Hello from Yakima Washington. Today was the first day of the Conference tournament to decide who goes to the NCAA tournament. I don't want the team to think I'm staying up too late as they should be getting to sleep NOW, so I'll write this and then get some rest myself.
We started the day with a first round match against Pacific. I always talk about how talented and spirited this boxer team is and they gave us a terrific match, but we followed a doubles sweep including an 8-6 win at 3 and a tiebreak at 1 (down 5-7!) to a 5-0 victory when the other matches were pulled. Singles was very tough because as Div rolled, everyone else battled and when Elise clinched it, we were just gaining real momentum with Charlotte having won the first and Kate up a set with Hadley and Emily in tight matches.
After having lunch and a quick rest, we turned around to face Linfield and the opposite of our last match happened. This time after being up at every spot, they stormed back to take 2 and 3 and a huge effort from Alyssa and Elise at 1 against a great team kept us in it. Again, Div was a star, finishing in straight sets to even the match. Alyssa got down a set and went up 4-1 before Abby from Linfield dug in and fought out a win. Now down 3-2 in matches, we needed some huge performances and Emily Rolston was the Whittie to provide the spark, while everyone battled, she took Div's court and was flipping the scorecards faster than anyone else and came off with a convincing win to tie it 3-3. With Elise up a set and a break and Kate and Hadley each down a set, we needed some third set magic. Hadley stepped up to force a third and fought like a champion, but fell 4-6. Meanwhile Elise lost her break, but broke again in a LONG 5-4 game to knot things at 4. With a wonderful crowd roaring, Kate tightened her game up and took the second set. Unfortunately, her opponent started cramping, which can be an advantage, but can also distract lots of players. Not KKP, who stuck to her plan and worked incredibly hard through the third, to stay focused was an absolute rock. As a coach I want our team to be known for our fitness and toughness and to win the deciding match with fitness was so special.
So, my first coaching win against Linfield (as a head coach, that is) and it was sweet as it sets us up for a lunch date with Whitworth for the trip to nationals tomorrow. We play at noon side by side with our men's team who valiantly held off a talented and experienced PLU team.
GO WHITMAN!
John
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Coaching Philosophy
To me, being a college student is about opportunity and growth. As a coach, I consider myself lucky to spend 4 years providing opportunity while nurturing growth. We use common goals, hard work, open communication, respect and accountability as means to building meaningful relationships and improving each player’s skill set on and off the court. This means embodying championship virtues to inspire athletic, academic and personal growth that not only happens while you are at Whitman, but becomes a part of who you are throughout life.