tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6146662469499474872024-03-13T11:55:40.566-07:00Whitman Women's TennisNews from Coach John HeinCoach Heinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04041736861320723614noreply@blogger.comBlogger224125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-614666246949947487.post-11576284884133109032016-10-05T12:38:00.000-07:002016-10-05T12:38:16.258-07:00Fall ITA Regionals RecapHi everyone,<br />
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The fall ITA Regional is one of the most exciting events of the year. There is so much non stop tennis and we love hosting because our facilities and weather allowed us to have not just main, but also first and second round consolation draws in singles and a consolation doubles draw. You can read the final recap <a href="http://athletics.whitman.edu/news/2016/10/2/womens-tennis-hill-greenberg-contend-for-title.aspx">here</a> and see <a href="http://athletics.whitman.edu/sports/2016/9/29/ita-2016-fall-northwest-womens-regional.aspx">draws here</a>.<br />
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Fortunately, our team did not need to make use of those extra draws too much as we did damage, with all 6 players getting through their first rounds. While her teammates rolled and fought through second round matches, Lori played a 9 seed first year from Linfield and after dropping a tight first set, loosened up to dominate the second set 6-0 before losing a close match tie break 10-6. Undeterred, she beat a very tough George Fox player in the second round consolation. Lori has come so far in her year of college tennis. Last year, she struggled to find her shots and after a summer full of summer school, she used our fall season and these tournaments to show how far she's progressed. If she keeps going at this pace, Lori will be an absolute force in our lineup this year.<br />
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Speaking of forces, Lori played doubles with Lindsey and after a routine first round win, they faced the top seeded team from Linfield. Lindsey has worked on hitting a heavier ball for the past year and wow it showed as she was knocking her opponents back and finishing at net. The score wasn't close, but if you watched the match and saw each game and how good Lori and Lindsey became as a team in just a couple weeks of practice it bodes well for our team doubles and the combinations we can put out there any day. In singles, Lindsey for the first time was seeded and was able to get to day two and the round of 16 (the past two years she faced a top seed early on). Her match with the #3 seed was nothing short of what I expected. The matchup was a tough one, testing Lindsey's ability to be consistent yet still impose her game. By the second set she found this rythym and went up 4-1 before gutting it out 7-5! The third set saw another swing as she dug herself a hole giving away too many free points, but climbed back to make it competitive. All in all, a hard fought 3 set match with the 3 seed is an improvement we can build on. In fact, Lindsey's game has been steadily improving since day one at Whitman and she is a huge part of who we are and our success on the court so it will be incredibly exciting to see where she continues to take us.<br />
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Another Whittie with fall ITA history and who I'm so proud of for her steady improvement is Allie. Our lone senior this year, she spent the fall season preparing for the LSAT, rocking her classes, leading on campus with SAAC (our student athlete leadership group which she is co-president of), and building her tennis game. Allie was a terrific leader for Andrea in doubles as they played to their seeding making the quarterfinals losing to LC's #1 team. In singles, after a great first day, Allie started day 2 with a 3 hour war where she held match points in the second set before losing the the eventual champion in 3 sets. Seeing Allie up her game from last year where the same player got her in straight sets is exciting. On a team with so much heart, Allie's compassionate leadership is another huge key to our success going forward.<br />
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Her doubles partner Andrea has plenty of time to lead, but isn't waiting around. In just her first year, Andrea has already showed so much composure, maturity and ability to grow and learn each day. She brings a ton of tennis experience to the team and while she came in as the 2 seed and was upset in the quarterfinals, she understands the process of improving. Her shots are fierce and her desire is huge. Perhaps the best thing about Andrea is how fun it is to be around her. She has a delightful personality and enjoys everything in life. Each day brings improved tennis, closer friendships and an excitement for the next one with this one. This tournament will be a terrific learning experience for her that I have no doubt we'll see pay off in her tennis and leadership.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijfmJp1rUVuQkBnP1THfa5qhyWAYAPTHtHSU2IV6Q22JNe4mR8X9BzWKrcrN7WoBsdvoVm55laCdo_yK1sPUsyZEmsCX7Q31Ac9a89jg094Ilwq8AEqC7XXWjz9XbhJfVKAwwwOD5f/s1600/Fall+ITA+warmup+Mary+Hanna.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijfmJp1rUVuQkBnP1THfa5qhyWAYAPTHtHSU2IV6Q22JNe4mR8X9BzWKrcrN7WoBsdvoVm55laCdo_yK1sPUsyZEmsCX7Q31Ac9a89jg094Ilwq8AEqC7XXWjz9XbhJfVKAwwwOD5f/s320/Fall+ITA+warmup+Mary+Hanna.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hanna (left) and Mary (right) getting things started with first round singles wins</td></tr>
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On our team, everyone is a leader and this year with so much trust in each person to contribute in every way, I chose to have the smallest team I've ever coached. This puts responsibility on each of them to really be accountable to themselves and each other each day. These daily habits are a huge part of Mary's development and to see her embracing improved fitness, practice habits and leadership is incredibly important for us. Mary did awesome work over the summer and is hitting the ball bigger and more consistently than ever. This transition in growing your game can provide some bumps as you adjust to your improved skills and Mary found one in the round of 16 as she got frustrated early and dropped a tough match. What you look for as a coach is not always how a player performs, but how they respond. Mary came back that afternoon in doubles and responded with one of the best college doubles matches I've ever been a part of. She and Hanna in the quarterfinals fought early trading games but then went down a break 3-6. Again, their response was terrific as they gained momentum and played tenacious d while imposing their doubles to gain an 8-7 advantage. After having break points for the match, suddenly they were in a tie break and the excitement was high. The level continued to rise with both teams playing to win and after holding another match point, they faced their first match point against and Hanna came up with a huge forehand winner. The momentum from that carried them to a win and a semifinal appearance. In the semis, they played smart and beat a tough Linfield team to earn a spot in the doubles final.<br />
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In that final, playing for all-American status and a trip to small College Nationals, our top team competed with such immense passion and courage. Staying together through rough patches and feeding off each other when they made their plays, this match and tournament for Hanna and Mary as a team and for Hanna in singles and doubles is the template that our team has been looking for competitively since the graduation of four of the best competitors we've ever seen (yeah EBell, Mo, Maddy, Court - I'm talking about you!). We've worked a lot in practice to bring out each players natural instincts and find that fight no matter what is happening with the score, their opponents, their shots, the situation or anything and that is an incredibly hard thing to do as a team in an individual sport. Sunday, Mary and Hanna showed how possible it is and even in losing (which is hard when you prepare and play so well and want and deserve to win), that what matters is how we play. <br />
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Overall, the template is there for this to continue to be a special special season. In the spring we will bring our habits of constant improvement, our competitiveness as a team, our mental strength, our depth and our doubles into team matches. We'll also welcome back Cello from injury and Jenna from studying abroad in Spain - two huge additions for us. Just thinking about it gives me chills....I can't wait. But for now, we'll enjoy some time off to focus on school, being a student, taking care of our bodies and minds and then building and preparing for an awesome schedule with a fantastic team. <br />
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I'll continue to blog in the fall when we release our schedule - it's almost done I promise!!!! And we will have some special events (spoiler alert, we do play at Mercer Island this year so Tennis and Wine campers look out!), we have two national trips around the country and a conference season that based on the depth we saw from teams last weekend will be up for grabs each week! We also need to set dates for our annual family/friends/alumni weekend in March or April so please look out for that.<br />
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Sending tennislove from Walla Walla,<br />
Coach John<br />
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<br />Coach Heinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04041736861320723614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-614666246949947487.post-14901843732719103662016-09-26T10:07:00.002-07:002016-09-26T10:07:44.836-07:00Short but sweet, it's Fall ITA Regionals WeekHello out there!<br />
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I'm trying to get a post out weekly and this past week we had a week of recovery, learning and training after the WC Fall Invite. The team is diligently working on schoolwork to get ahead for the coming weekend and have kept up their fitness and tennis with some really solid practices.<br />
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We look to up the intensity this week as we get ready to host the Fall Oracle ITA Regional this Fri, Sat, and Sun. It is a phenomenal event with all of our conference teams bringing singles and doubles players. Winners are automatically all-American and get into Fall Small College Nationals!<br />
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In terms of running the tournament, coaching and keeping everything going, it can be hard to update results, but I will do my best via twitter @whitwomentennis and on the WC Website on our schedule page.<br />
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The schedule (if dry) is to play on all 10 Whitman courts outside and inside<br />
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Friday 9am until done - 2 singles rounds followed by 2 doubles rounds<br />
Saturday same as Friday<br />
Sunday - singles main and consolation semis and finals, doubles final.<br />
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Looking forward to some great tennis!<br />
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JohnCoach Heinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04041736861320723614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-614666246949947487.post-354583909410201712016-09-20T10:45:00.001-07:002016-09-20T10:45:58.202-07:00It has begun! WC Fall Invite Kicks off Whitman's Season with ExcitementOur fall season always consists of great practices, team building and often one tournament, the Fall ITA Regional. This year we hosted the first annual WC Fall Invite, a singles and doubles tournament with top 20 NAIA Lewis-Clark State (ID), and D1 Eastern Washington and Seattle University. It was a fantastic weekend of tennis with all four teams very close and competitive, which is exactly what we needed to continue our growth.<br />
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We set up 2 flights of singles and 2 flights of doubles to get each player 3-4 singles matches and 2-3 doubles matches in 2 days. Saturday, we had rain all day and enjoyed the brand new blue and yellow surface in Bratton and it was phenomenal! Everyone played great with big wins, close losses and so much great intensity. As we grow, we need these experiences to push us forward.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5cNnEzPO70U8h7LTlEnjwIbEgRHNW4oMFjZSyx8L9X5BB1KekThTzcy36E7qdbhWBticYKb9oa3oEb5xUT05ZkS5gGqKTaI1XtNKWgHpWY6XI3_cXTGRaffoqqr9WfKJ0X6My5RdI/s1600/WTNvWC-Invite-2016-09-18_151.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5cNnEzPO70U8h7LTlEnjwIbEgRHNW4oMFjZSyx8L9X5BB1KekThTzcy36E7qdbhWBticYKb9oa3oEb5xUT05ZkS5gGqKTaI1XtNKWgHpWY6XI3_cXTGRaffoqqr9WfKJ0X6My5RdI/s320/WTNvWC-Invite-2016-09-18_151.JPG" width="320" /></a>In the yellow flight, our depth shined on day one with Linds and Lori teaming up for a first round doubles win and a thrilling 5-7 no ad set loss to eventual champions from EWU. Both players have worked so hard on doubles and Lindsey demonstrated tremendous leadership which will give us so many great doubles options this year! On the singles side of the yellow flight, it was a first round Whittie sweep with both Lori and Linds rolling through their first round before intense tough nighttime losses that each will learn from and use for fuel going forward. Our final player in the yellow draw was Hanna who worked hard over the summer and it showed as she rebounded from a 5-7 first set to win 6-3,10-6 in the super tie break over a D1 player from Eastern. Not done, she faced EWU's top new player from Belgium and used her intensity and composure to make the right adjustments and pull out another three set victory in another 10-6 match tie break! Overall, Hanna was 4-0 on the day joining with Mary in the Blue flight doubles to roll in the first round, then dominate the #1 seed in the semis to make the finals of the top flight. What a day for Hanna to celebrate her off season commitment to her tennis!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKF2pNjF7IfOVeskYhTPptofONptUMRMU9zQ4-FbdGNZ1Ku4G0nsm7ylPHtsebz0Cyw85qS8voWZTwz3dlPRwuBsm8yDrw-7QyV5DmajLYFiMTQrX3SLLxAfneA56cJfBQO0dO7oLL/s1600/WTNvWC-Invite-2016-09-18_070.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKF2pNjF7IfOVeskYhTPptofONptUMRMU9zQ4-FbdGNZ1Ku4G0nsm7ylPHtsebz0Cyw85qS8voWZTwz3dlPRwuBsm8yDrw-7QyV5DmajLYFiMTQrX3SLLxAfneA56cJfBQO0dO7oLL/s320/WTNvWC-Invite-2016-09-18_070.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
In the Blue singles, Mary took on the #4 seed and fell in a super tie break for the third, also showing her improvements from last year and the summer. She rebounded for a consolation win to go with her big time doubles with Hanna. After a summer working and studying hard, Allie played great tennis in both singles and doubles and these matches will get her match fitness up for the fall ITA in two weeks. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiofBDATLlOEFoHMFGifMGp0Ra0N8V-bldqSZ5IyjeK8fa-KCx9K7Jd8zXiaJn047pxXmORWJ1Dhtkx5Z8Rtjl59mRbMzmdu7Z74Uz6QliN51-fTE6zhdHEWI86acU4p5goyO0tvubw/s1600/WTNvWC-Invite-2016-09-18_135.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiofBDATLlOEFoHMFGifMGp0Ra0N8V-bldqSZ5IyjeK8fa-KCx9K7Jd8zXiaJn047pxXmORWJ1Dhtkx5Z8Rtjl59mRbMzmdu7Z74Uz6QliN51-fTE6zhdHEWI86acU4p5goyO0tvubw/s320/WTNvWC-Invite-2016-09-18_135.JPG" width="320" /></a>Day two so early in the season is an important one for us. We had some terrific performances and some places to learn and grow. After a really long day indoors Saturday it was great to move outside and it was a fantastic day for each player to learn about how they compete and build as a tournament progresses. Even matches we didn't play our best we were able to gut out wins and competitive scores - both terrific indicators of our character, talent and focus. <br />
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Along with our doubles and depth, a huge highlight of the weekend was our lone first year player, Andrea Gu. Andrea fought her way through day one singles and in the semi's took the first set from the top seed, EWU's #1 player. Despite being outplayed in the super tie break, Andrea came back in the third place match to battle and find her tennis to beat the #4 seed 8-5! What an exciting start to her Whitman tennis career!<br />
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<a href="http://athletics.whitman.edu/news/2016/9/18/womens-tennis-newcomer-gu-finishes-in-3rd-at-wc-invite.aspx">Read our web recap here</a><br />
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Now, as we learn and get back to work in the classroom, on the court and in the gym, I am so excited for our next tournament, also at Whitman!<br />
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We host the Fall Oracle ITA Regional Fri Sep 30-Sun Oct 2nd, welcoming the best singles and doubles players from our conference as we compete for the regional championships which bring all-American status and a trip to Fall Nationals.<br />
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Let us know if you'll be in Walla Walla in two weeks for the Oracle ITA Regional, and if we get live streaming up indoors I'll let you know!<br />
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Warmest wishes from Walla Walla,<br />
Coach John<br />
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<br />Coach Heinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04041736861320723614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-614666246949947487.post-72654973389732677382016-09-08T06:39:00.003-07:002016-09-08T07:09:41.640-07:00Welcome, Welcome, WelcomeHello WC Tennis Fans!<br />
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Well, its a new year and after a summer off of blogging, I wasn't sure if Whitman would have a new mascot yet or not. Going forward the Missionary will no longer be the mascot, and the plan is to have a new one by 2017, so for now, the blog will keep this name and address.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting some early doubles work in on our new surface in Bratton!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And of course spending most of our days outside!</td></tr>
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It is an absolute pleasure to welcome everyone back from summer. There were many adventures, some great training and tournaments but a lot of variety of work, rest, travel, training and play. What is so great for me to see is that each year I've been at Whitman, our first practice back has more depth, quality of play and the overall fitness just gets better and better.<br />
