of my life upon completion.

On court, I need to improve my mid-court game. This was very evident in my 3 set match against Chuck Lampe yesterday! Also, both Coach and I have been working on our footwork / recovery footwork......recovering to or near the baseline when hitting rally groundstrokes; which should allow me to best take advantage of the short ball (once my mid-court game improves of course!). The Spaniards do this with ease, which is why we have incorporated some Spanish training drills into team practices. There are certainly other weaknesses in my game, but focusing on the above two will be most advantageous to me in the near term, and in prep for another clay tournament.

On campus, most of the students have completed finals and are more than ready for Break! Coach Rob is on a plane back to CA and Coach Rodgers is somewhere in Big Bend National Park (TX) at the moment.....probably recovering from a 15 mile hike! The Racquet Center will be fairly quiet over the course of the next month. The 3 coaches will utilize the time to prep for the Spring season.....practice planning, player development assessment, etc.

How about the Class of 2009?

The Kohawk Tennis Class of 2009 had four prominent members. What are they up to today two years after graduation?

Susan Gilmer- was a four year singles standout for the Kohawks finishing 10th all-time in career singles victories. She won an incredible 4 hour singles match in the Spring 2008 AQ Event to put Coe into the NCAA Tournament. She was a stellar student at Coe, helping to keep the Team GPA high. Currently she is employed as an Accountant for Ernst & Young in Des Moines, Iowa. She is engaged and planning a Fall Wedding!

Sam Zerbib-was a prolific doubles player for Coe, playing all four years at #1 doubles. One of the all-time "nice guys", Sam teamed with Elliot Rausa in 2009 to post a 25-4 mark at #1D, 3rd best season ever for Coe and they were the alternate selection for the NCAA Championships for the Central Region. A graduate of the renowned Coe Physics Program, Sam will finish his Master's Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Northern Arizona University this coming Spring.

Molly Fiala-holds every record for Women's Tennis at Coe. She was both a singles and doubles All-American, won the ITA Regional in singles & doubles, and was a 4 time Iowa Conference MVP. Molly completed her Nursing Degree and passed her RN exams this summer and is employed at Mercy Hospital here in Cedar Rapids. She is also engaged and planning a Fall Wedding!

Joey Lankelma-Finished his career tied for 12th on the All-Time Men's Career Wins list. Joey played all over the lineup from #1 to #6, and was well-known for the length of his singles matches. A tenacious competitor who would hit balls in the court forever! Joey finished his Student Teaching in the Fall of 2009, and was immediately hired as a Teacher in the Davenport, Iowa school system where he also serves as the Boy's Tennis Coach.

WINTER is why we have THESE!

At Coe College, Winter NEVER gets in the way of a quality session on REAL Tennis Courts!

The Indoor Courts in the Clark Racquet Center are located no more than 400 meters from any dorm on the Coe College campus!

WINTER HAPPENS!

In most of the country Winter Happens! The Outdoor Courts are pictured after the 1st Winter Storm of the year hit last night. Yes, that is a sheet of ice on the North side of all six courts!

CLASS of 2010?

Andrea Schupbach, Greg Janssen & Megan Fiala....Coe College's Tennis Class of 2010. And where are they now, one semester after graduating?

Andrea Schupbach--Andi is an Admissions Counselor here at Coe College with recruiting responsibilities for Western Iowa, the Dakota's and the Eastern United States. When not on the road traveling, she can be seen daily in the Racquet Center either on the tennis courts, or burning up the treadmill with her country music blaring away! Andi finished her tennis career as #2 on the all-time wins list and received All-American honors in doubles in 2009.

Greg Janssen--Greg is the Assistant M & W Tennis Coach at Bates College in Lewiston, Maine where he works for highly respected Head Coach Paul Gastonguay. Greg and his grandfather just earned another "silver" in the USTA Grandfather/Grandson National Hardcourts in La Jolla, California. In typical Greg fashion, he assures us that his Bates team will be going to California next May for the NCAA D3 Championships. Greg finished his playing career as 6th on the all-time wins list and was named the MVP of the Iowa Conference in 2010.

Megan Fiala--Megan is a Sales Account Representative for Northwestern Mutual Life here in Cedar Rapids. Megan can be found almost daily at some point here in the Racquet Center wearing out the elliptical machine, or knocking some tennis balls around the court with her sister, Molly. Megan finished her career 4th on the all-time doubles wins list and 9th in combined singles & doubles wins.

HOLIDAY PARTY

Pictures from the Holiday Party above.....with the players in their new Coe College Tennis swag (holiday gifts from the program)! Coach Rob and I spent much of Sunday prepping food for the party - BBQ beef sandwiches, Rob's cajun bean soup, various sides and desserts (including my Aunt Christy's "Best Sugar Cookies") were served. The party was certainly a lot of fun!

The Fall Sports Banquet followed our Holiday Party. With the women's conference season taking place in the Fall, our ladies collected many awards. Recognition for all conference, academic all conference and Conference MVP (first year Tai Lucero) was received. Coach Rodgers addressed the upcoming Spring season in his speech as well.....Tai Lucero is currently ranked #10 in the Central region, and Hannah Jensen #11....the top 8 qualify for Nationals in CA this Spring and we (as a coaching staff and program) know that is attainable, and would really like to be in attendance!

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Lastly, 30's NATIONAL TOURNAMENT UPDATE:

Inoue beat Riddell in the final 6-3, 6-1. I really would have liked to see Trish win that match (Trish and I played doubles together in New York this past summer). However, the score and victor does make me feel a bit better about the outcome of my match against Inoue.

Also, meant to thank Patty and the members of the Lauderdale Tennis Club for a well run and enjoyable tournament. Need to personally thank Bob (one of the members) for wearing his Iowa Wrestling t-shirt for me 3 days in a row - I'll bring you a Kohawk Tennis t-shirt for next year.....and I expect to collect on the drink that you owe me as well, even if only a lemonade! Finally, a hello to Pam - member of the club, born and raised Iowan and fellow City High graduate!

