This is how I felt this weekend. As players and coaches, we're always looking at each performance to figure out what went well and what could have been better. Well, the credit of being prepared this year was the perfect combination of individual accountability and coming together to push each other together. It is very hard to simulate the rigors of playing two singles and two doubles matches each day and the way we handled it mentally and physically was very impressive.
A huge thing I always look for is how are our first year players going to perform? Well, the answers provided by Katrina, Kate and Jenna were outstanding. Katrina stepped up Friday night to qualify and we know she has all the shots but I watched her drop a close first set, make a tactical change, get comfortable and win in 3 sets - what composure! Then after battling the 4 seed in the first round, she had more success in consolation and eventually lost to a good player from Whitworth. Kate, who won a high school state singles championship but never spent the whole year traveling to every USTA tournament was someone we knew had the talent and mental strength to win matches, but how would she fare in college tennis? Well, two day one wins over players who played #1 singles for PLU and George Fox last year gave us a quick answer. Happy, but not yet satisfied, she gave the #4 seed, a very accomplished junior player at the national level a run in the second set losing 6-0,6-3. Kate turned some heads with her play, but is definitely excited to learn from every match and gain confidence in her strengths and keep improving other areas. especially doubles. Jenna, with the best junior background and a seed next to her name showed great composure. She did draw a very tough first round player who ended up winning one of the consolation flights and after losing the first game there was a slight feeling among people watching that, "maybe this kid from Whitman isn't as good as they'd hoped". 12 games later, walking off the court with her first college win 6-1,6-0, that thought was gone. After cruising in the second round, Jenna was excited to face fellow first year seed Claudia Lew. Claudia is a well rounded player who is great from the baseline and they battled throughout the first set, but behind her big serve and smart groundstroke patterns, Jenna came out on top 7-5 and rolled 6-1 in the second set for one of the biggest upsets of the tournament.
Shortly after Jenna's match on the same court, with the same teams playing, Whittie sophomore and #5 seed Morgan took on the #4 seed Aurora Garrison who had already taken down Katrina and Kate. Whether she was defending her teammates, her home courts or just playing the only way she knows how at 100% effort, Morgan displayed all of the growth in her game from last year with the super hard work she did in Texas this summer and pulled out an 8-6 first set tie break, then got down a break 2-5, got it back and put the pressure on to win 7-6(6), 7-5 in maybe the best match of the tournament. The early round draws were not as kind to sophomores Erin and Maddy. Maddy drew the #3 seed, Caroline Brigham from Linfield and had a lot of close games but the consistency of Caroline was just too much. Erin's match I wasn't able to watch but both she and Emily said her play was really solid losing a 6-4 first set to a #9 seed from PLU. The second set got away, but Erin's game is getting more and more solid and she's enjoying her tennis which makes it more fun for her and helps her results. Both Erin and Maddy played solid in the consolation, each winning matches and falling to crafty senior Izzy Borris from LC. I could tell you a long story about how amazing Courtney is as a player, and that is apparent as she won the singles title only dropping 8 games in 6 matches, but it is her attitude of always getting better, displaying the highest level of sportsmanship, and helping the team and enjoying the fact that she gets to play a game she loves with people she cares about that are reflective of the entire team, but that she certainly does as well as anyone. I'll just say that I'm very proud of all our sophomores as leaders, as players and mostly as people.
Our junior class was represented by Liv, as HP, Mags and Had are studying abroad (and sending well wishes!). Liv did get a win in the singles consolation but her results don't tell the story of how she's improved her composure, tactics and mental game. Always possessing big shots, we want her to keep those and keep learning how to use them in different situations and I am very excited about what I saw from her this weekend as she battled an elbow injury and some tough opponents but stayed tough mentally.
SENIORS!!!! This story could be one of woe as Alyssa was so strong physically last year in sweeping the singles and doubles titles and while her fitness is just as good or better, she has battled a series of respiratory infections this fall that have kept her off the practice court more than she'd like. Unfortunately, she had to pull out of singles to avoid running too much and leaving a lung on the court, but she was able to join with Courtney in doubles where they held their #1 seeding and took the title over Jenna and Morgan. The doubles final was not just a dream for me because we were set to win either way, but the tennis from these four at the end of a brutally long weekend of tennis was the caliber that I'll take into a dual match with any team in the country. There were very few unforced errors, or free points, and both teams finished their chances consistently. The difference seemed to be that Alyssa and Courtney had a little more on their aggressive shots and were able to put them away, which is tough because both teams defend so well. Jenna and Morgan had terrific chemistry, competed wonderfully but also will learn to expand their game as Courtney and Alyssa have worked so hard to do over the past year.
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| Jenna, Morgan, Alyssa and Courtney feeling great after a terrific all Whitman doubles final |
And speaking of doubles titles, KKP and Maddy found themselves in a tough first round against Willamette's #1 team, so moving to the back draw, they gained momentum and confidence each match and beat some very solid teams to take the doubles consolation. In the final, when it was 4-5, they broke serve to tie and Linfield came right back at them forcing their service game to some insanely high number of deuces, but with the home crowd behind them, great communication and positive energy, they stayed aggressive, won the game and carried the next two for an 8-5 win and the title. For a team who only practiced a couple of days together, this was a terrific performance and a great sign for Kate of where her doubles is at.
I also can't say enough how much fun it is to host. I was concerned that being at home in an individual tournament and playing some huge matches against each other that we could keep the great team feel that we always have during dual matches. As with the tennis, our communication in team meetings and the work ethic in practices and team bonding times paid off in what was a terribly fun weekend. People were able to study and go to class Monday when they needed to, but you could always hear support from teammates, friends and the many family members and alums who made the trip and watched us play.
Thanks to alums Dena Wessel and Katie Collier for being here, and to the Lawless, Dobrin, Rubinstein, Kunkel and Patterson families as well as Liz Bates, Annie Webster and Arlene Roberg. Your help, support and enthusiasm for everything we do is invaluable. Thank you all along with our tournament volunteers Jen, Tom, Victoria, Chirs, Ann Beery for court use at the Country Club and our awesome training staff. Whitman Alum Conor Holton Burke stepped up to write some web articles over the weekend which were terrific and while nothing can replace our friend Dave Holden, Conor and Jim Buchan from the Union Bulletin did a great job.
Now, we look forward to some rest, a productive fall off-season and a trip to the USTA/ITA Fall Nationals in Mobile, AL for Courtney in singles and Courtney and Alyssa in doubles!!!! Colton Malesovas, James Rivers and Andrew LaCava from our men's team will join us there as they swept their regional as well, congrats guys!
Best wishes from Walla Wallla,
Coach