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Our other excitement comes from comings and goings. Jenna came over during orientation to see her teammates, but is now safely landed in Spain for her semester abroad. It is one of the awesome things about D3 that such a dedicated student athlete can still get this experience is incredible. We miss her but are so thrilled for this opportunity she has.<br />
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I would like to officially welcome two new members of the team. I'd like to welcome our new assistant Coach Brian Elliot. Brian comes from Eastern Washington, most recently living in Liberty Lake after growing up in Colville and playing #1 at Whitworth. He has coached at clubs in Texas and California and brings a wealth of experience and so much passion for the game and team tennis, we are lucky to have Brian. He's already dove in on court and with video for technical and tactical development.<br />
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With Tree and Jenna D. graduating last year (btw congrats on the respective moves to NYC and LA!!!), we have big shoes to fill through development, but helping on the recruiting side is the arrival of first year Andrea Gu. Andrea is from Coquitlam, BC, spent 3 years of high school in Shanghai, China and now comes to Whitman ready to contribute right away. She brings a spirit of engagement and positivity that resonates so well with our team. On court, she is ripping the ball and working hard right away. All of this from our highest ranked recruit ever, a 4 star top 150 in her class on tennisrecruiting.net, Andrea has played nationally in Canada as well as having great success in the USTA PNW section. This year she stayed home a lot playing adult open tournaments in BC which will help her maturity and being ready for anything on the court. I'll also welcome her parents Donna and Gary to the Whitman family, its wonderful to have you and Andrea is fitting in wonderfully right away.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Andrea at convocation - ready to start classes</td></tr>
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While the excitement is high with the team, this first two weeks at Whitman have been different than any other I've experienced. Our community is saddened by the loss of classmate and friend Josh Fishman. Our thoughts go to his family, friends and loved ones and there has been a unusual combination of enthusiasm with grief throughout the past week. In these times, as one player put it, we feel gratitude for our health, each other and the opportunities we have - I couldn't have said it better; thanks Mary. <br />
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Our first competition is a week from Saturday when we host a singles and doubles tournament with LC State (ID), Seattle U, and Eastern WA here at Whitman, the WC Fall Invite Sep 17-18th.<br />
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Then, two weeks later we also host the Fall Oracle/ITA Regional Championships here at Whitman Sep 30-Oct 2nd (Fri, Sat, Sun) - if you're in the area, come on out, if you're traveling to watch some great tennis, we'd love to see you!<br />
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Warm regards from Walla Walla,<br />
Coach John<br />
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<br />Coach Heinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04041736861320723614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-614666246949947487.post-21761777306184305342016-05-03T21:21:00.000-07:002016-05-03T21:21:07.238-07:00A season to celebrate and to build on<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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It is with no small amount of emotion that I write this blog post. As a coach, you often find yourself thinking and feeling in opposites. The end of a terrific season is one of those times. This year has been unbelievable, and to be part of an experience this special requires a lot of emotional investment of the players and coaches. This season was one of unknowns; how would we react to graduating such an amazing class in 2015? what would our new players contribute, how would the chemistry and work ethic be. In short, how good of team could we be this year both on and off court?<br />
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While much can (and will) be said about the incredible first year class, the leadership that graduated with Maddy, Erin, Morgan and Courtney was irreplaceable. This is where our system of not naming captains, but having everyone find ways to lead and take responsibility paid off. Our upperclassmen, Jenna, Katrina and Allie had really been leading for a year or two, and longer in many ways. Our sophomores Lindsey, Jenna and Hanna were all used to responsibility and each was ready for more. So, from the fall, The steady leadership of Jenna and Tree combined with Allie's daily drive and their shared commitment to bring everyone together was evident from our success at the fall tournament, carried into their great off season work and we picked it up in January for Spring practices and matches.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lori doing the move that in China is called "The Cat"</td></tr>
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This isn't to say it wasn't a journey. Each new player brought not only talent, but also incredible individuality. Lori was adjusting to not only a new school, but American life and a rigorous education in her second language. This absolutely took time, but we saw that as she adjusted, we got more and more of her personality which is so incredibly positive, fun and energetic. At the same time as she settled into the culture of our team and campus, her game settled and she finished the year with the best record on the team in singles (15-1) and a new confidence and desire to use those skills in doubles. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdHZqNIkZ4-ds3jrVsUntVflL3xJmJuLEUN0h8cZX97x5wp9msePchNRUWsMEBAnqdhP8LLFnOCy7QQEuO-SzU_qKfEHqnzInAVYpmVGMrDzPwqe3ws17r35KD_sIs8fPjH-y2RyYK/s1600/WTNvIdaho-2016-02-07_196.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdHZqNIkZ4-ds3jrVsUntVflL3xJmJuLEUN0h8cZX97x5wp9msePchNRUWsMEBAnqdhP8LLFnOCy7QQEuO-SzU_qKfEHqnzInAVYpmVGMrDzPwqe3ws17r35KD_sIs8fPjH-y2RyYK/s320/WTNvIdaho-2016-02-07_196.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cello showing off her wheels and one hander</td></tr>
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Cello's transition was a stark contrast to Lori because she is so outgoing and friendly that being from Seattle, she already had many friends at Whitman and the tools to play with anyone from day one. That doesn't mean that she grew less, in fact, in many ways, Cello's development this year is one of the most remarkable of anyone I've coached in my career. Her desire to grow her game and to integrate her intense fiery competitive nature into being a positive and supportive teammate were big departures from her junior tennis. I don't think most players could take this much on successfully, but Cello had a great season, earning all-conference honors, playing better doubles as the season went on and building a foundation that will allow her game and contributions to the team to skyrocket in the years to come.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4MYhykf0eS4obgymUzUqDH2Rtn7Ye4xI7Mspco6y8ZHLcpgpJjaRbeZ8K9WQUCsJAvBJhYMg_mGgTmnEepegcyiNFwvjWwx91WhEwV8ZeRXGY5iMD-sbodcaqhfjjesC1N-6aQ54_/s1600/WTNvIdaho-2016-02-07_053.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4MYhykf0eS4obgymUzUqDH2Rtn7Ye4xI7Mspco6y8ZHLcpgpJjaRbeZ8K9WQUCsJAvBJhYMg_mGgTmnEepegcyiNFwvjWwx91WhEwV8ZeRXGY5iMD-sbodcaqhfjjesC1N-6aQ54_/s320/WTNvIdaho-2016-02-07_053.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hard work and smiles...Jana has it all</td></tr>
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Another pillar of our future is Jana. Jana is everything a coach could ever ask for; an incredible player, unreal athlete, and a team player to her core. Jana started with a great fall, making the quarters of singles and dubs in the fall USTA/ITA regional. She too was committed to making some changes in her game that will take her to an incredible level and she continues to work diligently to align the parts of her game and develop a style that she can count on day in and day out. I felt so lucky as a coach for her to understand this and to have a team with such depth that we could take some of the pressure to perform off of her and let her work her way into college tennis. Still, she dominated in doubles with a 10-5 record to go with an 11-6 accounting in singles. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUYtZvRAv0sqn5tgJ8NNgJARyc3ZcvO8rmHibluaOCMXnjBipIZi5S620Nd80Q36wyMIn6IzWHsBBFt9fqMI0LvE-7NR3Kt5fOijeLnEoSXF6rr_TB9bm4V27UhAcKm1LnRXveJ8V-/s1600/WTNvGFU-2016-04-03_141.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUYtZvRAv0sqn5tgJ8NNgJARyc3ZcvO8rmHibluaOCMXnjBipIZi5S620Nd80Q36wyMIn6IzWHsBBFt9fqMI0LvE-7NR3Kt5fOijeLnEoSXF6rr_TB9bm4V27UhAcKm1LnRXveJ8V-/s320/WTNvGFU-2016-04-03_141.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mary's all court game translated right away into singles and doubles</td></tr>
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Mary finished the season tied with Allie for the most wins on the team (32 combined singles and doubles) and she played the whole year in the top half of the lineup at 3 and 1, but mostly 2 singles and all at 1 doubles. Mary has an ease to her personality that makes it fun to be around her, and an ease to her game that allows her to adjust to the situation and make the shots and plays needed on that day. With such early success, what was remarkable was how much she improved certain areas of her game. Her great play was rewarded with first team all conference honors and regional rankings in both singles and doubles. <br />
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As a class, it is such a joy to know that this group has come together and learned so much. They are incredible individuals who through the season figured out not just how to improve individually but how to make each other better. They also have such wonderful personalities that complement each other and allow them to become great friends but also push each other. <br />
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A defining aspect of our season was how we competed nationally in DIII. With so much turnover in the lineup and so many new faces, in many ways our season and success were defined by the play and leadership of the sophomores. Jenna, Lindsey and Hanna all stepped up to help lead us to 5 nationally ranked wins, solidifying our program in the top 25 and showing we can play with anyone any day. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH5qmBU90i6g-LzX3vpvAC2hwLhTmGSfGqNdls_6eMKDk6iUpXe09zkLvJwz8GolbCbsCO1snooshjVFEaCDetxfu3-wU1hvd59XjQ1cp47hVH8xJm6KiCsBthiEUZ8635lr1tBOFA/s1600/WTNvIdaho-2016-02-07_237+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH5qmBU90i6g-LzX3vpvAC2hwLhTmGSfGqNdls_6eMKDk6iUpXe09zkLvJwz8GolbCbsCO1snooshjVFEaCDetxfu3-wU1hvd59XjQ1cp47hVH8xJm6KiCsBthiEUZ8635lr1tBOFA/s320/WTNvIdaho-2016-02-07_237+%25281%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hanna's awesome forehand</td></tr>
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Hanna was a rock in doubles for us. It is amazing to think that she was the only player from our doubles lineup last year that was in it this year. Her big serve, solid ground game and huge play at the net not only got us a dozen wins at the #1 spot and she and Mary a top 10 regional ranking, but those attributes in practice every day rubbed off on her teammates, giving us 4 doubles teams that could play with anyone any day. Hanna also worked hard on her singles and had some great performances, but what I really appreciate is how good she got at bringing it every day in practice and in any match opportunity she got. I have no doubt she'll keep getting better and it will be so fun to see what she does on the court. She also sought a big leadership role and while her energy and support has been incredible from day one, now as a sophomore she has really begun to understand how to share her incredible passion, sense of humor and vision for how good this team can be. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBnPL_asc060TR0EXCu4Ij1YCWYNvVpj3r9IQyaF_V587tfWaB4llo8ojupvdyQJecmVv2lFsYsaQ-Mm1jCukI91eE7xqrfalDTwheosptUFYWw8lN5NhN7oehJ0zrECIvH5kuFFyP/s1600/WTNvL%2526C-2016-04-02_064.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBnPL_asc060TR0EXCu4Ij1YCWYNvVpj3r9IQyaF_V587tfWaB4llo8ojupvdyQJecmVv2lFsYsaQ-Mm1jCukI91eE7xqrfalDTwheosptUFYWw8lN5NhN7oehJ0zrECIvH5kuFFyP/s320/WTNvL%2526C-2016-04-02_064.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lindsey rips a forehand in a huge 3 set win over LC</td></tr>
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Another type of leadership is lead by example. Lindsey does this in every way every day. She takes care of herself so well and balances school, tennis, and an incredible amount of meaningful volunteering and it shows everyone that if you are disciplined you can do so much with your education. After a very successful first year, she absolutely lifted her game in singles, improving her shots, fitness, and getting more and more confident with different aspects of her game. Maybe the most fun was seeing her become a force in doubles. Her patterns and shot selection last year were so dialed in for singles, and as she has integrated the right plays and great finishing at the net, her doubles play has been tremendous. She and Allie came together and finished the year with 5 straight wins including D1 Seattle U and nationally ranked Linfield and Lewis and Clark! The LC team was ranked #23 in D3! I'm so proud of Lindsey's balance but intense work ethic and how she knows herself. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIEm0DZovlUSmPxlj_wkwAmlubChXKQl5AtWZ98XHlVS1FPIZPkNMhyphenhyphenERLm3gaGWGIx1ymHH6FoF77rhhJcHqH5rQalG8DNlacSKGhSNv05GGhd0TMBMZTaVP_dJIv4lekm8AjGpln/s1600/WTNvGFU-2016-04-03_012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIEm0DZovlUSmPxlj_wkwAmlubChXKQl5AtWZ98XHlVS1FPIZPkNMhyphenhyphenERLm3gaGWGIx1ymHH6FoF77rhhJcHqH5rQalG8DNlacSKGhSNv05GGhd0TMBMZTaVP_dJIv4lekm8AjGpln/s320/WTNvGFU-2016-04-03_012.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jenna's heavy backhand</td></tr>
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Something so special about this team is how much they appreciate the opportunities they have and realize how fortunate they are to be students at Whitman. The are also keenly aware of the life lessons that college tennis teaches and how while we are having a ton of fun and building amazing relationships, that competing together allows us to experience success and failure in a safe place where we can pick each other up. The whole concept of competition as a process we undertake with our opponent rather than just being about winning and losing is so important to me that they understand. I am so fortunate to coach Jenna (Lil J for another week...then just Jenna or J Rae). The way that she competes is so true to what sports should always be. There is an intense ferocity and desire to win that pushes her, yet she balances it with the utmost respect for her opponents even in the most heated moments of battle. And after the toughest of practices or matches, wrestling with all of the emotions that tennis requires, Jenna inspires me with her true appreciation for her efforts and her opponent. She always wants more from herself and is willing to fight for it, but as much as she wants her best and to win, she never seems hung up on the result. She reminds me daily of what it means to compete and play sports and why it is so valuable to do. On top of that, her game has really grown in consistency and her identity in singles and doubles is as strong as her heavy groudies and it paid off. With a 14-5 singles record and 10-3 doubles record its amazing how focusing on improvement rather than results is often the best way to get great results.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjenJj2qU0WWv81rFBYBuNrti-pM10UQVEDOVdnIOYdesHpB6RlYkLn4nQSC6exwdeI7UfquGLk2kcImds92nuTjn1WNmsBhMUfTrn6qkWnQIThNVCmkZsG4GiRunr8iqceG_TI3BvM/s1600/WTNvL%2526C-2016-04-02_163.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjenJj2qU0WWv81rFBYBuNrti-pM10UQVEDOVdnIOYdesHpB6RlYkLn4nQSC6exwdeI7UfquGLk2kcImds92nuTjn1WNmsBhMUfTrn6qkWnQIThNVCmkZsG4GiRunr8iqceG_TI3BvM/s320/WTNvL%2526C-2016-04-02_163.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Allie doing work from the baseline</td></tr>
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Speaking of results, Allie had an incredible year going 18-7 in singles and 14-9 in doubles. One of the most dedicated, hard working and caring players I have coached; Allie leads in many ways on and off the court. She is hugely involved in SAAC (Student Athlete Advisory Council) on campus and was recently elected to represent Whitman at the conference level SAAC. Allie finds so many ways to bring the team together and make our presence felt on campus involving us in community service and campaigns like, "It's on US" taking a stand against sexual violence. On the court, the extra practice, weights, and diligence lets her rip her shots all day. Where she's grown the most is in doubles, really knowing the court better each week and becoming a great partner and finisher as well as having the big reliable serve and groundstrokes. I already mentioned the tear she and Lindsey finished the year on and there is more to come in her senior year!<br />
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Finally, it is time that I write a final player post and welcome Katrina and Jenna as Whitman Women's Tennis alumnae. These two got paired to be roommates as first years in Jewett Hall and the bond created was instant and has only grown stronger. It's hard to imagine being more proud of two people as individuals and as teammates. They allow each other to have their own journey of tennis and school, but the first person always there when they need it is the other. Two of the most genuine, nice, caring and loving people I've been around, they both have the ability to achieve at anything they set their mind to, but also find ways to enjoy balance in life.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6b6zPMB6cQ9IdGPhyphenhyphenodgmXjlmvF4VRGzUs_xFRT23VGcosmViLyI27Mb1Dp6Aq59UM7ZsZvO20tFPgNcf-cca8Nja0P_b_olwwvWSTEqt3hFzn2TZYRzjeoYYyFcyx5tiRneXvTy6/s1600/17304416411_99f71426cb_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6b6zPMB6cQ9IdGPhyphenhyphenodgmXjlmvF4VRGzUs_xFRT23VGcosmViLyI27Mb1Dp6Aq59UM7ZsZvO20tFPgNcf-cca8Nja0P_b_olwwvWSTEqt3hFzn2TZYRzjeoYYyFcyx5tiRneXvTy6/s320/17304416411_99f71426cb_o.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Team D - Family within Family</td></tr>