Tournament Recap

Apologies for the delayed post. I know all of you are waiting on edge for updates, right? Unfortunately, the tournament did not pan out as planned. I batted 0-3 yesterday.

Dropped the singles semi in the morning (6-1, 6-0) to an opponent that proved to be much tougher than anticipated. Inoue simply did not miss.....EVER! Based on that fact, and an admitted mentality going into the match that she was better than I, believe I gave up on grinding from the baseline too soon in the match. Tried playing more of an attack game to counter, yet that aspect of my game simply is not ready (yet!) for that level of play. Had a I stuck a few more set-up volleys, I suppose the score would have been respectable. Overall, she broke me down mentally and physically....too soon in the match....and much too easily in my opinion. Live and learn!

Following that performance (or lack thereof), lost the mixed final. Neither my partner or I played up to par. Thus, I partially retract my statement that anything short of a Gold Ball was on me.....yet, still take my fair share of the blame. Mentally, I was still struggling after receiving my beat-down in the morning and BJ alluded to his lack of recent competitive play. On the other hand, our opponents stepped up.....played very fundamental, smart doubles and their DESIRE to win was very obvious. Congratulations to my doubles partner on receiving her first Gold Ball!

The doubles final also proved difficult....against the #1 seed (Riddell and Dailey). We lost 6-1, 7-6(4).....definitely had our opportunities in the second to split, but their matchplay experience prevailed.

Rough day for me! Big picture remains promising though. Room for improvement and will continue to do so. Still seeking my first Gold Ball. Currently have 3 Silvers, 1 Bronze and a 4th place trophy (defaulted the 3/4 match so that I could catch my plane last night) at the National level. Feel like Phil Mickelson for much of his career and prior to 2004....always 2nd! Nonetheless, have an increased appreciation for those with multiple Gold Balls.....Riddell acquired her 14th after beating my partner and I in doubles yesterday (and perhaps will have #15 shortly if she fares better than I against Inoue), Ginnard has 30+ and Dodo Cheney holds 266!

Immediately departed for the airport following my matches. Caught my flight. Arrived in Chicago late last night and drove through a snow storm on our way back to Iowa. Given my rushed departure, was still in tennis attire upon arriving home. It is not too often one tracks SNOW and CLAY into the house at the same time. Glad to be home and looking forward to the Holiday Party we have scheduled for the teams this Monday!

Thanks to all for their support in my endeavour to acquire a Gold Ball.....especially my family and Coach Rodgers!

Semi-Finals!

Started with doubles at noon and it was quite a match! I served to start the match and was immediately broken (good start, huh?). We were close to being down 0-3, but my partner fought off some tough returns and game points to keep us in the set. Won the first 7-5; dropped the second set 6-3. Started strong in the 3rd and quickly went up 4-1. Unfortunately, we let them back in the match.....my partner was broken at 4-2, and I at 5-3. With the crowd behind them (Ginnard is one of the pros at Lauderdale Tennis Club), our opponents took the lead 6-5, 40-15 in the game. We fought off the two match points, and a third ad point in their favor, before eventually taking the game. I had a stab volley that trickled over the net on one of those match points.....those that know me well understand that luck is usually on my side! Although, my Dad always says, "You create your own luck." Perhaps my hours on the court with Coach drilling low volleys at me paid off? OK....back to the match. Quickly down 0-3 in the 3rd set breaker, but continue to fight and end up winning the breaker 7-4 to take the match. Several momentum swings throughout the match; great doubles all around! Props to my doubles partner (Ioulia Bolotova) and our opponents for putting on a great show!

Despite the long match, I was ready and fired up for mixed doubles. Took a short break while the court was being swept, brushed and watered down. I have to admit it is pretty cool to step onto a freshly swept clay court. Everyone held serve the first 7 games and the quality of doubles was very high! We got the break at 4-3 and cruised from there......6-3, 6-1.

Again, was ready to play singles! Unfortunately, the singles semi's were moved to tomorrow at the request of others. I have a flight out Friday evening, but doubt I will make it since the Singles Final and/or 3/4 match is scheduled for Saturday morning.

Tomorrow's schedule of play:

Singles Semi - 10 am

Mixed Final - 2 pm

Doubles Final - 4 pm

Florida - Quarterfinal Action

Pictured with my mixed partner (BJ Munroe) above.

Given the weather back home, feel guilty stating the following, but the weather definitely could have been better today! The wind picked up immediately prior to the start of 12:30 matches requiring a bit of adjustment on the court. Cold front came in mid-afternoon as well. Nonetheless, 3 wins! Semi-final action in all 3 events tomorrow:

Women's Doubles - 12 pm

Mixed Doubles - 1:45 pm

Singles - 4 pm

Playing Mami Inoue (Bradenton, FL) in the singles semi. Inoue is solid on both sides, moves extremely well and is currently ranked #479 on the WTA Tour. Looking forward to testing myself against such a quality opponent.

Will be competing against the 2 seed in the doubles semi - Mary Ginnard and Vesna McKenna. Two very talented women on the tennis court, each possessing countless Gold Balls. Ginnard plays with much finesse and McKenna aggression. A tough duo, but again, should be a great match!

Did I mention that my mixed partner is a 6 time member of the Davis Cup Team for the Bahamas? Yeah, he is REALLY, REALLY good. Despite being the 2nd seed, anything short of a Gold Ball in mixed is on me!

Supposed to be colder tomorrow....the high is ONLY 74.

Day 2 in Florida

Practiced again this morning for an hour with my doubles partner, and snuck a quick hit in before my first round match this afternoon. Felt more comfortable moving on the clay today, and played with confidence. Won 6-0, 6-0. Big day tomorrow....singles at 12:30, mixed doubles at 3 and doubles at 4. Playing mixed with Bjorn Munroe, a 6 time member of the Davis Cup Team for the Bahamas. Attended the player BBQ this evening. Off to bed....need to rest up for tomorrow!

