Mt Tabor topples the Cowgirls in Conference tennis action 7-2

Medicine isn’t particularly tasty...even with the flavor shots they can give it now...it still is medicine.  As Adults we have learned just to throw it back, pill or liquid (personally I always ask for the pill), and as they say, grin and bear it.   

Tonight was one of those nights.  It wasn’t that the ladies played poorly or missed any glaring opportunities, rather, Mt Tabor is deep and long in hitting.  After traveling to their place back on 8/29 for a 6:30 (became 7pm) start time shortened on the back end by faulty lights and fatigued by the oppressive heat at Mt Tabor, we headed back over for the conclusion of the match.  Having given away court 1 (Their #1 went to states last year without fanfare), earning a victory on court #6, I knew our work was cut out for us on courts 2-5.

Down on all four remaining courts, we set out to make Lemonade.

And we did.  Not to get you too excited, we didn’t stage the mother of all comebacks, but what the ladies accomplished was hitting their shots with confidence.  They didn’t play some scared game of trying to hold on to the last straw by pushing the ball, no! Every single one of these young ladies were able to stall their opponents game at least for a short time, and in turn, allowed their game to flourish.

Christina found her serve immediately and her forehand and backhand eventually during her match.  Much stronger and more deliberate of the shot selection from her side of the net.

Annie played with the confidence that simply alluded her through the first meeting with Mt Tabor.  She charged the net and got to most shots rocketed at her. Her game is coming along nicely.

Gretchen disrupted her opponent for a short while and didn’t let her get into her normal rhythm.  You could just tell her opponent wasn’t happy with her own play...that was Gretchen’s doing.

And Laney, wow!  Laney. Laney went up against the biggest hitter she has ever seen.  Last week’s big loopy on the line hitter would have gotten crushed against the Mt Tabor opponent.  Laney hit the hardest, longest, most consistent game of her career this match. She answered almost every shot her opponent hit her.  This made my heart smile.

Mt Tabor won the match in singles 5-1.

Dubs then was a bit more relaxed, though we only faired a small amount better.

Court 1 faced off against the Mt Tabor #1 and 4 - and what a team it was.  Whalen and Cross were able to claw 2 games from Mt Tabor’s grips, challenged and went to deuce on many more, but eventually fell to a solid doubles team.

Court 2 hosted the dubs team of Annie and Lauren.  Only pairing these two once before, I risked nothing by sending them out to face last season’s Conf Champs and regional contenders in dubs.  

They played well.  Not the most aggressive pairing I have found, but I continue to see something in this pairing which I think I can cultivate by the tournament.

And a treat on Court 3.  Alethea was unable to make it tonight due to feeling under the weather, Lydia, senior and brand new player to the team this season, stepped up to partner with Laney.  Going up early, the Cowgirls never looked back. Net was good, rallies were very good, and placement of them both felt like a well established dubs team. They won 8-3.

So to recap: we lost, but the ladies were able to find their game and play it to some success in spite of the excellent hitting from Mt Tabor.

Will we mesh well against them better next time?  Should the ladies continue to grow their game as they have the first half of the season, we should be able to claw a few more games from Mt Tabor’s grip.

Until then, thank you for reading my therapy sessions every match.  Rain notwithstanding, you only need to read through 11 more session notes until I am cured for this season.  Don’t worry, I will fall ill again and have to confess my soul to unburben my heart come next Fall.

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SW falls to a deep and talented Mt Tabor team in conference tennis action

Alex Bowen (MT) over Meghan Whalen (SW) 6-0 6-1

Anna Albertini(MT) over Christina Alentino (SW) 6-4 6-1

Abby williams (MT) over Annie Bodin (SW) 6-3 6-2

Valerie Zhang (MT) over Gretchen Cross (SW) 6-3 6-2

Meg Salt(MT) over Lanie Van dorp (SW) 6-1 6-2

Lauren Cook (SW) over Elizabeth Wood (MT)6-2 6-2

Doubles

Bowen/Zhang (MT) over  Whalen/Cross (SW) 8-2

Albertini/Williams (MT) over Cook/Bodin (SW) 8-1

Vandorp/Lydia Specht (SW) over Rebecca Pollard/Mony Madan (MT) 8-3

Mount Tabor over Southwest Cowgirls 7-2

Cowgirls fall to 10-1 overall and 1-1 in conference.