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I am so inspired by what Jenna has done as a student athlete. She worked constantly to build a singles game that has no weaknesses and so many strengths. This year, she was hungry to step into the #1 role and every practice there was no doubt who our on court model for success was. In matches, she got to play the best players in the country and every time she was right there. We saw her best tennis as a senior and the level of play as she put the final pieces of attacking short balls, finishing at net and controlling the baseline with a variety of patterns. She has been ranked #13 in the West region most of the season where she currently sits and can be proud of the results, rankings and mostly the feeling of playing such wonderful tennis. Of course, this singles momentum was building, and it was her success in doubles which was just as gratifying. Not wanting to volley or always having good targets with her returns in previous years, JD was an absolute monster at the net this year. Her poaches and huge overheads ate up the middle of the court and her money lefty serve and ripping returns kept teams on their heels. It is impossible not to feel great about Jenna's legacy at Whitman and again she was honored as first team all-NWC for her 4th all conference award. Jenna plans to head back home to Southern California and pursue a career in TV where she loves combining her skill for economics with the excitement of the entertainment industry.<br />
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Katrina, as an art major, recently installed her thesis. If you're on campus the next two weeks, definitely go to Olin Hall and check it out. I don't know tons about art, but I was blown away by how thought provoking, powerful and still very approachable if even fun and whimsical her thesis is. She'll be heading east to the big apple to see where her talents in various media and creativity take her. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY8bYxr6afDv1WTAXfj6lAx8d-QAiKI1UIcsC98eguVd2mKutgGjZKeSznjzTc2fLhyphenhyphenebOrOT_8Njwkx1ggkG11OfslA9as3AM05yMK17yKt4zRy4IO0_XsNCemVCKRTsanTd1ljzl/s1600/17278971916_51ed0627ee_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY8bYxr6afDv1WTAXfj6lAx8d-QAiKI1UIcsC98eguVd2mKutgGjZKeSznjzTc2fLhyphenhyphenebOrOT_8Njwkx1ggkG11OfslA9as3AM05yMK17yKt4zRy4IO0_XsNCemVCKRTsanTd1ljzl/s320/17278971916_51ed0627ee_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alice and Katrina - so much support and love to celebrate!</td></tr>
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<br />
This year was equally inspiring from Tree on our team as she worked incredibly hard rehabbing from her knee surgery in the fall and was at every practice coaching and engaging with the team. After sad news from her surgeon in January that her timetable of recovery wouldn't allow her to play this year (she would have been in the fast part of the range of recovery times, but we were hopeful nonetheless), it was incredible to see Katrina take charge of her overall health and well being. Sometimes as an athlete, taking a step back is the hardest thing. It is even harder when its not by choice. Katrina handled this as an opportunity and true to our team values of being together as a team but also supporting the needs of each individual, she took some time away from the day to day practice and matches. But, because Tree is so special and has such power as a leader and friend, she stayed connected and continued to forge bonds with the first and second years who made up most of the team. When she was ready she came back to practice and coached at matches and this allowed her to give so much more to the team. Katrina probably has the most vocal perspective on tennis and competition and her ability to get everyone pumped and keep the belief high at all times helped us in immeasurable ways have the wonderful success we had this year. <br />
<br />
We will miss these two so much, but I'm incredibly excited to celebrate their graduation and see what they do next in life. In fact, there is so much to celebrate this year with great success on and off court, but there is also more to build on with the talent, desire and teamwork to take another step forward next year.<br />
<br />
If you've gotten this far, thanks for taking the time to read this post. Often I think writing this is more for me than you. It's a way for me to reflect and enjoy how meaningful this 'job' is. I'm so happy for every moment we had this year and am beyond excited for what is to come next year as this young team becomes seasoned and builds off of the great year we had this year as well as everything the program has been through in the past. I hope you've enjoyed this look into the lives and tennis of these truly outstanding women. They are the model of talent, determination and teamwork that any coach would love to have. I'm glad I'm that coach.<br />
<br />
John<br />
<br />
PS HUGE thanks go to all the support teams out there; our families, friends, alums and campus community are second to none, we love you all. I could not enjoy this whole thing so much or work to give the team such a great experience without Maddy as an amazing talented and incredibly passionate assistant coach. Every year seems to get to be more fun and rewarding, and for that and everything else she does to love and support me and be family to the team, thank you Jen, I love you so much.<br />
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<br />Coach Heinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04041736861320723614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-614666246949947487.post-51754508798993803072016-04-18T11:29:00.004-07:002016-04-18T11:29:38.007-07:00It's Playoff Time!!!Hello Tennis Fans!<br />
<br />
It is that magical time of year when we celebrate what we've done and look to the coming weekend of playoff tennis. Our journey this year has been incredible as we have come so far and learned so much. With a challenging national schedule and three D1 matches in there, we have passed many tests to remain in the top 25 nationally in D3 and are building our momentum for the days ahead.<br />
<br />
Our final tuneup for the postseason came with two resounding conference wins over Puget Sound and Pacific Lutheran. We played a terrific match against UPS and fought through a slow doubles start to gut out a 2-1 lead and roll through singles versus PLU to get an 8-1 win. It was also an incredible experience to play D1 Seattle University on their home courts outside in Seattle. With families, friends and alums cheering us on, we had a great win by Allie and Lindsey at #3 doubles and Cello and Jenna were right there at #2 while their #1 team did a great job against Hanna and Mary. In singles it was Allie again getting us a point with a terrific 3 set battle. But every match was terrific. Cello and Jenna each had really high level tennis with Cello coming back from 0-4 in the second to push it to a tie break, it was so good seeing how both of them competed and hit their shots so freely. Mary had a slow start but then went toe to toe with a great player at #2 and the final matches on were battles from the start. Lil J went up 3-0 before her opponent cut down errors and hit bigger as the battled each set 6-3,6-3. Lori was last on and after dropping a close first set, found a way to break her big serving opponent for a 7-5 second set and she carried that momentum into the match tie break.<br />
<br />
From our previous D1 matches where we competed but couldn't get points, this was a big improvement and shows the hard work the team has put in. We also couldn't be more excited to play the conference tournament right now where we have wins over two of the teams and from a 2-7 loss early to Lewis and Clark, we are headed in the right direction with a narrow 4-5 loss a couple weeks ago. We are certainly focused on Linfield who has everyone healthy and is a great team deserving of their national ranking so I hope you can come watch us play in Portland this weekend as we look each day to enjoy the moment and extend our season!<br />
<br />
<b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Championship Schedule at Lewis and Clark College<br /><br /><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1180104860" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">Saturday, April 23</span></span> - Semifinals at L&C</b><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">10am #1 Lewis & Clark vs. #4 Whitworth</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Not before 2pm </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> #2 Whitman vs. #3 Linfield</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1180104863" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">Sunday, April 24</span></span> - Championship Match at L&C</b><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">10am semifinal winners</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><br /></span>Coach Heinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04041736861320723614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-614666246949947487.post-43102357298904218232016-04-12T15:13:00.001-07:002016-04-12T15:13:17.121-07:00Saving the best for last....or is it just getting startedHello everyone,<br />
<br />
Today at Whitman is Whitman Undergraduate Conference Day. If you're not a Whittie and don't know about this event, it is one of the things that makes our liberal arts education so special. Without graduate students at Whitman, our professors (who are experts in their fields) need help conducting research and value teaching so students do a ton of work at a really high level. This ranges from senior seminar papers/projects to a senior thesis to research or study conducted by students with professor or student grants etc.<br />
<br />
The bottom line is that Whitman students do amazing work and one day a year the college stops classes and the whole campus is involved in presentations of this work. Today, Jenna moderated a panel themed, "Our town, Our times" and gave a presentation on a project she did titled, "Who's Framing Whom? Critical Analysis of Jay Z and Beyonce Meeting the Mona Lisa" How's that for an econ major (who has passed her senior exams!!!). During the all campus lunch, Cello who plays in the Jazz Ensemble performed at the Reid Campus center, so there is music, science, social science and just about everything you can think of students doing...what a day!<br />
<br />
Okay, enough excitement about school, last weekend we had a one match and following a great week of practice, we played our last home regular season match vs Pacific. This is a talented team that we knew would be tough, especially at the top of the lineup and in doubles. Through the years, I've seen teams go through matches relying on depth or talent and the result is often good, but the goal of our team each day is to use every minute we have together on court to keep improving. Sunday was an absolute celebration of that attitude.<br />
<br />
We got out quickly in doubles sweeping the three counting matches plus the exhibition where Lil J and Jana played brilliant attacking doubles to win 8-0. All other teams won 8-3 and our habits are really coming out! In singles, there was no drop, rather we stepped it up with the dangerous 1-3 matches all going our way in straight sets. I'm so proud of Jenna as a senior to play two brilliant sets in front of friends and teammates at 1. Mary and Allie were just as good at 2 and 3. Cello and Lindsey rested while Lil J and Lori were efficient at 4 and 5 and Jana started strong, hiccuped a bit in the second set and reset herself brilliantly to take the third set 6-1. Hanna went inside for an exhibition and was the first done 6-0,6-1. <br />
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I'm incredibly proud of the team on and off the court, we have more fun each week as they get used to the habits or competing together as champions and growing together each day and week. <br />
<br />
This weekend we have an exciting weekend in Tacoma/Seattle. If you're in the area, let me know as we'd love to see you at matches and are working on a team/supporter dinner Saturday night in Seattle.<br />
<br />
Saturday we play at 9am at UPS then go to Seattle University for a showdown with the D1 Redhawks.<br />
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If you'll be at the matches or are interested in joining us for dinner Saturday night, please email me at heinj@whitman.edu<br />
<br />
Sunday we play PLU at Sprinker Recreation Center in Tacoma at 10:30am.<br />
<br />
This is the final regular season matches for our team and then we play the Northwest Conference Tournament. More info after this weekend, but in all likelyhood we will travel to Lewis and Clark where the Pios will host the top 4 conference teams. We would be slated to play in Portland at LC Saturday 4/23 at 2pm in the second semifinal of the day. The finals will be Sunday 4/24 at 10am with an NCAA bid on the line.<br />
<br />
We hope to see you soon!<br />
John<br />
<br />Coach Heinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04041736861320723614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-614666246949947487.post-8460210811945180662016-04-05T12:50:00.002-07:002016-04-05T12:50:58.149-07:00Family/Alumni/Senior Weekend in Walla Walla<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="2m4ul" data-offset-key="47uv-0-0" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
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<span data-offset-key="47uv-0-0">It was an amazing weekend of tennis. Our Wonderful WhitWomen demonstrated awesome improvement and after a 2-7 score the first time with Lewis and Clark, we had a terrific hard fought, well played 4-5 match that came down to 3rd sets at 5 and 6. Our sophomores showed how good they are with Hanna leading Mary to a strong win at 1 dubs and Lil J and Lindsey fought side by side in gutsy 3rd sets, Linds fighting through cramping to win 6-4 and Jenna coming incredibly close in a tough 4-6 third set. </span><br />
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<span data-offset-key="54aih-0-0">Our family/alum/senior dinner was so special thanks to the planning by Coach Maddy and the amazing hosting of Christy (Lindquist) and Jay Krutulis. Thanks so so much! The team put together a great tribute for Katrina and Jenna.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The whole crew at dinner..more photos on the flickr site<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #141823; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;">This team plays such amazing tennis, but it is so special to have amazing support from our alums and families. Thanks to locals Jayne and Jim, Jay and Christy, and Kate KP for coming out as well as the Schuellers (WC superfans and super smart math profs).</span></div>
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Sunday we bounced back in a big way, taking down a very tough George Fox team who we beat 6-3 in February. This time we got the doubles sweep and carried it to an 8-1 win. This team continues to show that they learn from EVERY experience and can apply it to the next match. Cello, Lori and Jana were especially on fire, all winning singles and dubs in convincing fashion. For Allie and Lil J, they also got double wins, which is super tough against a good team the day after leaving every bit of physical, mental and emotional strength on the court the day before before LC. I'm so proud of each and every player, without all of them we would not be the team we are or be in such a great position to continue this special journey together.<br />
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<span data-offset-key="2hjlp-0-0">Our families who traveled included Jana's dad Heath (sorry, Dr. Miller), the Gilberts, the Wallin's, the Dobrin's, Alice Allick, Val Brodeck. You're all so wonderful and to all those who couldn't make it we missed you!</span><br />
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<span data-offset-key="ec6n-0-0">We're working (well mostly Maddy is) to make this a special event each year, so to have alums Amy K-P, Steven Ly, Seth Dawson, Emily Rolston all come out and share great times with us was so special!</span><br />
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<span data-offset-key="6m5i7-0-0">And most of all, anything I'm able to do to help this team improve, learn and have a good time happens because Jen is so loving and supportive.</span><br />
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<span data-offset-key="eiuke-0-0">Thanks everyone.</span><br />
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John<br />
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<span data-offset-key="58hpc-0-0"><span data-text="true"><b><u>Upcoming events:</u></b></span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="58hpc-0-0"><span data-text="true"><b>1)Sunday 4/10 10am Home vs Pacific</b></span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="58hpc-0-0"><span data-text="true"><b>2)Saturday 4/16 9am at Univ Puget Sound</b></span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="58hpc-0-0"><span data-text="true"><b> Saturday 4/16 3pm at Seattle University</b></span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="58hpc-0-0"><span data-text="true"><b> *Team/Family/Alum/Friend Dinner TBA in Seattle - contact John if you're interested!</b></span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="58hpc-0-0"><span data-text="true"><b>3) NWC Championships (Likely at Lewis and Clark if they win out)</b></span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="58hpc-0-0"><span data-text="true"><b> Saturday 4/23 Semifinals (probably 2pm?)</b></span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="58hpc-0-0"><span data-text="true"><b> Sunday 4/24 Finals 10am</b></span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="58hpc-0-0"><span data-text="true"> <i> *The playoffs are elimination so this is what we've been working for, to play each match as our last and extend our season into the NCAA's and see how far we can go!</i></span></span></div>
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Coach Heinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04041736861320723614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-614666246949947487.post-28606347402674053062016-03-22T23:35:00.000-07:002016-03-22T23:35:27.241-07:00Spring Break 2016 – A Full Heart After a Full Trip<div class="MsoNormal">
It is with such wonderful pleasure that I sit down to write
about our Spring Break this year. I love
that in college tennis, as good as one year is, the next is fresh and new as
the people on the team change and grow.