Emmie and I at Butterfly World this morning:

Florida!

After 4 days of a fun-filled family Thanksgiving (with 17 relatives), my husband, daughter and I left for Florida. I will be competing in the USTA National 30's Clay Court Championships Tuesday through Friday of this week in Ft. Lauderdale.

Our evening flight out of Chicago was delayed, which made for difficult travels.....Enterprise (car rental company) closes at midnight.....we arrived just before and found ourselves trekking through the airport with a 2 1/2 year old, car seat, tennis bag, etc.

The upside - we packed light, received our rental car with seconds to spare, Emmie (our daughter) slept the entire flight and until 11 a.m. this morning, and I got to hit on clay courts today in sunny Ft. Lauderdale! Heard it was 40 and raining back home?

The downside - in sharing my tournament experience with you, I must admit that I am in fact 30 years of age. I realize that I don't appear to be in my 30's and have been questioned at both National Tournaments this year. In New York (at the Grass Court National Tournament), the registration desk sent me to the back courts to check in.....for the kids' camp that was being held! Today, the registration desk asked if I was old enough to be playing in the tournament and jokingly asked for an ID. Anyway, yes, I'm 30.....almost 31!

Snuck on a practice court today with my doubles partner and hit for a good 90 minutes. Despite my limited exposure to clay courts throughout the training process, I adapted fairly quickly. The courts at Coe are strikingly similar in terms of speed. Lower bounce obviously, but kept hearing Coach Rodgers telling me to "move to the bounce." Coach has been helping me train the past couple of months and repeatedly stressed the importance of moving to the ball.

Overall, feel like I've improved considerably over the course of the past 10 months. Attribute much of that improvement to Coach Rodgers and the Coe College Tennis Program in general. I now have a backhand (after years of favoring my forehand side), confidence in my overhead and my rally groundstroke consistency is higher than ever. Honestly, believe that I'm playing better tennis than I ever did at the Division I level many years ago (since you are aware of my age now, 10 years to be exact). However, I must admit that I am not as prepared physically as I was for New York. Regardless, very much looking forward to playing this week! Singles play opens up at 3 pm tomorrow, with doubles and mixed doubles starting on Wednesday.

Tournament Homepage - http://tennislink.usta.com/tournaments/TournamentHome/Tournament.aspx?T=83418

A couple of fun pictures for you also. Emmie at the beach, and enjoying a spaghetti dinner.

LONDON 2010--Endgame

Once again, we were treated with Rafael Nadal versus Roger Federer in the final match of the ATP year end championships.

A brilliant semifinal win for Nadal over Murray in some of the cleanest ball-striking that I saw during the entire year. Murray and Nadal are likely the two best "grinders" on tour these days, and they both realized early on that offense would be required to win. Nadal created just a bit more of that to edge Murray 86 in the 3rd set tiebreaker. If you get the chance, watch this match again when the Tennis Channel shows it on replay. Great Tennis!

Federer basically walked all over the field en route to the finals. Straight set round robin wins over Ferrer, Murray, and Soderling yielded a semi final match where he easily handled Djokovic by a 61 64 count.

I picked Nadal to win, primarily because Federer had yet to prove that he could handle the high bouncing Nadal FH to his own one-handed BH. So what happened? For two of the three sets, Federer generally disdained his underspin BH for the 1st time in my memory and came over his BH, even at chest and shoulder height, hitting numerous winners. I am not sure but I even think Nadal mentally cracked late in the 3rd, something I KNOW I have never, ever seen!

The win by Federer is good for the game of Tennis. It keeps alive a rivalry, forces Nadal to get better(and you had better believe he will!), and gives Federer the belief in his new coach(Paul Annacone) and his ability to re-capture the world #1 ranking.

Makes for a good 2011!

Looking forward to the Australian Open!

LONDON 2010--update

OK.....So the Surface(carpet) is not that fast....the Bounce is low....Robin Soderling cannot bend his knees very well....Roddick can serve on any surface....AND Federer is still pretty darn good!

LONDON 2010

The ATP London Year-End Men's Tennis Championships begin Sunday morning with the year's top eight singles and doubles point winners participating in a round-robin format before the top two in each group advance to the knockout semi-final phase at week's end.

World #1 Rafael Nadal and #2 Roger Federer are in opposite groups and favored to advance. However, Paris winner Robin Soderling(pictured) is perhaps the world's best Indoor player and should fare quite well with his first-strike game on the quick, low-bouncing indoor carpet.

Group A Group B

Robin Soderling Novak Djokovic
Andy Murray Tomas Berdych
David Ferrer Rafael Nadal
Roger Federer Andy Roddick

Sunday singles play begins at approximately 8am(CST) with Soderling taking on local favorite, Andy Murray. Federer and David Ferrer will be on about 2pm. Group B begins play on Monday with Djokovic/Berdych in the early singles, and Nadal/Roddick later on.

Despite the surface which would seem to favor first shot ball strikers like Soderling, Federer, and Roddick, I think Nadal(if he has any mental energy left after the 11 month professional season) will come out on top. He proved to me(and countless others!) that he CAN play on a fast court when he won the US Open in September on the lightning quick courts in New York City. His deceptively good serve, especially in the Ad court, will prove decisive over the course of the week.

All in all, a great week of tennis ahead, especially since with the upcoming Thanksgiving Break, we all will have time to view more than usual!

Tune into the Tennis Channel for their complete coverage.

ENGAGED!

Former Coe standout and 2 time All-American, Molly Fiala, was proposed to this past Wednesday night in the Clark Racquet Center! Her now fiance and former Kohawk wrestler, Chad Garber, used a heap of tennis balls to assist with his message. Congratulations to the both of them and all the best from the Coe College tennis program!

