Whittie of the Week

Hi folks,

For the past couple of seasons we have done a weekly team vote on which Whittie has contributed the most to the team that week. We come up with nominees and the team votes and the winner is our WoW for that week.  Our men's team does a kind of similar thing called the yellow jersey, and Coach Northam puts it out on his blog and I like to steal..excuse me, borrow ideas from Jeff (who is a great friend and wonderful colleague and mentor) so I'll be posting future WoW awards on the blog.  The first one you can see is last week and it was Lizzy so check out the link on the blog.

If you're just getting these posts as emails, the web address is:
http://www.missionarytennis.blogspot.com/

Lizzy and Leah playing #3 dubs vs. UPS

~Coach

Wrapping up Family and Alumni Weekend

To all of you who made it to our matches and events this past weekend, thank you so much for your support and sharing time with our team.  This annual event really came up fast this year because the conference schedule (and our awesome two week spring break) left us without a full home weekend in April, which is what I shoot for in organizing this.

Leah and Mike Siegel...We also celebrated Leah's Birthday this week!

So, at the start of March, with a great set of matches on tap and a team that has really committed so much to the process of being a top DIII team, we welcomed family, friends and fans to Walla Walla.

Divneet Kaur Class of 2010 

Friday, after a short week of practice, we took on UPS in the Bratton Tennis Center.  The support from the fans was great and right from the start of doubles, we brought a terrific composure and excitement to our play.  We had three doubles on with Elise and Alyssa putting together one of their cleanest performances of the season at #1 winning 8-0 quickly.  At #2, UPS had a pair of tough freshmen who we'll continue to see good things from for 4 years, but once Em and Kate got rolling, they didn't look back in winning 8-3.  Emily has been one of our best doubles players for two seasons now and more and more, we're seeing not just teamwork, but also Kate really taking charge with her improved shots and this was a case where they both got going at the same time.  At #3, Hannah was still rehabbing her ankle and Leah stepped in with Lizzy and they came out really strong going up a break 5-2.  At that point, UPS really stepped up and while we had chances, they stormed back for an 8-6 win.  Meanwhile, Olivia was getting some great exhibition singles in, dropping an 8-4 proset that our talented Jan start will no doubt learn from.

Singles was great as we swept the 1-3 matches with Emily blending offense and defense beautifully and Elise and Alyssa demonstrating the hard work they've put in to elevate their games.  I was super proud of Kate at #4 for gutting out a first set in a tiebreak and then continuing her solid play to win in straight sets.  Lizzy fought back from down a set to win in a match tie break, again showing great composure and athleticism and while Hadley played the same player Olivia played in an exhibition, Maggie got her first shot at a top six singles match.  The 6-2,6-2 score gives credit to a smart match from UPS first year Marissa Friedman, but seeing Maggie handle the occasion and keep consistent focus throughout the match was really special.

It wasn't mid April, but it is Walla Walla, so after overnight showers dampened the courts, the sun came out and let us play outside.  With Ankeny field and the library right at the heart of campus with our courts, it is an active place and our fans and students combined with the rematch of last years NWC tournament final made for a great atmosphere for a big match with Whitworth.

As with UPS, Alyssa and Elise played really solid doubles, winning 8-3.  Unfortunately, I think Kate felt some of the growing pains of having improved so much so fast as she and Em were so close to starting the match off with a break.  Actually had any of the first few games gone our way, they were playing well enough to win, but Whitworth really played a steady match and rolled to an 8-1 win.  At #3 doubles, HP was back and showed a lot of heart and with limited mobility, she and Lizzy battled to a 4-8 defeat so we entered singles down 2-1.  Meanwhile, Leah and Olivia lost 8-4 in an exhibition at #4 where they played the kind of doubles I think they need to, which will benefit them both a ton in the long run.

Just like Friday evening, it was Show Pony racing out to grab us some momentum.  I'm not sure she lost a point in the first 3 games against one of the better #2 players in the conference.  After being up 3-0 she found out why Ally Marshall is so good and had to battle to take the first 6-4 but tightened things up in the second to win 6-4,6-1.  Next to her, Emily's doubles struggles carried over just enough into singles where Erica Bosman presented a great challenge as she has been playing very well at #2 and #3 this year for Whitworth.  Em fought hard, but her tennis wasn't flowing like it has been recently as she lost in straight sets.  Elise also lost in straight sets at #1, but the 6-3,6-3 score doesn't tell you what kind of a battle was going on.  These are two of the best players in the conference and in my mind two of the best sportswomen as well.  It was special to see the fans continually respond to the high level of tennis, sportsmanship and effort provided by these two seniors.

Whitworth is a deep team and both Lizzy and Maggie as well as Olivia and Hadley found that they are right in these matches and they all came to me after with eager attitudes about what they can do to learn from these matches, which combined with the 100% effort I saw, makes me so happy as a coach.

