Whitman pair moves into National Semifinals

Hello all,

Today at the USTA/ITA small college national championships in Mobile, Alabama; Courtney and Alyssa entered the quarterfinals as the #2 seed and came through with a strong performance and a great win to move on the the semis!

A good account of the match is provided on the Whitman webpage, but really I can't say enough how solid this duo is getting.  They continue to use their natural chemistry and individual skills well, but today as we did yesterday there were just no holes in their game.  They each started points well serving and returning - and this was no small task as Mikayla Becich of Carleton has a cannon for a serve both she and partner Bridget Doyle have great returns.  Once points were started, the ability to defend from anywhere on the court while taking the initiative at the net was outstanding.  From day one of college tennis, Courtney has been one of the best players I've seen in D3 tennis at transitioning on the court and using variety at the net, but she has shown improved power and today displayed it with several strong finishes.  Alyssa, never lacking in the power department, is routinely picking up half volleys off her shoes and making great first volleys to set up the final shots.  This consistent ability of both players to play any role on the court made them formidable today and gives us great confidence heading into what will undoubtedly be a tough battle with a Washington and Lee team in tomorrows 1pm (CST) semifinal matchup.

If we win, we play the final alongside our men's team at 5pm, if not, then we'll play for third at 4pm.  So get ready for a busy day of tennis and check our twitter @coachhein for updates during the matches!

Thanks for those of you who have kept in touch via email/text/facebook etc. and also to our men's team and families for helping us warmup, tweet, cheering us on! Thanks Boys!

-John