Kohawk Kids' Clinics

During the offseason, Coe Tennis holds 8 Saturdays of clinics for kids ages 4-10. Each of the members of both teams (as well as both assistant coaches) help teach at least one Saturday, with 3 or 4 teaching a total of 8-12 kids at a time. It's a great way for the Kohawks to get involved in the community and raise money for the program!

Coach Rob

November 6th Campus Showdown

Pictured: First Year Daken Starkenburg in the near court and Junior Victor Khristenko in the far court.

Coach Rodgers (without hesitation of course) gave Coach Rob and I access to his blog – to post as contributors. Both of us look forward to sharing insight into the world of Coe Tennis with you – our followers!

This past Saturday, Coe hosted a Campus Showdown (men’s) in the Clark Racquet Center. Information on the purpose/format of a Campus Showdown can be found here:

http://www.usta.com/Play-Tennis/College-Tennis/538403_Campus_Match_Play/

Of the 22 participants, 5 members of the Kohawk squad played in the event, along with 7 fellow IIAC college players and a couple of high performance juniors. Coe standout, Victor Khristenko (our beloved Russian) defeated teammate Jonathan Roger (our scrappiest Kohawk….and I mean that in the most positive manner) in the final 6-5 (7-4). Congratulations to both of them for a tournament well played! First years, Michael Woolf, Daken Starkenburg and Tyler Wilson, also had good showings for the Kohawks.

All 3 coaches assisted with the preparation, and execution of the event. It was certainly a success – the day ran very smoothly, and participants got a lot of match play in! All of the money raised from the event goes towards the Coe Tennis program!

Coe College will host a women’s Campus Showdown on January 22^nd, 2011. We look forward to another successful event. Lastly, thanks to the USTA for their assistance and support in making tournaments like this a success!

Coach Kris

Women's Pre-Season Rankings

The Coe College Women's Team had two individuals ranked in the ITA/NCAA D3 Central Regional Rankings. First year, Tai Lucero was #11 in singles, and senior teammate, Hannah Jensen was #12.

Complete rankings can be found here:

http://www.itatennis.com/AwardsAndRankings/Rankings/2010-11_NCAA_Division_III_Women_s_Rankings/Division_III_Women_-_Central.htm

The Kohawks resume practice on February 14th, 2011 and will travel to Chicago to take on nationally ranked(#22) Wheaton College and regionally ranked(#13) Calvin College on February 26th.

Men's Pre-Season Rankings

Coe College was well represented in the November release of the NCAA D3 Central Region Rankings. As a Team the Kohawks were #12. Scott Stegemann was the #16 singles player, Victor Khristenko the #22 ranked singles player and Curtis Newman teamed with Scott to form the #8 rated Doubles pair.

Complete rankings can be found here:


http://www.itatennis.com/AwardsAndRankings/Rankings/2010-11_NCAA_Division_III_Men_s_Rankings/Division_III_Men_-_Central.htm

Coe begins practice on January 24th, 2011 and will host #13 ranked Wisconsin-Eau Claire on Opening Day February 5th, 2011 at 9am

IIAC Women's Individual

Michelle Schupbach/ Tai Lucero

Unseeded First-Year Tai Lucero captured the Iowa Conference A flight singles title by defeating teammate Hannah Jensen in the semi finals 63 61, and teammate Michelle Schupbach in the championship match 63 62. Hannah bounced back to win the 3rd place match 36 75 10-7 giving the Kohawks a one, two, and three finish! Michelle knocked off top seeded Molly Eslick of Wartburg 76 60 in her semi final and Tai earlier had defeated Luther's top player in her quarterfinal 62 61.

In doubles play Tai and Michelle defending their top seed handily, breezing through their draw with an 80 quarterfinal win, 84 in the semis and 85 in the final. Elizabeth Hoffmann and Natalie Bordignon teamed up to advance to the B doubles final winning four matches easily before falling in a close encounter in the championship match.

On the Importance of the Off Season

As we are just days away from the Off-Season for both the Men's & Women's Teams it is important to focus on just how critical the Off Season is to the Individual & the Team.

Obviously without improvement from a collection of individual Team members, the Team cannot improve between now and February. Thus the improvement of each Team member becomes imperative to reaching the Goals and Potential of the Team as a whole.

In Tennis, there really is no off season. Little time away from the court, weight room or running track for those Individuals attempting to maximize their abilities. Each Individual MUST create their own "to-do" list for the time between October practices and January practices. Improved fitness, shot productions, competitive skills(i.e.-managing emotions) are all areas that need to be addressed for significant gains.

A true story I enjoy relating.....during my 1st year of college we had 24 team members. #24 was not very good and struggled to win games off of any other team member. In year #2, I defeated the former #24 in a close match for the final travel spot for Spring Break. In year #3, the former #24 was a NCAA quarter-finalist in singles and semi-finalist in doubles. All-American in both.

Truly demonstrating the importance of due diligence during the Off Season!

In this highly competitive program, those Individuals who prioritize their off season workouts are the student-athletes who will be playing, and playing well, this coming Spring

Kohawks Nab 2nd in Iowa Conference

The Coe College Women's Tennis team took home second place in the Iowa Conference Team Tournament held Saturday in Iowa City. With temperatures soaring near 90 degrees, Coe defeated Wartburg College in the semi-final morning match 5-2, before falling to top seeded Luther College in the afternoon final 5-1.

"Although we closed the gap in score in several of our five losing spots, in the end we just were not good enough on Saturday. Luther is a fine, veteran squad that is difficult to defeat. It will take improved racquet and competitive skills for us to challenge them this Spring in the NCAA qualifier, but I know our Team will work hard in that direction over the off-season."

This coming Friday and Saturday, the Ladies are back in action at the Iowa Conference Individual Championships held in Cedar Rapids. Play will be contested in A, B and C Singles, A and B doubles.

Kohawks topple Rams!