Allright, you've read this far so I'll give you a little background on #4 singles.  Both Kate and Katie Staudinger of Whitworth are from Yakima, WA.  That they ended up playing each other in this match was really exciting for Kate because they both are fierce competitors who make me wonder what is in the water in Yakima that breeds such amazing athletes.  The first set absolutely lived up to expectation with Kate clawing her way to serve 5-4 only to have Katie battle to 5-5.  The seesaw continued and Kate went up a break 6-5.  Serving for the set a second time, Kate was incredibly confident and not only served it out but continued her strong play in the second set to win 7-5, 6-0!  This concluded a terrific weekend of singles for Kate and had us right in the match, but if you've read Dave Holden's article (thanks Dave!) or have done a little math, you'll know that the defending conference champs left Walla Walla with a well deserved 6-3 win.

Family and Alumni Dinner

Meanwhile, the Missionaries headed to a wonderful dinner with several families, some superstar alums and some great Whitman tennis supporters.  The atmsosphere was fun and excited about all the great things this young team has accomplished so far and the promise of what lies ahead for us as we look towards spring break in a week with both conference and non-conference matches lined up in Portland and then down in Southern California.

Stay tuned for more from this awesome group and thanks to everyone who supported us this weekend.

John

Family and Alumni Weekend Starts tomorrow at Whitman!

Wow, the season is flying and with a 2-1 conference record we welcome all families, alums and supporters to Walla Walla for the weekend.  Here is the basic itinerary:

Friday 3/4 - 4pm in the Bratton Tennis Center: Whitman vs. University of Puget Sound
     Whitman looks to work towards earning a place in the NWC tournament against an improved UPS squad.

Saturday 3/5 - 1pm match outdoors if dry, in Bratton if wet: Whitman Vs. Whitworth
     A rematch of last years conference final and the current #8 in the west region Whitties vs the #7 Pirates

Saturday following the match (6:30/7pm estimated food time): Dinner in the Glover Alston Center across the street from Bratton, veggie and meat eaters alike, come enjoy a meal with the team and celebrate a great group of student athletes after these matches. 

Sunday 3/6 - 9am to 2pm; Bratton Courts are reserved for Family and Alums, sign up for Family and Alum doubles at dinner on Saturday or just hit with Coach John.

Tough loss at Linfield

Dear Whitman Faithful,

Now in my third year at Whitman, we have squared off against Linfield 7 times, and while this match ended up with the widest margin of victory for either team, I think we're again neck and neck with each other in the NWC, but we were edged out by a good team yesterday.

Alyssa Serving vs. LCSC

With no less intensity, but a different feel than any of the previous times we've played, each team came out all business and all 3 doubles were close from the first ball.  After going up 5-4 at #2, they ran off a great stretch of play to take the early lead despite Emily and Kate staying at a high level.  Down early at #1 in a rematch of the Fall ITA final, Elise and Alyssa stepped up their tennis to pull ahead.  Meanwhile, down 7-6 at #3, a key point in the match where we had to break to stay in it brought out the best in Hannah and Lizzy; as they took command with a great blend of offense and defense, Hannah went back for a ball at 15-30 and rolled her ankle.  Lizzy got the next one back and we won the point, but after a medical timeout to assess and tape her sprain, Hannah was super tough and not only continued but put away an overhead to secure the break.  Linfield quickly broke back and held for the 9-7 win as Elise and Alyssa secured a point with some great doubles winning 8-6 against a very good team at #1.

Elise has been playing terrific tennis, but at #1 Abby Olbrich came out very steady and strong in the first set.  Twitch dug in in set 2 and was serving at 4-4 when Abby got a break and hold to take the match.  About half way though that, Alyssa was already off at #2 blanking Linfield's new transfer 0 and 0.  What was really impressive was that ShoPo displayed tremendous consistent focus and a tactical maturity that has me really excited about her game.

3,4,5  were all huge battles with Linfield edging us in each one.  Emily just couldn't quite get the upper hand at #3 but fought into a tie break which her opponent really stepped up in.  The second set was also incredibly close and well played by both players to the final ball.  Em is also finding that plays which used to come and go are now consistently a part of her arsenal.  Kate came out firing going up a set and 4-1.  To her credit she didn't let up, though I think she'll learn from the comeback that was waged against her as she lost in a hard fought third set.  #5 was an interesting match with Lizzy winning the first and then falling in three.   At #6 Hadley Scherer took the ball against an experienced Sarah Watanabe.  The first set went quickly as Hadley looked to find her way into the match, which she did much better in the second using her improved serve and great focus to push the Linfield senior who eventually won 6-0, 6-2.  Maggie scored us an impressive exhibition winning one set 6-3 over junior Kiana Nip.  Maggie was very composed as she used her placement really well and controlled many of the backcourt rallies.

It was a tough loss, but this team is so positive and has so many bright spots that it truly was an enjoyable battle.  It was great to travel and continue to enjoy being around each other and it was wonderful to have Arlene Roberg and the Leah's family supporting us.  Thanks so much for your help and support and for the great brunch Kris and Mike! 

We look forward to our next matches which come this weekend as we host UPS at 4pm on Friday and defending NWC champ Whitworth at 1pm on Saturday.  This is our family and alumni weekend which I have some events planned, so please send me an email if you plan on being here as we'd love to spend some time with you.

Cheers,
John
(509) 301-8502