Growth has really been the theme of our season this year. It’s something that I’m really proud of in
our program overall, that our players improve so much on court and learn so
much as people. This year’s team has
been incredible because of the immense talent that they bring and the strong
desire to push themselves to constantly be better and find out how good we can
be. This requires a certain mindset of
loving the process of growth. This
process is inherently full of both pain and joy. After what was an outstanding start to the
season through our non-conference matches, the Winter Classic and the first
half of our conference season, if there was one thing I wanted from the team it
was for them to enjoy how great they are and how far they’ve come in such a
short time. This theme of being fully
present in the moment and celebrating success as well as responding positively
to failure really came to fruition over this week.</div>
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We had a two-part spring break this year. Starting in Portland, we faced the task of
coming off of midterms, driving and playing teams we’d already played. Against Willamette, who we previously beat
9-0, the challenge was to start with great energy and focus and not take them
for granted. We did exactly that,
winning 9-0 again, rotating our lineup and playing really solid tennis. <o:p></o:p></div>
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This effort spilled over into the next day as we completed
our home and home with Linfield. After a
really great home win 7-2 in February, we took 2 of 3 doubles to start strong,
but Linfield looked hungry taking all three first sets (match on 3 courts
indoors at Linfield) at #1,2 and 3. The
positive response from our team was incredible, with Allie and Mary both
fighting back to win in 3 sets and with our depth, even though JD lost, being
up 4-2 with three matches to go was huge for us. Jenna’s journey this year has been an
incredible one that continues to inspire and motivate us all. Coming into the year, she and I may have been
the only people who really knew what she would face as our #1 and the hunger
and excitement JD brought to that challenge propelled her to the best tennis of
her life. After rehabbing a mild injury,
Jenna was not at her best this day, but used the match to rebuild her game and
by the end, she was firing at a level that could beat anyone in the country
again. Our depth was truly on display as
Cello, Lil J and Hanna all won in straight sets. The ability of the sophomores to step up at
this point in the season has been so huge for us because it’s allowed our
talented first years room to develop at a pace that can be sustained and built
on continuously all season and throughout their Whitman careers. <o:p></o:p></div>
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In the end, it was another 7-2 win, this one on the road
after midterms was even more impressive to me and it gave us a great boost
before heading to California to run our win streak to 5 straight matches. I also can’t thank enough the parents who
cheered us on, kept us fed (thanks Val and Ken!) and the Farrell and Whittaker
families for hosting us. <o:p></o:p></div>
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After the Linfield match, there was time for a quick shower,
a hello to super alum/fan/W Club board member Lynn McKelvey, and of course a
trip to Portland wouldn’t be the same without Salt and Straw ice cream! Then it was on a plane to California!<o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvD93-N1dm7us05r8yPk9UfBBqCSUz-E_EvegN9wGBNMQ6gBoMJm544G-cMJ397QM9jBvUsFJ6hmOyUIl358Ka-F5bS3FIduK_qqEJD37H5EO59MOZoF2QeJnyiilU5KueG16yf_H3/s1600/IMG_9418.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvD93-N1dm7us05r8yPk9UfBBqCSUz-E_EvegN9wGBNMQ6gBoMJm544G-cMJ397QM9jBvUsFJ6hmOyUIl358Ka-F5bS3FIduK_qqEJD37H5EO59MOZoF2QeJnyiilU5KueG16yf_H3/s320/IMG_9418.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Salt and Straw in Portland</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEQZqqIcNFDsM6KZNMCuW_mFQWOnj8eSXyPcH1cu-Qs8PmCV2iqK5EJRAhaRIs1v1vnH_bfNlt6aSxSyKSKrcVSE4tX3ecQqOFW1nyt0h-llVFQFrSGMK7jOUvmsGE76AvWuaPTfQs/s1600/IMG_9414.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEQZqqIcNFDsM6KZNMCuW_mFQWOnj8eSXyPcH1cu-Qs8PmCV2iqK5EJRAhaRIs1v1vnH_bfNlt6aSxSyKSKrcVSE4tX3ecQqOFW1nyt0h-llVFQFrSGMK7jOUvmsGE76AvWuaPTfQs/s320/IMG_9414.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love our personality on and off the court!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Our week in California started with fun times with the
Webster’s in Long Beach and with a trip to the BNP Paribas pro tournament at
Indian Wells with the Greenberg’s. If
you’re a tennis fan, you have to go to Indian Wells at some point, what a
terrific event and memorable experience for our team. We capped off our two days off with a
practice at USC’s new facility thanks to Maddy’s longtime coach and friend
Peter Smith and then had an amazing dinner with the Dobrin’s.<o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8zgSZKs4krIyEATRrI0BBohtIqaX-7AMRSUH5s6OAiVF9mXECzN0CNY_3LSISG8mQE-ihjn3GID8pWcRulUsdmaoz52SpuLwslyPZJ1-yIYVA6Ne8uFc0Nu1FeerFl2ZiEZQsnFJd/s1600/Team+at+USC+with+Peter+Smith.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8zgSZKs4krIyEATRrI0BBohtIqaX-7AMRSUH5s6OAiVF9mXECzN0CNY_3LSISG8mQE-ihjn3GID8pWcRulUsdmaoz52SpuLwslyPZJ1-yIYVA6Ne8uFc0Nu1FeerFl2ZiEZQsnFJd/s320/Team+at+USC+with+Peter+Smith.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying practice at USC with Peter</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl5u3mvLJkO2Enk0WZAQbCE8id52es_jr6hMprVYfP59QFNdrdnRUssVUwjDuUiR_fLTwUx02_jEW1Qw2DiMcw8Cp0gVJLAjdJKtlZWvHG9KpBrSBTVdCRZp9RnTxdBErG54sVi0qc/s1600/Team+at+Indian+Wells.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl5u3mvLJkO2Enk0WZAQbCE8id52es_jr6hMprVYfP59QFNdrdnRUssVUwjDuUiR_fLTwUx02_jEW1Qw2DiMcw8Cp0gVJLAjdJKtlZWvHG9KpBrSBTVdCRZp9RnTxdBErG54sVi0qc/s320/Team+at+Indian+Wells.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the BNP Paribas in Indian Wells</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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We then hunkered down in Claremont for 4 exciting
matches. We started off with one of our
best team efforts of the year, playing a terrific match to win over #36 UT
Tyler 9-0! I was so proud of the doubles
energy and great efforts especially from Hanna and Lil J who each played really
good dubs and then had to battle in long singles matches; the grit on display
was tremendous from all, especially these two. It was a great day for both Allie and Lindsey. Allie really being the captain we needed in dubs and then rolling with great confidence in singles and Lindsey winning the first singles point by finding her game early and not giving the Patriots any room to comeback. These two really know and trust their games and that really propelled us in doubles and singles.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCOcSLlYH2qbJGhsI6HZJJikKSMV2MeHV4fQmATOYIKAALVn6lDFz7KMCMQXdV-yjShe7we-cdAwfwPcX-S1R5whehMe3ZCyCUn2lqdYViwwtpM74ozitTUhuBnyBwejVg8G-x2v6G/s1600/IMG_1977.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCOcSLlYH2qbJGhsI6HZJJikKSMV2MeHV4fQmATOYIKAALVn6lDFz7KMCMQXdV-yjShe7we-cdAwfwPcX-S1R5whehMe3ZCyCUn2lqdYViwwtpM74ozitTUhuBnyBwejVg8G-x2v6G/s320/IMG_1977.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Team support is key for us and here is the team supporting Jana vs CMS</td></tr>
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The next day we played #4 CMS on their courts. This was a great measuring stick for us as
the Athena’s really utilized their talent and athleticism well and made very
few mistakes. We felt right with them,
but also learned a lot in a tough 9-0 loss.
It was a match that will help everyone build on their mental toughness
as we just gave away too many free points.
Lori came away with an exhibition win and JD and Mary battled one of the
nations best 1-2 combos incredibly well in competitive matches.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim_Bz2VwAnMy2ly7no730pdk95mF_kM_r6H7pUY4cs21nTt8juAh9eBC6Mh17rsT_hDeNPfy0r7aYSF2G1_KfqihR810t9JrUcP7lK4RRQsMG3sw8nt3YQxxRYxuufte5nI23YFwyY/s1600/IMG_1983.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim_Bz2VwAnMy2ly7no730pdk95mF_kM_r6H7pUY4cs21nTt8juAh9eBC6Mh17rsT_hDeNPfy0r7aYSF2G1_KfqihR810t9JrUcP7lK4RRQsMG3sw8nt3YQxxRYxuufte5nI23YFwyY/s320/IMG_1983.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watching the Whitman Men play #2 CMS - did this fan base lead Phil and Zach to a win at #1 doulbes....</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Friday was our third match in 3 days and though Vassar has
had some tough losses to drop them out of the rankings, they are a very good
team and we found ourselves in an intense battle from the start. A huge win from
Hanna and Mary kept us in it after dubs down 1-2. Allie is so often at the heart of our success and is so central to who we are as she demands incredible sportsmanship and support from herself and the team; and she went to work winning in straight sets
and displaying her leadership and improved calm under pressure to tie things
up. Lindsey never really got into her groove, but gave everything a coach could ask for
in her match so we were down 3-2. The
other straight set matches had Lori (who has steadily been displaying outstanding
performances to earn a big top 6 match) blitzing through the first set 6-0,
then fighting her way through a second set tie break 8-6 for a straight set
win. JD on court one battled in two long
close sets but lost so with Mary and Cello in third sets, we needed them
both. I was on the bottom courts so didn’t
see Mary’s match, but the cheers of our team and our Men’s team who all came to
watch told me, she was winning in the third.
Mary has been so solid for us and every week, we see the payoff for her
hard work at practice as her habits get better and better and keep her in
matches until her natural instincts take over. </div>
So it came down to 4-4 with only Cello’s match on. In team tennis, you have to have awareness of
the whole match but somehow stay focused on the points you are playing. Cello lost her first set 0-6, but maintained
a positive attitude and belief in her game which propelled her into a third set
which she led from the start. Midway,
her opponent played two great games to retake the lead and serve for the match
at 5-4. Undaunted, Cello combined offense
and defense to break and hold and then she fought for one last break to win 7-5
in the third and clinch us the match.
5-4 matches that come down to the final set can be terrifying, or as I
see them, super fun. It means on this
day the two teams are neck and neck and the final match is a closely contested
one. This day, it was an incredible
match where both players played well, were composed, had great sportsmanship
and it came down to a couple points here and there. I’m so happy for the team and for Cello in
fighting this match out, applying the lessons learned in previous matches and
really going after it when it counted.
The way she played this match was more important than the win, but the
win for the team is huge in continuing to have confidence and believe in all
scenarios.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKRfj2xeBFUmy7eaKAWafamSdLXcA1_Wv9Uojk1GEEvE_nC1uRjilBm6GCjpVFL_-tQe4vBjkg8jE__lFGusP9iF8IPlXZ7zfYtHxsi9XOhlFDkW2RviwgsXEtXu9Jlz9IgbowgPQn/s1600/Lil+J+vs+Vassar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKRfj2xeBFUmy7eaKAWafamSdLXcA1_Wv9Uojk1GEEvE_nC1uRjilBm6GCjpVFL_-tQe4vBjkg8jE__lFGusP9iF8IPlXZ7zfYtHxsi9XOhlFDkW2RviwgsXEtXu9Jlz9IgbowgPQn/s400/Lil+J+vs+Vassar.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The match was over, but Lil J still battled at #7 and the team still supported in yellow!</td></tr>
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With three great matches under our belts we had a light practice
and day off before fishing vs #14 Chicago.
This is a team I’ve never coached against, but they are a very talented
group and I couldn’t wait to play them.
In this test, at the end of a long trip, against a higher ranked team I
am so happy that the match was such a battle.
We ended up losing 8-1 with another impressive performance from Cello, but
JD and Mary went three sets and we won the 7 and 8 matches with Lori and Jana
winning in straight sets. These two matches were huge for us as Lori continues to grow and need challenges so we can figure out just how good she is right now - this was a great indication that her steady, positive diligent work is coming through on court. Jana’s match was
especially gratifying because she has been a model team player while working to
adjust her style of play. The work she’s
putting in is starting to show up more and more consistently and this was a big
time affirmation of that – so look out for this incredibly talented super
athletic Whittie. Allie played another good match losing to a great player who had a great day and Lindsey got her rythym
back in two well played sets while Lil J also played her best match of the
week, nearly fighting it into a third set.
Our doubles is really coming around and it didn’t show on the
scoreboard, but Mary and Hanna continue to improve at 1, Cello and JD are
sitting at the edge of a huge breakthrough and the Allie/Lindsey and Lil J/Jana
teams are both finding their identity and provide us with great doubles
depth. All in all, this match could have
swung the other way and it shows that we’re in a terrific place heading into
April and our final three weekends of conference play.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I’ve done a lot of team trips and they are all special, but this
one felt like such an amazing team experience on and off court, where each day
was truly meaningful in providing wonderful tennis, great times together, and
an appreciation for the amazing support we have. I love coaching this team. In particular, the
constant growth keeps me so hungry to get back on the court together, to learn,
improve, and mostly to enjoy every moment playing together.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Thank you so much to the team for your outstanding character
and attitudes, to our families and friends for beyond incredible support and to
our men’s team for getting us through the Vassar match and being such an awesome
team to share this experience with. Most
of all, this would not have been near the trip it was without the superhuman
efforts in all areas from Coach Maddy.
Seeing her grow from a player and leader on court into a seasoned coach
gives me joy beyond what I can express in writing.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We’re now in the midst of a week off (YES, IT IS NOT JUST A
GREAT RECRUITING TOOL TO HAVE A 2 WEEK SPRING BREAK, BUT A NECESSARY BREAK IN
THE LONG COLLEGE TENNIS SPRING), and I can’t wait to practice Monday and get
ready for our senior/family/alumnae weekend April 2-3<sup>rd</sup> when we rematch
#19 Lewis and Clark and up and coming George Fox at home. If you plan to be there, please let me or
Coach Maddy know, we’d love to share the good times and some special events
with you.<o:p></o:p></div>
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With tennislove from Walla Walla,<o:p></o:p></div>
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John<o:p></o:p></div>
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Coach Heinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04041736861320723614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-614666246949947487.post-5085612993562973892016-03-08T21:00:00.001-08:002016-03-08T21:00:44.311-08:00The Battle of WhitsAt Whitman, any contests between ourselves and our neighbors to the north in Spokane are always a big deal. And with our schedule being a 1 and a half round robin in conference, this year we played the Pirates once and had to do it on the road at their place. It was a great day for the Battle of Whits as we started the day with a r<a href="http://athletics.whitman.edu/news/2016/3/5/womens-tennis-landlubbers-sink-pirates.aspx">esounding 8-1 win </a>and then in the nightcap our men's basketball team upset #3 Whitworth to <a href="http://athletics.whitman.edu/news/2016/3/5/mens-basketball-whits-heading-to-the-sweet-16.aspx">move on to the sweet 16</a> of the NCAA tourney this weekend!<br />
<br />
Our day started brightly as our hosts the Fennessy's were outstanding and got us a good nights sleep and a solid start. We were well taken care of once we arrived at Whitworth with Emily Rolston (Anthropology 2012, Century Club member) and her dad Layne coming from Missoula to cheer us on and provide yummy healthy snacks, thanks so much Layne and Em!<br />
<br />
On the court, we decided Jenna could use another couple days rest from a mild injury and Cello was battling a nasty illness so hadn't been able to train much that week. Fortunately, our team is so deep and it was incredible to see everyone step up and play great start to finish earning a big win and building our momentum as we head into spring break.<br />
<br />
In doubles, Allie and Lindsey set the tone winning easily, but Hanna and Mary were in a close battle from the start and Jana and Lil J got down 0-4! It was great to see #3 dubs fight back and establish their presence pushing the Pirates to a tie break. At #1, we were trading breaks but couldn't find any separation and give a lot of credit to Whitworth for the 8-6 win, which has done nothing but fire up Hanna and Mary in practice this week - watch out! In the tie break, Jenna and Jana showed tremendous composure, served great and played great at the net to take it and give us a 2-1 lead going into singles.<br />
<br />
Here, on 3 courts with players stepping up, Allie and Lindsey again led the way with efficient straight set wins. Mary started slowly but won 6-3,6-1 at #1 to clinch the match. After that it was just wonderful fun to see Lil J, Jana and Lori go to work to sweep the singles and send us home with a well deserved win. Jenna D added great coaching and Cello found energy between coughs to be a huge cheering presence start to finish. <br />
<br />
Allie was our Whittie of the match for her ruthless efficiency, making good players look very pedestrian and I was also impressed with Lil J and Jana fighting against opponents who competed with a ton of heart and made them work for each point. Finally, it was cool to play in the bubble (not something I usually say as I'm spoiled with our wonderful outdoor courts and indoor facility) because Lori was flat out unloading on the ball, cracking winners that echoed off the walls and led to thunderous cheers from the bench. Her strokes have been great from day one, but to see her build so much strength is a testament to her adjustment to life and school in the US as well as her incredible work ethic putting in extra fitness and tennis - always with a smile.<br />
<br />
Stay tuned for news from this weekend as we travel to Oregon to rematch Willamette at 10am Saturday and then Linfield at 10am Sunday before we fly to California for our spring break trip!<br />
<br />
If you're in the area, come on over to Salem and McMinnville to cheer on this amazing group of incredibly talented student athletes.<br />
<br />
Cheers,<br />
Coach JohnCoach Heinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04041736861320723614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-614666246949947487.post-89669539921032137592016-02-23T11:53:00.000-08:002016-02-23T11:53:24.231-08:00Bouncing BackThere are some things in life that you never want to take for granted. High among them are the traits of not just champion athletes, but champions in life. Among others, these include appreciation, compassion, resiliency, courage, determination....the list could go on.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY8T9ZgRrfcWihS7LYO4PlViXq0opuARKfZKxIZfG08mXJa1xKSaZ2adwTilLCGw5Dcv8X5fGf022sOhUrq7k8-fbhkWSnCauLsz6YD2SYvWIM4R0BjLIBGYyaR9OM4TXRCesPH85n/s1600/Lil+J+serve.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY8T9ZgRrfcWihS7LYO4PlViXq0opuARKfZKxIZfG08mXJa1xKSaZ2adwTilLCGw5Dcv8X5fGf022sOhUrq7k8-fbhkWSnCauLsz6YD2SYvWIM4R0BjLIBGYyaR9OM4TXRCesPH85n/s320/Lil+J+serve.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jenna serving during the Winter Classic</td></tr>
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Often at the start of a week, I'll write a recap of what the team has done and a preview of what is coming up. This week I'll stray from that format because my belief in this team that I've had from day one of fall practice was affirmed this weekend. The scoreboard on <a href="http://athletics.whitman.edu/news/2016/2/20/WTEN_0220165613.aspx">Friday's 2-7 loss to Lewis and Clark</a> may not show it, but this is a championship team and I could not be more proud or excited for the next step in our journey together.<br />