In their final regular season dual match, the Women's Tennis Team knocked off Linn County rival, Cornell College by a 9-0 score. Within the lopsided final result were quite a few spirited, highly contested points and matches as the Rams kept the Kohawks on the court until the verge of sundown.

Doubles play was devoid of suspense(especially once pair #2 mentally engaged in the match!) and the onset of singles was routine as well. First-year's Elizabeth Hoffmann and Tai Lucero led the charge with quick victories at #6 and #3. Tai ran her W/L mark for her inaugural season to 19-2. Match play tightened up a bit at the remaining singles slots, as Cornell battled well. #4 Sara Ohlman finished next, followed by #2 Michelle Schupbach. Natalie Bordignon closed out a tight 2nd set at #5, before Hannah Jensen closed out the day's play with a win at #1.

Coe will next participate in the Iowa Conference Championships held this Friday/Saturday at the University of Iowa Tennis Complex in Iowa City. Coe is expected to receive the #2 seed today and would then likely play Wartburg College. The Kohawks just edged the Knights this past Saturday in Waverly, Iowa by a 5-4 score.

Kohawks Shine at ITA's!

The Coe Men's team concluded their Fall slate of play with the annual trip to St Peter, Minnesota for the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Regional Tournament. with well over 20 schools participating, the individual tourney gives a good early indicator of the team strength in the Western portion of the NCAA Central Region. With a good off season of work, the Kohawks could break into the top 10 in the Central Region. Coe finished the 2009-10 season as the #13 squad.

Scott Stegemann led the way for the Kohawks, advancing to the quarterfinal round in singles play, and, with partner Curtis Newman, the semifinal round of doubles play. Scott's performance was the best Coe performance since Nick Barnes' quarterfinal/finals appearance in 2003. Along the way, Scott knocked off the #4 seed in an exciting match late Friday afternoon.

Victor Khristenko also advanced to Saturday play before falling to the eventual champion 62 64 in the Round of 16. Jonathan Roger & Kyle Tucker each won a match in the main draw singles, while Khristenko/Sean Stokstadt and Jeff Damisch/Michael Janssen won early rounds in doubles play.

Women Add 2 Wins!

On Saturday 10/2, in Waverly, Iowa, the Coe Women's Team added two more victories to the win column with a tight 5-4 win over host Wartburg, and a less stressful 8-1 over Wisconsin-River Falls.

Coe's #2 doubles(Hannah Jensen & Sara Ohlman) rallied from a 2-6 deficit for an 86 win giving Coe a 2-1 lead heading into singles play. After wins by Michelle Schupbach and Tai Lucero gave the Kohawks their 3rd and 4th points, senior Captain Natalie Bordignon found herself as the last match standing with the team score knotted at four apiece. Nat was able to rally from 35 in the first, for a 75 62 victory and securing the team win.

That gives Coe the edge in the battle for the #2 seed in the Iowa Conference Team tournament this upcoming weekend in Iowa City. Luther College has already secured the #1 seed, and Coe can nail down the #2 spot with a win today over Cornell College on the courts at the Clark Racquet Center.

Khristenko to IIAC Semifinals

The Men's Tennis Team participated in their 2nd tournament of the Fall season, the Iowa Conference Individual Championships held this past weekend in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Junior Victor Khristenko advanced to the semifinals of the A singles flight where he was edged 62 75 by nationally ranked Scott Sundstrom. Victor went on to capture 3rd place in the annual event. VK teamed with first-year Sean Stokstad to finish 3rd in Flight A doubles as well.

In the B Flight first year Michael Janssen was the standout for Coe, easily capturing the singles title and teaming with fellow first-year Alex Klaas to finish 2nd in B doubles. In the C flight Michael Woolf was crowned champion, giving Coe its first C flight champion since 1998. Sixteen Coe players participated in the IIAC Championships, a record number of Coe players in the event.

Next Coe will send eight of their top players to the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Regional Championships in St Peter, Minnesota. Play will begin in this annual event on Friday, October 1st. Over 20 schools will be represented in the 128 singles draw.

Jensen to ITA Regional Semifinals

Coe College Senior Hannah Jensen advanced to the semifinals of the annual Intercollegiate Tennis Association(ITA) Regionals held this past weekend in St Peter, Minnesota.

Hannah defeated Kelly Stadum of LaCrosse 76, 63, Allie Hinman of Stout 62 64, and Alex Erickson of Gustavus 46 64 11-9, before falling to eventual champion Sam Frank of Gustavus 64 63.

Michelle Schupbach advanced to the round of 16 before falling 62 76 to finalist Megan Gaard of Gustavus. Tai Lucero and Michelle won the consolation doubles bracket with wins over Hamline, Whitewater, Grinnell and LaCrosse.

KOHAWK MEN in BRADLEY CLASSIC

The Kohawk Men's Tennis team participated in the Prairie Hotels Tennis Classic hosted by Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois. Coe was the only NCAA D3 school in the field of five. While victories for the Kohawks against the NCAA D1 competition were few and far between, we did pick up over 50 matches of invaluable experience. Senior Captain, Scott Stegemann led the Kohawks with a 3-1 singles record at the #4 flight to place 2nd.

Complete Results can be found here: http://www.bradleybraves.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=25971&SPID=1508&DB_OEM_ID=3400&ATCLID=204995516

This week, in Cedar Rapids, the entire Coe Men's Tennis roster will be participating in the Iowa Conference Individual Championships. Play will occur in A, B, C Singles and A, B Doubles.

IIAC Champs Edge Kohawks

Defending Iowa Conference Champion, Luther College, edged the Coe College Women's Tennis team Sunday afternoon 5-4, on the indoor courts of Clark Racquet Center. In a match that came down to the #5 singles flight, our young Kohawks grew up a lot as they tangled with the experienced, nationally ranked Norse. Coe won four of the five closely contested matches, and I saw enough from a couple more lineup spots to give me more than a glimmer of hope that, with continued improvement in our competitive skills, we could have a chance to defeat IIAC favorites, Luther and Wartburg, if we get the opportunity.

LUTHER COLLEGE NORSE 5 COE COLLEGE KOHAWKS 4

Singles competition

1. Hannah Jensen (COEW) def. Fran Fairfield (LUTW) 4-6, 7-5, 10-3

2. Michelle Schupbach (COEW) def. Alana Humpal (LUTW) 6-4, 6-0

3. Tai Lucero (COEW) def. Cassandra Chalhoub (LUTW) 2-6, 6-3, 18-16

4. Brynne Zinnecker (LUTW) def. Sara Ohlman (COEW) 6-1, 6-0

5. Elise Allen (LUTW) def. Natalie Bordignon (COEW) 6-2, 6-2

6. Katy Lindstrom (LUTW) def. Elizabeth Hoffmann (COEW) 6-0, 6-0

Doubles competition

1. Tai Lucero/Michelle Schupbach (COEW) def. Alana Humpal/Brynne Zinnecker (LUTW) 9-7

2. Fran Fairfield/Katy Lindstrom (LUTW) def. Hannah Jensen/Sara Ohlman (COEW) 8-4

3. Elise Allen/Cassandra Chalhoub (LUTW) def. Natalie Bordignon/Elizabeth Hoffmann (COEW) 8-1

Men to Open Fall Campaign

Senior Captain, Scott Stegemann will lead the Kohawks in their first Fall action this weekend. Coe will be traveling to Peoria, Illinois to participate in the Bradley Classic. Participating schools include NCAA D1 programs, Northern Illinois, Southern Illinois-Edwardsville, St Louis, host school Bradley, and the NCAA D3 Kohawks. The tournament consists of eight singles flights and four doubles flights.

Scott is an Iowa Conference Doubles Champion from Davenport, Iowa and and will be partnered this weekend with sophomore Curtis Newman. Scott has 115 career wins as a Kohawk entering his senior season, good for 15th place all time. Other participating team members include juniors Victor Khristenko and Jonathan Roger, sophomore Kyle Tucker, and first-year's Sean Stokstadt, Michael Janssen, and Alex Klaas.

On September 24th the Coe Men will participate in the Iowa Conference Individual Tournament in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and the Fall season will conclude on October 1st with the ITA Regional Tournament in St Peter, Minnesota.

Kohawks top Grinnell 6-3!

Natalie Bordignon & Coach Kris plot strategy on a changeover. Natalie clinched the match for Coe with her straight set win at #5 singles.

The Kohawks will host defending Iowa Conference champion Luther College on Sunday, September 19th at 1pm. The Norse are coming off a 7-2 win over Conference co-favorite Wartburg College.

Coe College 6, Grinnell College 3 Sep 11, 2010 at Cedar Rapids, Iowa (Clark Racquet Center)

Singles competition

1. Hannah Jensen (COEW) def. Toby Cain (GC) 6-2, 6-4

2. Michelle Schupbach (COEW) def. Constanza Alarcon (GC) 6-1, 6-3

3. Tai Lucero (COEW) def. Clothilde Thirouin (GC) 6-4, 7-6

4. Morgan Counts (GC) def. Sara Ohlman (COEW) 3-6, 6-1, 12-10

5. Natalie Bordignon (COEW) def. Hanna Feldman (GC) 6-4, 6-3

6. Catherine Fitch (GC) def. Elizabeth Hoffmann (COEW) 6-1, 6-4

Doubles competition

1. Michelle Schupbach/Tai Lucero (COEW) def. Toby Cain/Clothilde Thirouin (GC) 8-3

2. Hannah Jensen/Sara Ohlman (COEW) def. Constanza Alarcon/Catherine Fitch (GC) 8-5

3. Morgan Counts/Hanna Feldman (GC) def. Elizabeth Hoffmann/Natalie Bordignon (COEW) 9-7

Opening Day

KOHAWKS OPEN WITH TWIN 9-0 IIAC WINS!

Opening the Fall campaign on the road with conference dual matches with an inexperienced team would generally be a recipe for disaster. The 2010 Coe Women gave their first indication that they can be counted on to do the unexpected by posting twin shutouts, beating Central College and Simpson College 9-0.

First-Years Tai Lucero and Elizabeth Hoffmann got their Kohawk careers off to 4-0 starts, and Tai blanked her opponents in three of her four matches.

IIAC Update--All nine conference teams played matches in the first few days of September. Conference favorites Luther College and Wartburg College did nothing to dispel their pre-season hype as Luther lost by the slimmest of margins to nationally ranked Wheaton College, while Wartburg lost only 24 total games in 27 matches while running their W-L to 3-0.

Kohawk Update--Coe has its home opener Saturday, September 11th at 10:30am against Midwest Conference power Grinnell College. Grinnell is off to an unbeaten start to their year also after downing NAIA foe St Ambrose University 7-2.

Kohawk TENNIS--Fall Preview

Classes begin Monday, August 30th, and the Women's Tennis team is just wrapping up their week of pre-season training. We have been getting in two very good workouts each day this week, and the talent on the team is quite evident.

The Iowa Conference looks to be very strong this Fall with four of the top five teams returning 5 of 6 starters. Coe only returns one player, Hannah Jensen, with more than one year of collegiate tennis experience. With the help of new Assistant Coaches, Kris Diehl & Rob Rye, the Ladies are determined to overcome their experience shortage and challenge Luther, Wartburg, Cornell & Central for the Conference Championship. Although the singles order is not yet set, it will be comprised of seniors Hannah Jensen(IC West) & Natalie Bordignon(CR Xavier), sophomores Michelle Schupbach(Waterloo Columbus) & Sara Ohlman(Washington, IL), and first-years Tai Lucero(Odessa, TX Permian) and Elizabeth Hoffmann(CR Xavier). The Lady Kohawks open play up with a Conference double dual on September 4th against Central College and Simpson College. Both matches on the road. A challenging beginning!