<br />
We have been learning from each match, and this past weekend was no different as our games and confidence grow each day. Not every group of players would do that, but as I said, the true nature of these players as people is so incredible that I can only be inspired by the way they compete and so excited about each practice and match. <br />
<br />
We bounced back from that loss with a determined sweep of Willamette and George Fox. It was awesome to mix up the lineup and see everyone compete and demonstrate our level of play. Appreciation, compassion, resiliency, courage, determination are perfect words to describe the women of Whitman Tennis. <br />
<br />
This weekend we get a well earned weekend off and are training for our next match Saturday March 5th at 10am at Whitworth in Spokane.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwGTqWoGvbgNUPvh4hWcf34K-FEz6wU0OJkpaL1i-8DsT8UKzvvyoQSieye-PK4JEgINVSWC4GAP33qNoY1PKj69I_7fqtjA2W6-sOZscNRLXBYgQtFmAap2LeeHp08bOxUAK3aEyk/s1600/Allie+backhand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwGTqWoGvbgNUPvh4hWcf34K-FEz6wU0OJkpaL1i-8DsT8UKzvvyoQSieye-PK4JEgINVSWC4GAP33qNoY1PKj69I_7fqtjA2W6-sOZscNRLXBYgQtFmAap2LeeHp08bOxUAK3aEyk/s320/Allie+backhand.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Allie went undefeated in singles this weekend and is upping her doubles game too</td></tr>
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Coach Heinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04041736861320723614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-614666246949947487.post-38399149684859578232016-02-16T12:00:00.003-08:002016-02-16T12:00:48.734-08:00An Instant ClassicHello everyone!<br />
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This past weekend we were thrilled to host 5 nationally ranked teams at home for our annual Whitman Winter Classic. There is no way that I can recap all the tennis, but Gregg Petcoff in our sports communication department did a tremendous job recapping the matches and getting scores posted as well as live streaming the matches. You can read the recaps on our webpage <a href="http://athletics.whitman.edu/index.aspx?tab=womenstennis&path=wten">here</a>. Except for some rain and chilly weather that kept us indoors, the weekend went really smoothly and so much of that is due to our training staff and coaches. Maddy and Tom were everywhere helping out, driving teams to/from the airport, setting up a wonderful family/alum dinner and oh yeah....coaching.<br />
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For us, this entire season is one that is all about discovering who we are and what we can do. We know we have incredible talent, desire, support and sportsmanship; but how would we fare against top ranked teams? The answers are both exciting as we build confidence, but also motivating as we answer questions and see how great we are.<br />
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The weekend started with a match against #35 Trinity. The Tigers in my opinion just didn't have the schedule last year to start with a higher ranking, plus they added some great pieces in recruiting so we knew it would be a battle...and a battle it was. After playing great doubles to take a 2-1 lead, both teams settled into singles and eventually it came down to 4-4 and Allie was so composed and within herself to get her match to a third set. Unfortunately, her opponent responded with an amazing set and Trinity got the match 5-4, but every one of our 10 players was fully engaged from start to finish and to have a match this big be contested from the first ball to the last is something we needed and is huge to get it early in the year. Everyone contributed and grew so our Whittie of the Match was a 10 way tie, I'm so proud of how our team competed and started the weekend off.<br />
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Saturday we had the early start to accommodate a busy match schedule which went from 8am to 10pm. The Bulldogs from Redlands play solid doubles and while every match was contested to the end, going down 0-3 gives us plenty of motivation to improve on the doubles court even though I thought we played some great tennis at all 3 spots. So many teams would go away down 0-3, but we fought back to take 3 singles matches with Jenna going deep in 3 sets at #1. We're a team that can win at every spot and loves the challenge of fighting together.<br />
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Before the finish to the tennis, Maddy planned a dinner downtown for the team, families and alums. We had some wonderful local alums with Christy Krutulis, Kate KP and Danielle Garbe as well as semi locals (Seattle), Morgan and Courtney Lawless. The Hills, Dobrins, Wallins, Val Brodeck and the Lockwoods were all with us at DaMa Wines. Mary Derby and her staff at DaMa were such wonderful hosts and it was so enjoyable to spend time with everyone!<br />
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Back on court Sunday, the team had decided that the finale to the Winter Classic and the start to our Northwest Conference Title Defense vs Linfield would be our Think Pink match. They did a midweek bake sale and took donations at the match to give to St. Mary's Cancer Center in Walla Walla. Everyone was involved, but Allie took a huge leadership role in making this happen and with pink shoelaces and hair ties, we set out to start the NWC season strong! That's exactly what we did, sweeping doubles against a very good nationally ranked Linfield team. The singles were awesome with Linfield being very strong at 1 and 2 where Jenna played possibly the best tennis I've seen before falling in a heartbreaking super tie break 8-10 to the #22 player in the nation. Jenna is right there and will have her breakthrough soon; I'm so proud of all her hard work and everyone is inspired by her play and leadership. While the scores didn't show it, Cello's game is developing the nuances she needs to get to the next level and to be this good now and getting so much better each day is incredibly exciting. The same goes for Jana who has been working so hard to expand her game. When you're brave enough to do this, there can be bumps in the road. Jana hit some of those this weekend, but I am so thrilled to see her meet many of her goals and do the things that will benefit herself and the team in the long run. The character, talent and desire of all four new players is off the charts and we've got so many great things ahead to look forward to.<br />
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Over the weekend, we also found out what we knew from practice, that we can play great dubs and that Hanna and Mary are a legit force at #1 going 2-1 on the weekend with a huge win over the #8 team in the nation who have been to 2 fall nationals and NCAA individuals together. Mary also gained great experience in going 3-0 in singles at #3 displaying not just her talent but also her increased fitness and her mental consistency. Speaking of undefeated, Lori went 2-0 at #7 singles and Lindsey was a perfect 3-0 this weekend! <br />
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Thanks so much for those who came to our matches, and if you watched online or followed tweets, I hope we kept you entertained. The fun keeps on going as we've got a short week to stay on top of our studies and keep our momentum going as we head to Lewis and Clark and Willamette for conference matches this weekend.<br />
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If you're in the Portland area, you don't want to miss this Friday's 4pm match at LC between the top two contenders in the conference!<br />
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Bye for now!<br />
Coach JohnCoach Heinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04041736861320723614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-614666246949947487.post-60623064442115729882016-02-10T23:18:00.002-08:002016-02-10T23:18:35.138-08:00All the info you need for the Whitman Winter ClassicIt's almost here!!!! Teams are packing their travel bags, the final practices are happening and I think we've got one of the best DIII events of the year right here in Walla Walla! I want to extend a huge thank you to the visiting teams and their hard working coaches who make this happen as well as Coaches Maddy and Tom and our training and sports information staff at Whitman who all work so our wonderful players can PLAY!<br />
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<b><u>The teams involved are:</u></b><br />
<b>Whitman </b>- host and #22 preseason ranking with #18 ranked recruiting class<br />
<b>Redlands </b>- #18 nationally with #14 ranked recruiting class<br />
<b>Lewis and Clark </b>- #29 nationally<br />
<b>Trinity (TX)</b> - #33 nationally<br />
<b>Linfield </b>- #34 nationally<br />
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These rankings are based off last year, but we're excited for all these west region teams to face off this early in the season. Whitman starts the weekend off with a tilt vs Trinity TX. Coach Gretchen Rush's Tigers made the NCAA tournament last year falling in a well fought match with #4 CMS. Saturday brings a rematch of what has annually been a great matchup between Redlands and Whitman. In my time here, we are yet to beat the Bulldogs, but have had many competitive matches, last year dropping a 7-2 decision on Spring Break in Redlands. That result along with a gritty win over Tufts propelled Redlands to the top of the 18-25 insanity in the DIII rankings. Both teams brought in great young players and the first meeting in Walla Walla should be a doozy. Linfield was one of our top competitors in the NWC last year and they return most of their lineup with some key additions. This match starts our conference season and will set the tone for our NWC title defense. The Wildcats have already made a trip to California where they beat CalTech and LaVerne, but lost to Redlands.<br />
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All matches will be indoors in the Bratton Tennis Center unless both coaches agree to go outside. The best chances for outdoor tennis are Friday Whitman vs Trinity and Sunday Whitman vs Linfield. Indoor matches have livestreaming on the <a href="http://portal.stretchinternet.com/whitman/">Whitman Website.</a><br />
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You can follow each team on twitter for their updates, for us @coachhein has in match score updates.<br />
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If you have any questions about the weekend, don't hesitate to contact me heinj@whitman.edu or (509)301-8502.<br />
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The schedule is:<br />
<b>Friday Noon: Whitman vs Trinity</b><br />
Friday 5pm: Lewis and Clark vs Trinity<br />
<b>Saturday 8am: Whitman vs Redlands</b><br />
Saturday 1pm: Trinity vs Linfield<br />
Saturday 5pm: Lewis and Clark vs Redlands<br />
Sunday 9am(maybe 8am) Redlands vs Trinity<br />
<b>Sunday 2pm: Linfield vs Whitman</b><br />
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<br />Coach Heinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04041736861320723614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-614666246949947487.post-30506089042028168412016-02-08T09:21:00.000-08:002016-02-08T09:21:07.544-08:00Kicking off a two week homestand with GRITHello and happy post super bowl Monday!<br />
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I'll try to keep this brief(ish) because I'll send another blog in the next couple days with a preview of the upcoming big D3 weekend at Whitman, the Winter Classic! If you're coming to that, keep in touch with me, Maddy or the team for fun events off court as well as up to date match info.<br />
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After coming out a bit slow in our first match, the team was determined to set the tone in doubles at 9am vs LCSC. This was started by Jana and Lindsey at #3 as they demonstrated great energy, shotmaking and teamwork to win 8-4 and put us on the board. Meanwhile, Jenna and Cello started slow against a crafty team, but quickly righted the ship and from 1-4 came back to win 9-7. Hanna and Mary keep looking as solid as ever at #1 beating a very good team in a close, fun, high level doubles match 8-6. The doubles sweep was huge and on court 4, Lori played an exhibition singles and won 8-2. She is working hard at specific things and it really showed through this match.<br />
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In singles, with three dual matches on 4 courts, we started putting matches on while 1,2 doubles went long. So Allie went on first and did what she needed to to win, managing her big groundies with great defense and some nice transitions. Lil J stepped up to play #6 and it was so cool for her to clinch the match with the play that we see every day in practice coming out from start to finish. It was 6-2,6-3, but her opponent really battled and some games were so long but LJ stayed with her plan and fought so hard. It was fun to watch and if doubles wasn't enough, her performance lifted our fighting spirit and earned her the coaches Whittie of the Match.<br />
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With the match decided there was no let down as Jenna came back from down a break to win 7-5,6-4 at #1 showing her senior savvy making nice adjustments in both doubles and singles. Mary was terrific up a set and 5-2 before her opponent who is really talented and athletic upped the level to battle into a tie break. Shaking it off, our Iowan found another gear for herself and looked terrific in the tiebreak. In fact, first year Whitties coming through in tie breaks became a theme as Cello was forced into a first set tiebreak before winning 7-6,6-2. Cello has really done an amazing job giving and getting from the team and the improvement of her daily habits is showing in matches as she is always eager for any challenge and each week she is more and more ready for them which is a huge testament to who she is as a person and player...very impressive. Speaking of impressive, Jana played our only three set match of the day. Wow, this kid (young adult, but she has the enthusiasm of a playful child and the discipline of the most professional adult), has so many tools on court and is using her shotmaking, athleticism and intelligence really well. Using the first set to figure out her opponent, she came back to control the second set and in a long hard fought match tie break, she was determined to play her game and it gave her the win and Whitman the 9-0 sweep.<br />
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After lunch while Idaho played LCSC to a 7-0 (D1 rules) win, we came out looking for more matches for everyone and switched up the doubles lineup. Hanna and Mary were looking great up 3-2 then lost the break on a no ad point and each game was a battle. The 3-6 score is respectable, but also fuel for this team who knows it could have been 6-3 Whitman. We've been trying different combos and Allie and Jana after a some great practice dubs, played outstanding in a 3-6 set at #2. The energy was big and positive and they showed their skills are right there with some bigtime teams. At #3 Lil J and Lori were also right in it 2-6 and as Lori plays more and more doubles she just gets better and Jenna showed her leadership and consistent big level throughout, keeping them on track start to finish.<br />
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The singles were a great competitive and learning experience as Idaho is almost all foreign players on full scholarships who play really solid tennis. Everyone battled and got experience seeing that we can play at that level, but there are some subtle but significant things to keep improving to get there. I was happy for the way JD, Cello, Jana and Allie played. Just the same I was bummed for Lindsey who rested during singles vs LCSC then came out so pumped and ready but up 3-0 her opponent needed to rest an injury and retired. Not every player would have forced her at less than 100% to feel she couldn't compete, but Linds took it to her. At #6, Hanna showed her commitment to singles is paying off as she learns more and more how to blend offense and defense. Her hard work was really fun to watch and if she keeps this going, she'll be a force in singles as well as doubles.<br />
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So much for being brief! I'm too excited about yesterday and can't wait for practice tomorrow. As I said, I'll send a separate preview for the Winter Classic this weekend when we welcome 4 nationally ranked D3 teams in our friends from Linfield, Trinity, Lewis and Clark and Redlands to Walla Walla.<br />
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Coach John<br />
<br />Coach Heinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04041736861320723614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-614666246949947487.post-13580294805722899142016-02-01T11:26:00.002-08:002016-02-01T11:26:40.795-08:00This past weekend we played our first match of the 2016 season at Eastern Washington University in Cheney. Our first two weeks of practice have been outstanding, but as great as our practice mentality is, there is no substitute for dual match play. The Eagles were very sharp in their 6th match of the season and in the shorter D1 format (no ad scoring, doubles to 6 games), they came out strong sweeping the 3 doubles and taking the 4th in an exhibition. I like what we can do in doubles as the skills and competitive fire were there, just a few too many mistakes in our first set of the season.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The team supporting Lori and Lil J in their #4 doubles match</td></tr>
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Singles was a totally different story up and down. At #1, playing the same player she lost to 6-0,6-0 last year Jenna played an incredibly composed and competitive match losing 4-6,3-6. Next to her, the improvement in our team was also tangible as Mary played a 5th year senior who played #1 the last time we saw her and beat Courtney 6-2,6-1. Mary's first set was rough but she got it going in the second set finally going down 6-0,6-4, but not before showcasing her baseline skills and determination. <br />
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#3 was the match of the day with Cello having a slow start, then coming back to make the first set close before stepping it up a notch in the second set. This was where you could feel the first year's on the court start to feed off each other and really fight together and the spark today came from Cello's heart during the match, but also her commitment to having great habits in practice that are paying off. With the overall match decided, the third set was a match tie break and getting down big, Cello again fought back to make it close before the final score of 7-6,2-6,10-8.<br />
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#4 and #5 were really good matches that despite both being straight set losses, show the mental toughness, fight and ability to grow on our team. Jana at 4 was rock solid from the start, using her weapons and blending offense and defense brilliantly. So steady and so tough, even when her opponent found another gear, JKM was in every game fighting for every ball. She came this fall with some of the best variety on the team and seeing her integrate even more options into match play has us thrilled to see what is next from her. In the same way, Lindsey has been working to expand her game and it showed more on court than on the scoreboard in a 6-2,6-2 match. It is incredible to see the physical maturity of her game as her work in the weightroom showed in having some incredible extended rallies with a counterpuncher who likes the points to go as long as possible.<br />
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Allie played #6 Saturday and coming off limited practice I knew she was striking the ball well, but wasn't sure what to expect as she competed. Well, she picked up where she left off in 2015, managing herself and using her offense and defense intelligently. She also served great against a big hitter and lost a tough 7-5,6-4 match that could have gone either way. We got a couple exhibitions with Hanna playing a proset that Eastern won 8-3, though after a slow start, Hanna got comfortable continues to grow with each singles opportunity. Lori got a one set match and it is awesome to see her transition to college life in the states. She is more comfortable and has worked really hard in the gym so her power and shotmaking was incredible in a 6-3 loss.<br />