The Kohawk Men's Tennis squad will begin their four week Fall season on Labor Day. Although senior Captain, Elliot Rausa(Waterloo Columbus), will be kicking field goals for the nationally ranked football team, there are plenty of talented Kohawks on the courts this Fall. Senior Captain, Scott Stegemann(Davenport Central), after a fine summer of tournament play, leads the returnees. Joining the roster this year will be a record shattering 11 first-years! The Men will compete in an expanded Fall schedule which includes a D1 tournament in Peoria, the Iowa Conference Individual Championships in Cedar Rapids, and the ITA Regional in St Peter, MN. Look for an excellent season from the Men as court time and starting positions will be at a premium!

Greg Janssen named Bates College Assistant Tennis Coach

Greg Janssen, a 2010 Coe College graduate, has been named the Men's & Women's Assistant Tennis Coach at Bates College. Bates is located in Lewiston, Maine and is ranked as the #25 most prestigious liberal arts college in the United States. Greg will working for Paul Gastonguay, their highly respected Head Tennis Coach. Coach Gastonguay, a Bates graduate, has coached National Champions in both Men's Singles and in Men's Doubles in the past five years.

Greg was a four year letterwinner for the Kohawks, Team Captain, and concluded his career as the Iowa Conference Most Valuable Player, finishing first in Individual Singles, and runner-up in Individual Doubles in 2010. Greg also was Academic All-Conference.

Tournament update II

Last weekend was the Iowa Open, Cedar Rapids' big summer USTA tennis event. Many players with Kohawk connections had good results.

Senior Captains Elliot Rausa and Scott Stegemann advanced to the quarters of the prize money singles and teamed up to reach the doubles final losing 11-9 in the Match Tiebreaker to Coe alum Phil Williams and his partner. Sophomores Sara Ohlman and Curtis Newman reached the Mixed semis as did grad Molly Fiala. Molly was in the singles semis as well.

Coach Kris Diehl almost pulled off the elusive Triple Crown winning the Singles and Mixed events easily, only to fall 12-10 in the Super in Women's doubles teamed with Molly Fiala. Somehow, in spite of himself, Coach Rodgers won the Men's 35's.

BTW-this tournament report is brought to you from the Little Missouri River in Theodore Roosevelt NP, Medora, North Dakota.

Only 20 days until Women's practice begins!
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Tournament Update

Assistant Coach Kris Diehl just completed competing in the USTA Women's 30's at Forest Hills Country Club in New York City. Kris finished 3rd in the country in Singles and 2nd in the country in doubles earning bronze and silver tennis balls from the USTA. Maybe gold is next at the National Clay Courts in November?

Senior Captain Scott Stegemann captured the Quad States Men's Open Singles title as an unseeded entrant knocking off #2 seeded Coe alum Joey Lankelma and top-seeded Matt Tyler. Scott also finished as doubles runner-up teaming with Joey Lankelma.

Michelle Schupbach advanced to the Mixed Doubles Final in the Mississippi Valley Open, a prize money tournament held in Dubuque, Iowa. Teaming with Chris Sagers of Waterloo, they met Nick Crossley and Alexa Palen of Rochester, Minnesota in the Finals

Brand New(Sort of) Courts

After seven years, the Clark Racquet Center outdoor tennis courts had accumulated more than a bit of dirt and debris stuck amongst the grains of sand in the paint. Thus this Summer's facility upgrade project was the cleaning of the courts. Joe Hakes, doing 90% of the labor and all of the supervision, led the project of powerwashing approximately 45,000 square feet of tennis court. Three inches at a time......think about that for a moment!

Closing a Chapter

Today, July 8th 2010, marked the end of my selected term on the NCAA DIII Men's National Tennis Committee after four years, beginning in 2006. I also have "retired" from the Intercollegiate Tennis Association where I have served in various capacities on the the Central Region Ranking Committees since 1995. After 15 years it is time to step aside, let some of the other many capable coaches take over and administer the rankings.

I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed the past 15 years, especially having the opportunity to work with Ethan, Liz and Russ from the NCAA and serving under the leadership of Gary and Paul, and alongside Ben, John and Tracy during my time with the NCAA. I feel real confident about the direction of D3 Tennis and I fully expect the Division to continue to grow in a positive direction.

What's next?

Well, I really am looking forward to the opening of the 2010-11 seasons beginning with Fall Women's practice on August 23rd. I guess I am just very excited about working with Coach Kris and Coach Rob with our Teams and seeing just how good we can become both this year and in the coming years. I am expecting that the three of us can raise the level of performance of Kohawk Tennis.

I cannot wait to get underway!

Final 2010 Rankings!

The Kohawk Tennis Teams were well represented in the final ITA Central Region Rankings.

#17 Women's Singles--Hannah Jensen
#10 Women's Doubles--Andrea & Michelle Schupbach
#13 Men's Team--Coe College
#27 Men's Singles--Greg Janssen
#30 Men's Singles--Elliot Rausa
#12 Men's Doubles--Elliot Rausa & Scott Stegemann

AND, in the rankings of the Recruiting Classes for Men's D3 Tennis(TennisRecruiting.net ), Coe College has the #23 ranked incoming first-year class!

John Wooden

Last night John Wooden, the former Purdue All-American and UCLA basketball coach passed on at age 99. Coach Wooden won many NCAA basketball titles during the 1960's and 1970's.

More importantly, for those of us who coach, he was the greatest coach ever. His manner of coaching, with its emphasis on teaching life skills while coaching a game, has had more influence on generations of coaches than any number of titles could bring. I strive mightily to coach as well as Coach Wooden, while knowing full well that I will never come close.

He will be greatly remembered.

Individuals Day II

No pictures today, just a few words!

Another beautiful day here in Oberlin, Ohio! The staff here at Oberlin have done a fantastic job making all of us involved with the NCAA tournament feel welcome and comfortable. They made a point of taking care of even the smallest details and showing flexibility with the inevitable mid-tourney changes required.