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Overall, this match was an opportunity to beat a D1 team and we could feel the intensity of that, but mostly it was an incredible testament to the leadership of Jenna, Allie and Tree for bringing the underclassmen along and showcasing their skills and support.<br />
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For her leadership in everything we do, Jenna was voted Whittie of the Week this week by the team and for her courage and great play on court, Cello was named by the coaches as the Whittie of the match. Thanks to Maddy and Tom for awesome work prepping the team and on court. We can't wait to get back to work at practice and look forward to a nice home stretch.<br />
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Our next matches are this Sunday at 9am vs Lewis Clark State College (ID) and then at 5pm vs University of Idaho. We'll get the livestreams in Bratton up and running and will make a better effort to tweet out scores (I thought they were going out, but in the end my phone must have swallowed them all - sorry).<br />
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If you haven't seen this teams energy, togetherness and tennis, you're in for a treat!<br />
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Bye until Sunday,<br />
John<br />
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Coach Heinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04041736861320723614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-614666246949947487.post-82320480073816655282016-01-27T07:35:00.000-08:002016-01-27T14:59:58.847-08:00Tis the season. The season for TennisSorry for the writing hiatus, but classes and practices have been back on for a week now, and I'll be blogging regularly as we have a jam packed season. So, without further delay....here we go!<br />
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I have to start with this team. WOW, what an incredible group of individuals who are really figuring out ways to come together as a team. It was obvious that their off season was well spent as there is a visible strength and confidence you can see from the first day of practice. So much of this is due to the great leadership of Jenna and Allie organizing the fall, making it fun but still allowing for the valuable time off that is built into D3 tennis. This is overall the most talented and athletic group I've coached. They are driven to succeed and mentally tough and if the fall is any indication of our trajectory, we're going to have a great ride this year.<br />
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We hit the ground running with one practice and fitness session before welcoming back longtime friend Morgan Shepherd for a 4 day workshop with the team. Without giving away the details of what Morgan does blending somatic psychology and tennis while he works on publishing it, I will say it is subtle on some levels, but what I do know is that he's able to define and cultivate the key areas for players and teams to make significant improvements. The team worked really hard over this time doing individual lessons, team practices and fitness all with a focus on implementing the core concepts Morgan introduced in the fall. <br />
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One detail I can happily share is that the team voted on who contributed the most this week and Jana is our first Spring 2016 Whittie of the Week! Jana is always ready and focused on improving her own game and after a semester in college, her teammates say she's opened up a bit and they love her personality - passionate, honest and fun loving, her effort and attitude earn her this weeks award. Congrats Jana!<br />
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On court, we're playing some great tennis and are very excited to open up our match schedule this Saturday at 3pm at Eastern Washington University in Cheney, WA. <br />
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Coach John<br />
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<u>Looking ahead:</u><br />
Thanks to alums who have volunteered to participate in mentoring program, we are working on that!<br />
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Sun, Feb 7th - Home double header vs LCSC and U of Idaho<br />
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Fri Feb 12th-Sun Feb 14th Whitman Winter Classic with Trinity, Redlands, Linfield, Lewis and Clark<br />
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Fri Feb 19th - NWC kickoff in Portland vs Lewis and Clark<br />
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<br />Coach Heinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04041736861320723614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-614666246949947487.post-36225849982850414602015-11-04T09:48:00.001-08:002015-11-04T09:48:37.041-08:002016 Spring ScheduleHere it is, <a href="https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1747255/Working%20Schedule%20Print%20copy.pdf">our Spring Schedule as a downloadable pdf file</a>.<br />
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We'll have more info about our special events on the road and at home, but Coach Maddy and I are delighted to have a steady diet of great opponents throughout the year. There is something special going on with the team this year, those of you who saw us in the fall know we have depth and talent, but there is a larger team thing going on where everyone is in sync and pushing each other and loving the journey - I hope that this schedule helps you share it with us.<br />
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It kicks off with a couple of D1/NAIA matches with Eastern WA, Idaho and Lewis Clark State College (ID). These tests will prepare us for a huge home weekend.<br />
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The Winter Classic this year brings #18 Redlands and an improved #33 Trinity (TX) along with #35 Linfield. The traveling teams will also play #29 Lewis and Clark; so we've got 5 teams all on the rise in D3 tennis coming to Walla Walla! We can't wait and hope you join us on Presidents Day weekend for Fri, Sat Sun matches.<br />
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We then hit the road for three conference weekends before Spring break, there will be some big matches in Portland, Salem and Spokane before we head to California for Spring Break.<br />
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On break, we've got two of the top 10 teams in the West with UT Tyler (#36 nationally) and CMS (#4 nationally) followed by a rematch with one of our favorite matches from last year #21 Vassar.<br />
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After break, we invite you to come to our Family/Alumni/Senior superweekend April 2-3rd. We'll have matches with Lewis and Clark and George Fox as well as events on and off the court for our visitors.<br />
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For those of you in the Seattle/Tacoma area, we finish the regular season with an action packed trip to play UPS, Division 1 Seattle University and then PLU April 16-17th. <br />
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I'll have more info about alumni/family gatherings around the road matches and ways to RSVP for home matches. We hope to see you or have you follow indoor livestreaming/tweeting/updates from our adventures on the courts this spring.<br />
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<br />Coach Heinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04041736861320723614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-614666246949947487.post-36123779609541018962015-10-06T15:40:00.002-07:002015-10-06T15:55:32.520-07:00A very special guestHello out there!<br />
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I hope you're enjoying the shift from summer to fall half as much as I am. Here in the Whitman bubble, we've had ideal conditions to focus on learning from the fall tournament and getting right to work on those things that we need to improve on to have our best season. Of course, our thoughts and hearts go out to those around the world who dwell on less happy problems; notably the community in Roseburg, OR, not far from Lindsey and Hanna's homes.<br />
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That being said, here it is tennis and school, or school and tennis depending on the time of day. From the ITA regionals and our first weeks of practice, I knew our team has loads of talent and competes with incredible heart. But how do we build on these hallmarks of Whitman tennis? Well, the answer is we work hard to identify the areas we can improve and set our minds each day to being better. Such a simple model for improvement is far from easy to implement as a tennis player and then to integrate each individuals needs into the team is even harder. So, I decided to bring back friend, coach, and somatic psychologist Morgan Shepherd to work with the team. My goal was to have Morgan help each player clarify what she needs to take her game to the next level while guiding the team towards a common goal they can work for in this next phase of training.<br />
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Morgan is brilliant at this as we did team practices, individual lessons and meetings over the four days he spent with us. Maddy and I learned a ton about each player, some made some technical breakthroughs, and everyone honed their mental skills on court which showed in the last practice when we played doubles and singles sets with our usual toughness, but also a poise and consistency that will serve us incredibly well going forward. <br />
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It was gratifying to see how open and engaged everyone was at a time when our mid semester break, midterms and the off season are all within sight. On the contrary, all I saw was focused desire to use the time we had with MoShep to learn and improve. Each player had a different experience, while the team gained insight to where we have been, and where we're going.<br />
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So where are we going? and what is the answer to how good this team can be? For me, it was certainly clarified this weekend and I'm now more convinced than ever that we have the talent to be as good in D3 as we want to be and each day any one of our 10 players can be the best out there. The level of engagement and understanding this weekend really took shape and it is clear that we can do special things with this group as long as everyone keeps doing the work, maintaining balance and enjoying each other....so if you know Jenna, Katrina, Allie, Hanna, Jenna, Lindsey, Cello, Mary, Lori and Jana, then you know we're in for an amazing ride!<br />
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I must extend a very huge thank you to all of you who have supported the Whitman Women's Tennis team; we are just getting into fall fundraising, but through the Tennis and Wine camp and generous donations already made this year we were able to fund Morgan's visit; we hope to bookend the offseason by having him back for a few days in January of continuing the current work and focus on doubles, if that is something you're passionate about making sure happens, I'd love to talk to you about how you can help.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX_Kp3i50V9HtS_E5gxRV6ucJw_43DWVq2q7H9aAL2U2EMT-tUgi-DI-TnUpsKWHCI1N9-6iDKHbdrMkmGRsYEvMxl6H91YLWyFnimnny3t8-CxyOIEe88LyGn0e9OTFP9Bucsph2W/s1600/IMG_20151004_115438202%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX_Kp3i50V9HtS_E5gxRV6ucJw_43DWVq2q7H9aAL2U2EMT-tUgi-DI-TnUpsKWHCI1N9-6iDKHbdrMkmGRsYEvMxl6H91YLWyFnimnny3t8-CxyOIEe88LyGn0e9OTFP9Bucsph2W/s400/IMG_20151004_115438202%255B1%255D.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Thanks also to all of the alums and families who have paved the way with your experience here at Whitman and with contributing to the current team's wonderful attitude and spirit with your love and support through the years and at home, Maddy and I couldn't ask for a better environment or group of people to work with.<br />
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That's all for the fall season, talk to you soon.<br />
<br />
Coach John<br />
<br />Coach Heinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04041736861320723614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-614666246949947487.post-33539762026797113932015-09-21T08:40:00.000-07:002015-09-21T08:40:58.780-07:00A very exciting Fall USTA ITA tournamentHi everyone,<br />
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We just got back last night from our first tournament of the year. The fall USTA/ITA regional championships were hosted by Willamette, you can find <a href="http://tennislink.usta.com/tournaments/TournamentHome/Tournament.aspx?T=177605#&&s=7Draws0">draws at this link</a>. It was a phenomenal weekend for us. Being on the road in Salem was so great for this team. We knew in practice and hanging out on campus these first few weeks that the chemistry was terrific and to witness the quick integration of our new players was amazing! I mention that as a key point because this year 4 of our 10 players are first years and the adjustment to college tennis is a challenge of time management as well as mental and physical toughness.<br />
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Well, we found out what I had thought from training....that we have a top notch group of players who are all incredibly talented in singles and doubles and are so tough physically and mentally. On top of that each of them as good as they are has so much room to grow and the focus and determination to elevate their games. And the best part is what we already knew, that each of them is a wonderful person; I am so proud to coach players who carry themselves so well, representing the team and Whitman college with the utmost respect and sportsmanship.<br />
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On the court, day one was terrific. Mary, Jana and Cello worked their way through two straight set wins to all make the round of 16 as well as the quarters of doubles. Day two they continued their collective run with a win getting to the quarterfinals before each of them lost tough but winnable matches against the #1, #2 and #3 seeds. The tournament is much deeper than it's ever been because the matches they won to get to the quarters would have probably gotten at least one to the finals many other years, but its better to have great competition to drive the next phase of our training. Lori was the only Missionary to drop a first round match, but she made up for it, winning four matches over 3 days all in straight sets to claim the consolation championship. It is a huge adjustment coming from China and after a nervous start, Lori settled in more each match, with the finals bringing arguably her cleanest tennis. I am so happy for her to have this team experience as part of her education, but also to be enjoying her tennis so much.<br />
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With Katrina rehabbing her knee still and wearing her coaching hat for the weekend (quite well I might add!), Allie, Jenna, Jenna, Lindsey and Hanna all took to the courts and our sophomores teamed up in doubles after their consolation championship last year. Lindsey and Lil J rolled through their first round and looked terrific in their second match vs the #2 seeds. It was one of those matches where both teams played great and the points were terrific, but some close misses by us and a few big plays by them over the course of the proset determined the outcome. Lindsey has improved her doubles game so much, hitting smarter balls from the baseline to set up Jenna and then being huge at the net. Lil J has always had great doubles instincts and is making plays more and more consistently which is exactly what she needed to do, so each has such exciting doubles ahead of them. In singles, they each stormed through their first round, then Lindsey played well against the #1 seed, but moved into the second round consolation where she rolled to the finals and battled back in a pro set from 4-7 to a tie break at 8-8 which didn't go her way, but the work she put in over the summer is showing in singles as well as doubles. Lil J upset the #15 seed in round 2 and after a terrific first day, never really found her shots playing her teammate Mary in the round of 16, but her improvement is incremental and steady so after telling her each day at practice that the work will pay off, it is great to see that it did because on day one she was a boss out there (Coach Maddy's words, thanks Maddog).<br />
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Speaking of growth, after a first year where she demonstrated her doubles prowess, Hanna was back in action in singles with a solid first round win and an incredible match against the player from LC who Allie split with last year. Even though the match tie break was 9-11, Hanna proved what she's been showing in practice, that she's got the focus to be just as tough in singles as in doubles. She and Allie came in hot at the #3 seed in doubles and had two good wins on day one, but had trouble finding their rhythm in the quarters vs the #6 seeds. The way they fought and gave themselves a chance even though their plays weren't as sharp as they'd like is going to win them a lot of matches.<br />
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Allie in singles has worked so hard and really had a tough draw. After blitzing through the first two rounds, she squared off against the #2 seed and played aggressively the way she wanted to, but her laser shots which so often find corners and lines were ever so slightly off and her opponent wasn't giving her any room to make errors so it was a tough match. The thing I measure Allie on though is her mental game and I'm not sure I've ever coached a player who has improved so much. This translates off the court as she is so engaged in everything with the team and on a team full of leadership, Allie stood tall this weekend as she does each week. Don't let the result fool you, Allie is primed for an amazing season.<br />
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Finally, Jenna D, our senior on the courts seeded 4th in singles and 7th in doubles (with Cello) was a model of leadership and determination. Like many of her teammates, she cruised on day one in singles, though she and Cello really had to bring it to get out of the second round of doubles against a tough Linfield team. Day two in singles started well with a tough straight set win over a very nice new player for Pacific and Jenna looked to be cruising with a 6-3 first set over a Linfield freshman. Then things turned a bit as her opponent caught fire and she found herself down 2-5. Of course, its Jenna so where many players would have given up the set, she dug in and fought through I don't know how many deuce games to 5-5 before some big tennis from her opponent got it to 5-7. The third set she started great up 3-1 then the momentum shifted back and she was up against it 3-5. A final momentum shift was earned through Jenna's hard work and willingness to not only bang from the baseline but come up and finish at net and she carried that all the way to the finish line in a 6-3,5-7,7-5 win! On short rest, she came back with Cello to battle the #2 seeded doubles team and they played a brilliant match of smart tactics, big shotmaking and most of all wonderful communication and chemistry to earn a trip to the semi's. I think that next match as the sun set may have been one too many in a long day of tennis as our level dropped a bit, but really what happened was the team from LC stepped up and played brilliantly. Some of the points were so amazing all the fans had to cheer for all four players on numerous occasions. After a terrific battle, LC moved on to the finals where they won and will represent the NWC at the small college nationals in South Carolina.<br />
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Jenna's singles semi Sunday morning was one that the score doesn't show how good it was. Both players battled a bit of semifinal nerves but both did well to keep the level high and most points were won with positive play as unforced errors were few and far between. In the end it was a 2-6,1-6 loss to the eventual champion who played a wonderful tournament beating Allie, Jana and Jenna before upsetting the #1 seed in the finals. Jenna demonstrated that her game keeps expanding and that any day she is right there at the top of our conference in singles and doubles.<br />
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All in all, we couldn't have asked for better tennis, better weather and most of all better company. The team was terrific enjoying and supporting each other and our families and friends who cheered us on were amazing. The Dobrins, Greenbergs, Gilberts, Lockwoods, Val, Amy and Jen enhanced the meaning and fun of this weekend. It was also really cool to feel the presence of those of you who weren't there but were connected with me and the team through following results, checking in and supporting these terrific student athletes. None of this weekend could have gone so well without Katrina's coaching and support and Maddy's incredible transition from player to coach.<br />
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Next for us is some rest! but also some training as we apply the lessons from this weekend in practice for the next two weeks.<br />
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I've also received some fan clothing orders and I'll (or maybe our OUTSTANDING assistant coach Maddy) will send out a final request for orders.<br />
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I hope you're all well and that I've been able to give you at least some idea of how great this team is this year and how fortunate I am to be a part of it.<br />
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Cheers!<br />
<br />
JohnCoach Heinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04041736861320723614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-614666246949947487.post-5662683959372045112015-09-08T12:11:00.000-07:002015-09-08T12:11:20.140-07:00First week of practice and Fan Clothing Orders<b><u>FIRST WEEK OF PRACTICE RECAP</u></b><br />
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I can't help but feel predictable in my inconsistent writing frequency. I'd meant to check in after our first practice of the fall last week, and then the second and the third and so on. Then, I thought, oh I need some photos of the team but all of us were so engaged in what we were doing on court I just didn't get as many as I'd like, but what I have is here.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lori serving at practice</td></tr>
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This leads to the two things I would say about this years team: First, the engagement of everyone, from the returners, to all the new players, Maddy as a coach and even Katrina rehabbing her knee - everyone is right there from the start to finish of every day which is making it so much fun. Secondly, there is an intense drive to get better each day. People worked hard over the summer which showed when we ran the mile and the beep test. It was also evident on court as the level of play is phenomenal. <br />
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So, now that it is week two, we're settling into a nice rhythm and making the most of each day together in this short fall season. <br />
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Our only scheduled competition is the fall USTA/ITA regional hosted by Willamette in Salem Sep 17-20th. I won't know until a few days before but everyone will play singles and we'll have 4 doubles teams. Matches start Friday morning, go all day Friday and Saturday with the tournament finishing Sunday afternoon. I'm excited some of you will come, if you'll be there and haven't been in touch, let me know we can't wait to see you and you'll be in for some exciting tennis!<br />
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I'll send more details when they are finalized.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ifrG-9NULL4q_2YQzJelGKC1AlZUZb4wZx4fkuQY39KgMCdbAOMlhxdUBJNK4-B96aHeT2_u4JcxLcfdhLLKfPsEKtJ92VFoKv14T_KbxVBGgtUpwp_PwVjeboot6-q2-ZziAWiT/s1600/IMG_20150906_113917165%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ifrG-9NULL4q_2YQzJelGKC1AlZUZb4wZx4fkuQY39KgMCdbAOMlhxdUBJNK4-B96aHeT2_u4JcxLcfdhLLKfPsEKtJ92VFoKv14T_KbxVBGgtUpwp_PwVjeboot6-q2-ZziAWiT/s320/IMG_20150906_113917165%255B1%255D.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The beautiful Whitman Courts with some awesome singles going on.</td></tr>
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<b><u>PART 2!! FAN CLOTHING ORDERS</u></b><br />
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I'll be putting in t shirt, hat and visor orders, so email me heinj@whitman.edu if you'd like to order one, most will have to be made so if we get orders by <b>9/20</b> then we should have them in October.<br />
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<u>We'll have "WHITMAN TENNIS" T shirts in Navy, Yellow or White ($15) and Nike Drifit hats and visors in Navy or White ($25) </u><br />
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If you have ideas of fan gear you'd like us to make for you - let me know!<br />
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Best,<br />
Coach John<br />
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Here's some pics of the team at Walla Walla Food truck night!<br />
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<br />Coach Heinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04041736861320723614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-614666246949947487.post-58349507436653356792015-08-28T11:25:00.000-07:002015-08-28T11:25:05.887-07:00Introducing Madison WebsterAbout five years ago I got a letter and a DVD from a high school player in Long Beach, CA. She had no ranking, not a single USTA tournament result, so her tennis was hard to assess. Her letter to me, however, was very impressive; quite thoughtful, full of excitement, and very well written. Still, no matter how great a person someone is, they still need to be able to play to earn a spot on the team. Then I watched her video...okay I thought, she's got great technique, seems focused, but a video rarely tells the story of who a player is in a match or what they'll be like day in and day out at practice. Then I get to her references, and there is a quote, "I can promise you that you will feel blessed to have her on your team". Not bad as recommendations go, but coaches often get sentimental about their players (see pretty much every blog post I've written). But this coach just happened to be college coaching legend and current USC coach Peter Smith. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maddy's recruiting DVD - nice graphics, no wonder she rocked as an Art Major</td></tr>
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One of the best things I've done in 8 years at Whitman is recruiting the heck out of Maddy Webster. She turned out to be a terrific player and an outstanding leader on our team. So, this summer, I started recruiting her again and I am so thrilled to announce Maddy as our assistant coach for 2015-2016. <br />
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Maddy brings to the team an incredible understanding of how our team works. Her personality will be tremendous in recruiting and in developing the technique and tactics of our players she will add so much. Her coaching experience started with every summer going home and working with Peter coaching at his academy. She volunteered here in Walla Walla to teach tennis in schools and in after school programs. This summer she taught private lessons and directed youth programs at Whitman through the City of Walla Walla Parks and Rec. She also worked this summer as the first ever intern for our joint fund raiser with the Whitman Men's team, the Walla Walla Tennis and Wine Camp. In that capacity, Maddy's organizational ability, teamwork and problem solving were so strong that she often finished her administrative work and jumped on court to coach. Even with the best players, (4.5-5.0 adults), Maddy demonstrated great confidence, knowledge of the game and feel for helping players improve.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maddy doing some coaching for the team last fall</td></tr>
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Maddy is a huge asset for our team and I am so happy she's here with us this year. You can reach her at webstemp@whitman.edu.<br />
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So thank you Peter Smith for your recommendation, I couldn't agree more that we are blessed to have her on our team. I hope you don't mind if I copy it in the future when I'm writing references for Maddy.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The 2015-2016 Whitman Women's Coaching Staff</td></tr>
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<br />Coach Heinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04041736861320723614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-614666246949947487.post-90028847161582911362015-08-19T00:49:00.001-07:002015-08-19T00:49:22.814-07:00Welcome Whit Women of 2019!It's that time of year, campus is starting to buzz - travel is happening and orientation is around the corner. I've never been one for formal announcements of our recruiting classes, so this is as close as I'll get right now. This year, we bring in a very talented (ranked #18 nationally by tennisrecruiting.net) but also really well rounded class.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrKft9FLubSn_QLBdBuJ5YMAV5swS_Q-j6HHqPygI9i1SnA92uqXk4zIFbj8CINmQ7wjSiqW5bsLLIDh9BA1S-eksDk1yJkC4e7982S_rpQKf1SwvLHLLcm86mRPPvcQbf270gMt87/s1600/Jana+headshot+web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrKft9FLubSn_QLBdBuJ5YMAV5swS_Q-j6HHqPygI9i1SnA92uqXk4zIFbj8CINmQ7wjSiqW5bsLLIDh9BA1S-eksDk1yJkC4e7982S_rpQKf1SwvLHLLcm86mRPPvcQbf270gMt87/s200/Jana+headshot+web.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jana Klages-Miller, Whitman 2019</td></tr>
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Leading the way on paper, is our first 3 star recruit (tennisrecruiting.net) since Courtney, Jana Klages-Miller. Attending Reynolds high school in North Carolina, Jana competed the strong Southern Section of USTA tennis. Her results have been great and reflect her intense focus and competitiveness. It's really the combination of clear direct focus on tennis and school combined with a silly and fun sense of humor about everything else that really drew me to Jana. You'll also see my recruiting style reflected in this class; while I certainly do my homework on their tennis, we don't have the budget to travel outside of the Northwest for recruiting, so we're lucky to have results, great coach recommendations and mostly the personality of each recruit to go by. You can<a href="http://www.journalnow.com/sports/prepzone/hs_sports_xtra/reynolds/focus-on-jana-klages-miller/article_ae106f74-3463-11e2-8dab-001a4bcf6878.html"> read more about Jana's personality</a> is that perfect combination of hard work and fun that will make her a force to be reckoned with right away while her desire and commitment to keep growing her game are something I'm excited to be a part of for the next four years. Another thing Jana has is a twin! Unfortunately, Nora isn't as smitten with tennis as Jana but don't shed a tear for her as she explores college from a different viewpoint at St. Andrew's in Scotland.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2ekN3jEqC2-tWfAPmXBEo8r5Oiejx6l-hD9wATEJ8weuLBYvyvP84g7llQA_tbGfqn5SAsJXOJR66OczqncM9fsItYWErtb1rjZv0nJgnEbmz2yIeFBTdIWZYGAf8Gof6S1qpB_xv/s1600/mary+signing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2ekN3jEqC2-tWfAPmXBEo8r5Oiejx6l-hD9wATEJ8weuLBYvyvP84g7llQA_tbGfqn5SAsJXOJR66OczqncM9fsItYWErtb1rjZv0nJgnEbmz2yIeFBTdIWZYGAf8Gof6S1qpB_xv/s320/mary+signing.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mary Hill, Whitman 2019, at her ceremonial signing day.<br />She's with her dad Mark (left) and high school coach Mike Shaw.</td></tr>
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Mary Hill is a 2 star recruit from Des Moines, IA, but in Universal tennis ratings, she is our top recruit. Mary's results in the Missouri Valley Section show that she can play consistently at a level that should be able to help our lineup right away. Perhaps what is better is that she has loads of untapped potential and a feel for the game that either comes naturally or takes years and years to teach. She's been successful in school at Roosevelt High, taking part of her curriculum through their honors program and part on the main campus in Des Moines. I love the calm in Mary's game. "Quiet Hands" and dynamic balance are a coaches dream and allow her to do almost anything she wants with the ball. These play a huge part in her doubles success, winning back to back state high school doubles championships. As calm as she is on the outside, there is a fire and excitement in Mary that is primed to explode as we all find out just how great she can be.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim_8W6EZq1c0qmStUeRGyvK-_TxLYUHnVUdOdKul0EqbypHYptzQC-VEgc4WcgMfvzVVrGW1vn5xvuAM7L7WFYYmwTa52FQCGm0Y_b8blzVTOVjn6lg4nfJ8qLGd9rGBP-guCv41et/s1600/Cello+Lockwood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim_8W6EZq1c0qmStUeRGyvK-_TxLYUHnVUdOdKul0EqbypHYptzQC-VEgc4WcgMfvzVVrGW1vn5xvuAM7L7WFYYmwTa52FQCGm0Y_b8blzVTOVjn6lg4nfJ8qLGd9rGBP-guCv41et/s320/Cello+Lockwood.jpg" width="289" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cello Lockwood, Whitman 2019</td></tr>
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More known to me is our local recruit, Caroline (Cello) Lockwood. Cello was an instant hit on campus. I wanted to hang out with her all day, but the team beat me to it and her ease on campus and with the returners will allow her to be a leader on and off the court from day one. Cello brings a ton of confidence, is a terrific competitor and has a big game that she knows how to control. Like Mary and Jana, Cello could be one of our best players right away, she's another 2 star recruit but has wins over players who are among the best in DIII. Cello is such an athlete and competitor that it is impossible to gauge her ceiling as a tennis player and as a sparkplug for how we compete as a team. She's the kind of person you just want to be around, her game is explosive and fluid and I can't wait to spend more time on court (and off) with her. To learn more about Cello, <a href="http://www.wtt.com/page.aspx?article_id=1792">here </a>is an essay she wrote to win a World Team Tennis Leadership Scholarship.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEkuc6WgvmxDnyZd9uAvkBDyDIYePFmYCSjZG6YufyLLRJpxlDGQaF1fdfVDNsXzuImUAoHc-dIGWzvN2rH8uaqijyhDt3VbL2oJjQMBsHE8jUWGT5ZNKdroBj7pywJtuM-vmlUFFV/s1600/Linqi+beach.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEkuc6WgvmxDnyZd9uAvkBDyDIYePFmYCSjZG6YufyLLRJpxlDGQaF1fdfVDNsXzuImUAoHc-dIGWzvN2rH8uaqijyhDt3VbL2oJjQMBsHE8jUWGT5ZNKdroBj7pywJtuM-vmlUFFV/s200/Linqi+beach.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Linqi (Lori) Sheng, Whitman 2019</td></tr>
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Finally, our wild card is Linqi (Lori) Sheng. We're still not sure how well we'll pronounce her name, so she may go by her English name Lori, but Linqi is the first recruited player for our program from China (and maybe the first in Whitman athletics history). She has a beautiful game with a smoothness and tactical awareness of her favorite player, Roger Federer. Her personality matches up with her tennis which in our sport where you can't hide from yourself so if you fight your nature, you're in trouble. I say she's a wild card because there is no competitive reference for me from the players she trained and played with in Qingdao, China to who we have here in the US. But, as with our other incoming players, her personality, goals and desire to do the right things to have an amazing college tennis experience made her one of those players you "have to have" on your team. The fact that she is a baller doesn't hurt. She's actually traveling right now with her parents up the west coast to see much of this part of America before landing in Walla Walla next week. We can't wait to welcome our new international player and enjoy her individual personality, but also her perspective on the world that will undoubtedly be different than everyone's in a way where we can all learn from and enrich each other.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjYZI7O8m4JcgusmHXzCN5LY7CVOqj6DBFVtXodWpHru770EIcyUGzhAgj0OciAQyJ32f_pEwb648QD-3CD5oUb1e5uMQuUxrRvGWqfGc-DkAnrKI2PperTFvgw1x6loQ1qHfqWhQ9/s1600/Linqi+dance+group.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjYZI7O8m4JcgusmHXzCN5LY7CVOqj6DBFVtXodWpHru770EIcyUGzhAgj0OciAQyJ32f_pEwb648QD-3CD5oUb1e5uMQuUxrRvGWqfGc-DkAnrKI2PperTFvgw1x6loQ1qHfqWhQ9/s320/Linqi+dance+group.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Okay, how do you tell without meeting someone in person they are perfect for you program. Let's start with the grades and test scores to get into Whitman; add in school til 5pm so late practices every day, sprinkle on the most sparkling positive personality (thank you Skype) seeking every adventure and opportunity to grow and finish with a hip hop dance group. I rest my case.</td></tr>
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This is a class with talent, experience competing at a really high level, and most of all the balance of diverse personalities who all share a common love of team and tennis as an integral part of their college education. I can't wait to start practice the first week of September and get to know everyone even more!<br />
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Welcome Linqi, Mary, Cello and Jana and your families; <br />
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you are the present and future of Whitman tennis and are now part of our growing family!<br />
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-Coach JohnCoach Heinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04041736861320723614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-614666246949947487.post-829671508115552082015-08-11T09:01:00.000-07:002015-08-11T09:01:42.384-07:00Gratitude<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;">
Hello and happy summer everyone!</div>
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The time certainly flies by with different projects going on; for me mostly fund raising and recruiting, but also preparing for an exciting season to come. I must admit, however, that I've been dreading writing this post and have put it off for weeks and weeks.</div>
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Why would I not want to write about this team? In 2014-2015, we not only had one of our most successful campaigns on court finishing #22 in the nation and advancing to the second round of NCAA's, but somehow, someway, this experience just keeps getting more fun and rewarding. On top of that, the topic I'm writing about, our seniors - excuse me - graduates, is the reason we had so much fun. But, how amazing they are is exactly why it is so hard to write and say goodbye to them.</div>