Well done!

Today's play? Quarterfinals in singles & doubles, semi-finals in singles. A very high-level day of play especially in singles. If I were rating today's 10 matches 8 of 10 were very high level and very competitive. As one might expect as the tournament advances towards the final day, the playing level went up, and continued to reflect the observations I have made in previous posts. To re-iterate, in no particular order. GREAT defense, tenacious competitive skills, visible fitness prowess, and a general embracing of challenging, competitive play.

The results? At noon(Eastern) #3John Watts, of WashU will take on #5Chris Goodwin of Emory University. The doubles semis give us #1Middlebury against Trinity of TX, and #2UC-Santa Cruz against #4 California Lutheran.

I promise it will be good!

Available on video streaming via http://www.ncaa.com/

D3 Individuals Day 1

Today the Individual portion of the Men's D3 NCAA National Tourney began. 32 singles players and 16 doubles teams were selected from the over 2000 players in starting lineups around the country. On Day I, two rounds of singles and one round of doubles took place. The picture above shows the concluding handshake in the round of 16 match between Sam Sweeney of North Central College and #4 seed, Andrew Peters of Middlebury College. Peters won 62 63 in an excellent match.

Again what stood out for me was the impeccable defense and shot selection displayed by the vast majority of the singles and doubles players. Very few "free" points were allowed. The other obvious difference from the regular season play that I have viewed was the virtual absence of negative emotion both in the physical sense and in the verbal sense.

Saturday, quarter and semi final singles beginning at 9am, followed by quarterfinal doubles action.

Team Finals

Middlebury wins over Amherst 5-1

The best team won. Five seniors would not be denied, and they got it done. Midd was very fit, very well-coached. Most impressively was the virtually perfect shot selection between offense and defense. Middlebury, even their big-hitters, played defense when needed, rallied HIGH over the net, and then attacked every short ball.

Well done!

Team Semifinals

Wow!

Hard to belive that today could top the finish of yesterday's Amherst/Emory tilt, but BOTH semis were great today! First Amherst took on #3 Claremont and went up 2-1 after a fairly routine hour of doubles. Then the fun began. CMS quicly won first sets at 5 and 6, Amherst countered with a quick set at #1. The teams split first sets at 3 and 4. As the match unfolded CMS actually went up 4-3 with wins at 2, 5, 6, while Amherst won easily at 1. Third sets at 3 and at 4. Another 3rd set tiebreak for the Amherst #3, and again he prevails this time rallying from 1-6 in the TB for a 11-9 win evening the match at 4-4. Five minutes later #4 closes out the match with a 6-2 win and puts #7Amherst into the final.

Where they will face the victor of the WashU/Middlebury match. On paper this looked to be a routine win for the #1Panthers of Middlebury. WashU had other ideas. The teams split 2 and 3 doubles, and WashU served at #1 87 40-15, but Middlebury has the top doubles pair in the country and they showed why breaking serve and then dominating the tiebreak to give Midd a 2-1 lead going into doubles. Straight set wins at 5 and 2 extended the Midd lead to 4-1, before WashU mounted a strong comeback winning court 6 in straight and then adding 3rd set wins at 4 and 1. Midd's 5th year senior at #3 capped a comeback after dropping the 1st set 26 and won 62 in the 3rd at the 4 hour and 35 minute mark of the match.

Middlebury and Amherst are both from the NESCAC Conference where Midd won the only encounter of the season 54 in April. Suffice to say the two schools do not like each other which adds an interesting twist to what has already been a tremendous Team Tourney.

From a coaching view, today's play only reiterated what I saw yesterday. Good players competing with positive energy, intelligent shot selection, tremendous fitness & willpower. Most of all they all played with a sense of confidence and expectation of success. Momentary setbacks, like losses of points & games, were mere blips in the road towards their end goal of winning. While only 1/2 the players, pairs and teams ended up winning, not a single point was given to an opponent. Everything was contested and earned.

Beautiful!

FINALS at 1pm Eastern

Team Quarterfinals

Oberlin College, Oberlin, OH

Team Day I

#1 Middlebury 5 #8NC Wesleyan 0

#4 WashU 5 #5Carnegie Mellon 0

#3 Claremont 5 #6Trinity(TX) 2

#7 Amherst 5 #2 Emory 4

Morning matches both were highlighted by uneventful doubles sweeps which set up the winners. Hidden behind the 5-0 scores were some very strenuous singles matches. Middlebury was working hard at #1-#4, and WashU struggling at #2, #3, #5 and #6. The message from the morning was twofold. Doubles is critical at every level of D3, even the Elite Eight.

Middlebury looked worthy of their top billing. ALL their doubles pairs made serves, returns and 1st volleys, and in singles, even tho their top two had loads of offense, it was their defense that impressed. Very solid, high clear rally strokes and defensive shots. NO UNFORCED ERRORS from Middlebury. Much better 1st serves than the Kohawks have. Currently!

The afternoon matches produced the drama of the day. Trinity continued their streak of great doubles winning 81 at #1, rallying from 0-4 at #2 before falling 86, then their #3pair won 98 coming back from 1-5 in the tiebreak. Trinity taught the lesson of positive emotion and body language during doubles. Claremont proved talented in singles, winning at four of the six singles in a hard fought match.

In the feature match of the day, #2 Emory jumped off to a 3-0 lead after doubles against the streaky Jeffs of Amherst. Since Emory featured unbeaten D3 players at #1 and #2 singles, it appreared bleak for the NESCAC runnerup. But in exciting fashion, Amherst won at #5 and #1 in straight sets before Emory won a 3rd set at #4 for a 4-2 lead. Amherst wins the final three matches in 3rd sets including the decider 76 at #3 for the unlikely upset after being swept in doubles.

A great day and tomorrow should be better! Semifinals at 1pm Eastern