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During Maddy, Courtney and Morgan's four years at Whitman, including the past two with Erin, so much has happened. We earned our first national ranking in my time here, we qualified for the NCAA's for the first time and in our first round in 2012 we defeated my alma mater UC Santa Cruz in what was one of the most special moments for me as a coach. This was followed up by three more NCAA trips, but also three straight Northwest Conference championships.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTtFlR8K5YNWlbQI0v1AkLYiNCap2Xr0yUrgyCYQONZTHhh1Y-A-iQ3KXt1cUix0a8wYlh3Z4tnmG6pvCgVnBM7B1PPe1bFIZHm_6PoOdOFiOAHz6nacCdoc2WYD5pfB4eo-_Bw4Bd/s1600/IMG_00732.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTtFlR8K5YNWlbQI0v1AkLYiNCap2Xr0yUrgyCYQONZTHhh1Y-A-iQ3KXt1cUix0a8wYlh3Z4tnmG6pvCgVnBM7B1PPe1bFIZHm_6PoOdOFiOAHz6nacCdoc2WYD5pfB4eo-_Bw4Bd/s200/IMG_00732.jpg" width="200" /></a>Along the way, Courtney has become arguably our most decorated player ever (Lynn Greer McKelvey might argue that point...). A three time NWC player of the year who qualified for 3 NCAA individual singles championships and 2 NCAA singles championships, she finished the year nationally ranked in singles and doubles each of her four years and is Whitman's first 7 time ITA All-American player (4 doubles, 3 singles). What is so amazing to me is that if I had to define Courtney, it wouldn't be as an individual at all, but as the ultimate team player. Whenever I planned a practice or made a lineup decision, in talking to Courtney, her response was always intelligent and showed huge caring for her teammates, but it always included, "whatever is best for the team, I'll do". This is who Courtney is, and her passion for friendships and teamwork is a legacy that will endure on this team and in my heart much longer than her long list of on court accolades.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1KVWQQtciYsVpnA-VfW2B10CQDc347mBmYRN2Pnru-LMxjIBe7I0jax5ONdPuPPVh0GX9ogrRmrVayM8l5TmhnJSOCZn7NfcHBtOoyHwP3bnqyo9l-NB4WSlV_GUT9DmSy9U99Ecw/s1600/IMG_5274.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1KVWQQtciYsVpnA-VfW2B10CQDc347mBmYRN2Pnru-LMxjIBe7I0jax5ONdPuPPVh0GX9ogrRmrVayM8l5TmhnJSOCZn7NfcHBtOoyHwP3bnqyo9l-NB4WSlV_GUT9DmSy9U99Ecw/s200/IMG_5274.jpg" width="200" /></a>Morgan isn't without her own list of accomplishments. As a two time ITA All-American and three time all NWC performer, Morgan was also Whitman's Senior performer of the year this year. Despite missing significant time her junior year due to injuries, as a senior Morgan joined the Century Club, winning over 100 matches during her career at Whitman. Anyone who spent a single practice or watched a single match of Morgan's will tell you that beyond being a talented player, she has the heart of a lion. Morgan is the kind of competitor who inspires with her effort and will to win. She brings all of herself to everything she does and was instrumental in instilling a team wide desire to want to win and do everything to win but without sacrificing sportsmanship, generosity and kindness. For all of the accolades earned, neither Morgan or Courtney ever seemed concerned with them. And that focus on the process of what it takes to be not just a good, but a better and better player, teammate and person is what truly makes these two so special.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaqOId3s6WB8kV6uWbW5R4e5Cjd1eVBUsYVDxBATktqC44Smf79zQxv6halW8vZzt24PpsoaIUSXuGmJJuxVf7Os-W5cvvDBagjsLJ-K9zuyoHxrHobWnYzHW2gz4d53zjURCzJBPY/s1600/IMG_0861.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaqOId3s6WB8kV6uWbW5R4e5Cjd1eVBUsYVDxBATktqC44Smf79zQxv6halW8vZzt24PpsoaIUSXuGmJJuxVf7Os-W5cvvDBagjsLJ-K9zuyoHxrHobWnYzHW2gz4d53zjURCzJBPY/s200/IMG_0861.JPG" width="200" /></a>We see this same quality in Maddy. I remember when the three of them were in their first college tournament, playing singles and doubles at Willamette and the twins asked Maddy if she'd checked in yet for her match. "What, I have to check in?" Maddy's response was priceless because in high school she had chosen not to play USTA tournaments and had no idea what to do. Her independence and determination to constantly experience new things isn't uncommon at Whitman, but to have this without giving up the training, dedication, focus and competitive edge it takes to play at the level she does is something I've never seen before. Through her years at Whitman, Maddy was integral to everything we did. On the court, she learned singles tactics and how to use her aggressive game to win us matches, but it was always doubles where she really shined. Playing every position in the lineup and being ranked as high as the top 10 in the West region in doubles (I'm not sure she knows how close she and Courtney were to going to NCAA individuals their junior year), Maddy has been one of our best doubles players on a team that excels in doubles. But it is the way she found ways to lead us, to be both incredibly supportive and loving but also so direct and efficient that in many ways made her not just a leader, but a captain and in this past year very much a coach. Maddy would win a HUGE doubles point (7-3 record vs nationally ranked teams as a senior), lead us vocally through the match, and then promptly find us food and make sure each and every person was taken care of recovering and preparing for the next match. As I think about it, I'm still in awe that she did all this and made it look so easy and fun. I know that everything she did made my job an absolute joy for the past four years.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6CNOYAEC4jrEmqevmbXhCII1RP2Y2ER0ZlvKINSSN1L9oOn9Yk7G_NFGhTJH61yVafcQ8sutIXoO3krds-KpQvBUg-Lvt2VvTTt2GJFcnfb_rTV5C9o9MYyPU3xaUOO8GTaIIPhzC/s1600/rp_primary_BELL_ERIN+140220_WOMENS+TENNIS+V+LINFIELD_4827.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6CNOYAEC4jrEmqevmbXhCII1RP2Y2ER0ZlvKINSSN1L9oOn9Yk7G_NFGhTJH61yVafcQ8sutIXoO3krds-KpQvBUg-Lvt2VvTTt2GJFcnfb_rTV5C9o9MYyPU3xaUOO8GTaIIPhzC/s200/rp_primary_BELL_ERIN+140220_WOMENS+TENNIS+V+LINFIELD_4827.jpg" width="200" /></a>Speaking of joy, having the opportunity to coach and build a relationship with Erin is one of the most incredible things I've done at Whitman. I love how genuine the amazing young women I coach are, but Erin takes it to another level. She knows herself, pushes herself to grow and is very direct and up front about what she wants, needs and has learned. Change can be hard, but Erin realized that it is what she needed and transferred to Whitman as a junior. Making the most of every day with the team, in her classes and in our community; it was incredible to see Erin have a clear plan of where she wanted to go and how she wanted to get there. It was always the toughest matches that Erin was the most pumped up for, and that she played the best in. How she rises up to challenges fits perfectly with her busy, quirky, fun, intense, loving personality and will make her an amazing teacher. She is already starting her first year of teaching middle school this year as part of her grad program at Notre Dame. As EBell becomes Ms. Bell, I couldn't be more proud.</div>
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Each of these four is an example of someone who came into college with great academic ability, tremendous tennis skills and the qualities of a teammate anyone would want to be around. That none of them was satisfied and they all attacked their tennis, their academics and their personal growth with the same fun intensity they practice and play with every day is indicative of the very best of our program and of Whitman. I'd like to say one more time how incredibly fortunate I feel to be their coach, to have had the time we've had and to look forward to the times ahead.</div>
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Thank you Erin, Morgan, Maddy and Courtney. You have enriched the lives of so many around you and not only brought great years to our program, but like so many wonderful players before you, you've left the program in a stronger place than it was when you arrived - you are forever Whitties and our family just keeps growing and getting stronger.</div>
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John</div>
Coach Heinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04041736861320723614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-614666246949947487.post-22838829461303747612015-05-27T11:51:00.000-07:002015-05-27T11:51:27.793-07:00The start of something newDear fans, families and friends,<br />
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The end of this season was a whirlwind of tennis, families and emotions for me. In case you weren't following along, after the most thrilling Conference Tournament title possible with a 5-4 win over a young Lewis and Clark team that came down to a tie break in the third set of the last match, we took to California for NCAA Regionals. Our first round as the #3 seed in the 6 team draw faced us against #6 St. Scholastica. The Saints from Minnesota played tough doubles but our talent, experience and depth came through in a 5-0 win. Our second round (regional semifinal = national round of 32), we faced another young talented team in #2 seed (and #10 nationally) Pomona Pitzer. The Sagehens came out on top of two close doubles matches and played terrific at the other for a 3-0 sweep. We fought hard, and were in many matches, but there are probably about two more subtle levels of depth in DIII and the Hens are in that next group and played great to win the match and finish our season.<br />
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Some highlights from the end of the year for me were on court. One of these was the doubles play of Maddy and Hanna. In Maddy's senior year, her game found an incredible new level where she was still dominating the net but was also as solid as anyone with her serves, returns and crosscourt groundstrokes. She can know that the finished her career as one of the top doubles players in our conference and region - for someone who did not play a single USTA tournament growing up, her amazing college career is one that our program will build on as it shows how far talent, hard work and strong character can take you, regardless of your junior ranking (or lack thereof). During the Pomona match, there was a stretch where I looked around and realized the best of the 12 players on court was Hanna. She has been a great doubles player from day one, and the experience of playing and winning national matches is something she'll carry into the rest of her career. I may have stated this in a previous blog, but she's also really putting together her singles game and knows exactly what she needs to do to take that to the level of her doubles which is exciting for the future of our program.<br />
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Speaking of the future, teams get better by playing better doubles and being deeper. This year, Jenna Gilbert was the poster child for this. If you could have seen her getting after it every day in practice and pushing herself to improve win or lose, you would have been as blown away as me. She's made some adjustments to transition her game to college and we saw it in spurts including a big fall win of the #3 seed at the Fall ITA, some huge exhibition wins over nationally ranked teams Linfield, Lewis and Clark and LaVerne. All of this on top of her 7-3 singles and 6-2 doubles record shows that she's dangerous now and her future and our teams future is just as bright as her smile that lights up her teammates each day. Another first year player who found breakthroughs but also has a long way to go before reaching her potential is Lindsey. With a 7-3 doubles and 15-9 singles record, Lindsey was a model of toughness and hard work. She expanded her game while competing under pressure. I was able to coach Lindsey a few years ago at zonals and she is different player, with weapons and options that she's worked hard to build, I can't wait to see where she goes next. Alex, while not in her first year of college, rounds out our new players and again going back to the depth we have, it is evident in Alex's 15-3 singles and 5-1 doubles records. Alex is a competitor who has tremendous tools and really worked hard to make the adjustment in transferring as a student and tennis player to Whitman. She would constantly be talking tennis, teaching tennis or playing tennis and it was so much fun to work with her on harnessing the feel that she has for the game. She's made some big breakthroughs in controlling the tempo of her play and we can't wait for her senior year!<br />
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Joining her as seniors next year will be Jenna and Katrina. These two have gone from being roommates in Jewett Hall, to productive players for us to absolute stars and tremendous leaders on our team. Tree was showcasing both her improved balance at the baseline with her always huge net play when a knee injury sidelined her for the end of the season. Undaunted, she's been both rehabbing and coaching for us and we wouldn't have gotten through the conference tournament final without all 12 players, Katrina being a huge part of that helping coach Morgan and Allie as they won singles to clinch the title. Jenna has worked hard on her doubles but remains one of our best and the region's best singles players. She cracked the West top 25 and on spring break, after a week off the court with a nasty virus, she came back to play three awesome three set matches with top #2 players. The mark of improvement is not just how you can play at your best, but when everything isn't working, if you're able to compete. That's just what JD has done, she went 7-2 in NWC play and had wins over #1's from Whitworth and Pacific. She stepped up whenever Courtney was out and has also learned to use her huge work ethic to guide and motivate her teammates. We've seen big things from the 6'1" lefty as she earned her first 1st team all NWC nod this year after making the 2nd team as a sophomore.<br />
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Another all NWC player for us this year was Allie. Another incredibly hard worker and amazing leader on the team, she played a huge role in singles winning critical matches over nationally ranked La Verne, Linfield, Whittier, UT Tyler and the biggest one being the deciding marathon win over LC to send us to the NCAA tournament. Allie has some of the best strokes on the team but spent significant time in the off season reworking her serve to add both power and variety, but it is her daily work in the gym that gave her the physical and mental toughness to play as long as she needs to against any style player. We also encourage leadership from everyone by not having named captains and Allie really benefited by this by being a huge leader in every way for us this year. Her growth has been tremendous and it keeps getting better so I only see her pushing more and doing bigger and better things in the future.<br />
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As you can tell, we're working towards saying goodbye to our graduates, but without match results to update and having written a lot already, I'll save that for a separate post. Still, there is one more player who has been instrumental in this season being so incredibly special. I talked about everyone leading and Seana has not only been a joy for me to coach and everyone to be around, but she is a model of what it means to be a teammate. As her tennis improves and she brings her big serve and forehand to doubles and singles, she has stepped up her consistency. But what I really want to highlight goes back to her leadership. You need great trust from your teammates and Seana earns this every day with her efforts, sense of playfulness and mostly her loyalty as she'll back up a teammate in any situation. You also need great communication and Seana is exemplary. She came to me during the season to talk about next year and her desire to commit more to other interests she has on campus. As we talked it through, her passion for tennis and the team were so evident. The most influential people in our lives commit to what they do 100% and while I am so excited to see Seana lead in other arena's on campus with her 100% commitment, we will miss her daily presence and leadership on our team. I can hope that she rejoins us, but if that isn't the case it will be because she has found and stoked passions in other areas of her life. So, thank you Seana for two special years, for trusting us and giving 100% of yourself and sharing the big tennis and bright light that you are with us.<br />
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So, my next posts will celebrate our seniors moving on to some wonderful things and also look forward to meeting our four incoming players (many of whom have birthday's coming up!).<br />
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Thanks for reading and sharing in our special season as we gear up and look ahead to an even brighter future in 2015-2016!<br />
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Coach John<br />
<br />Coach Heinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04041736861320723614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-614666246949947487.post-53551933251716696092015-05-01T11:15:00.004-07:002015-05-01T11:15:55.903-07:00Much to celebrate and still lots to do<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Allie showing the form that helped her clinch the NWC Tournament Championship</td></tr>
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Well sports fans, I hope you were able to be at or follow our conference tournament last weekend. It was certainly the most exciting I've been involved in as our team was firing on all cylinders to sweep <a href="http://athletics.whitman.edu/news/2015/4/24/WTEN_0424155755.aspx">Whitworth 5-0</a> in the semi's and then the finals and trip to the NCAA tournament came down to the wire as we fought off <a href="http://athletics.whitman.edu/news/2015/4/25/WTEN_0425155910.aspx">Lewis and Clark for a 5-4 win</a>. Any 5-4 tennis match is exciting as the two teams are evenly matched. It gets even better when the last match on is in a third set so the two players are matched up evenly and if that isn't enough the excitement builds even more when 12 games aren't enough to decide the outcome and there is a tie break to decide it all. Well, that's what we had and at the same time that I am so proud of Allie's mental and physical strength to pull it out for us, those matches are won by the whole team and everyone who supports us. It's the practices after a long day of classes, the workouts when your body doesn't want to do anymore, the yoga sessions where we not only stretch, but work on visualization and strengthening the mind/body connection so we're able to focus on that one moment when it happens. There is also knowing we have people behind us who care for and love us no matter the result, and absolutely having a crowd to cheer on each point is not only exciting, but fuels the fire to make one more shot, set up one more winner, finish one more point.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm9CGNSP47j_yj_EyWchr1p-dPWuTXcJ31HJqfvJFsge1SQGOBZ4Hcy7FkZHJ-ITyyqxKIkmt5Ix511p9wX3-1XddSrqynuiwbxjp1BWH3R5PfPpaHg8_8C1poNbGh4Gw3R4hweqer/s1600/NWC+Tournament+Champs!.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm9CGNSP47j_yj_EyWchr1p-dPWuTXcJ31HJqfvJFsge1SQGOBZ4Hcy7FkZHJ-ITyyqxKIkmt5Ix511p9wX3-1XddSrqynuiwbxjp1BWH3R5PfPpaHg8_8C1poNbGh4Gw3R4hweqer/s1600/NWC+Tournament+Champs!.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Your 2015 NWC Regular Season and Tournament Champions...On to NCAA's</td></tr>
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We're lucky to have the opportunity to enjoy this intensity together in practice and matches. To have it all come together last weekend at the NWC tournament on our home courts in front of our fans is one of the most special things in college tennis and this hard fought berth into the NCAA tournament means so much to me not just because its fun to win, but even more because we get to keep practicing together with another opportunity to compete and extend our season with the ultimate goal of ending it at the NCAA national championships in Cincinnati, Ohio.<br />
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But speaking of special, I can also report that we had our end of season team banquet last weekend and along with enjoying each others company along with our friends and families who were in town, Erin Bell was a rock star in putting together a tribute to this years team and especially our four amazing seniors Erin, Morgan, Maddy and Courtney. It's so special to know that their careers will continue, but here are links to photos from the weekend by Erin as well as her video from the season. The photos can be downloaded so please share and enjoy!<br />
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Photos on our flickr page:<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tennislove/sets/72157649911121604/">https://www.flickr.com/photos/tennislove/sets/72157649911121604/</a><br />
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Erin's end of year video on youtube:<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xl_R1w1cUFM&feature=youtu.be">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xl_R1w1cUFM&feature=youtu.be</a><br />
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There is even more to celebrate with four all conference players; Jenna and Courtney were named first team and Morgan and Allie second team, congrats! Courtney also received her third Northwest Conference player of the year award and we also got the NWC Coach of the year honors. You can read about the awards online <a href="http://athletics.whitman.edu/news/2015/4/27/GEN_0427150453.aspx">here</a>.<br />
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Next up for us is the NCAA tournament. With and automatic bid we are just waiting for selection day Monday to see where we'll go and who we play. Our first match will either be Thursday, Friday or Saturday next week. There are so many subtle things that could affect the schedule, I'll wait until we get it to let you all know what's happening. What I can tell you for sure is that practice has been fun and intense as we prepare for our best tennis of the season.<br />
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Thanks for all your support!<br />
John<br />
<br />Coach Heinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04041736861320723614noreply@blogger.com