June 3, 2021

The Cowgirls fall to the very deep and talented team from Bishop McGuinness

Though we have played competitive matches this season, we haven’t faced a giant in play.  A mental giant in NW and MT Tabor, but not in play.  This season both NW and Tabor were doable….it just took the right skill set and mental outlook as proven by our match turnarounds the second time we encountered them both.

Bishop was on a whole new level.  With two of their seniors skipping town to bask in the sun on the beach, Bishop was without their 2 and 3 seeds and had to play up.  Though initially hopeful, it was quickly apparent the favor Bishop had given to us did little in terms of Singles wins.

Tonight will go a lot quicker…not due to the attention span of the reader nor the absence of the loquaciousness on part of the Coach…but due simply to the outcome presented to us.

In short, the Cowgirls were able to see a side of tennis…really good tennis that our current slate of conference teams only show in brief flashes of brilliance.  Yes, even down two lady villains, Bishop was on a different level from the Cowgirls.  This isn’t to say the Cowgirls played poorly, rather, they played their heart out and on two courts, garnered victorious with another 3 courts showing a competitiveness that made Coach smile. 

Let’s go to the latter first.  Annie, Nicole, Tran and Maggi all fell short of the goal.  Annie changed her entire approach up in the second set and pulled back several villain leaning points, but the Bishop player was very complete in her game.  Much the same outcome on Court 5 with Maggi.  Maggi threw it all at the Bishop opponent, but it made little difference.  The Bishop player had been playing for 7 years, 4 years competitively.  Clearly there was a talent gap which translated in a very consistent game that outlasted the Cowgirl on the rallies.  Can we begin a middle school and elementary school tennis program in GCS?  This may help.  Interested?  Contact Brindon Christman – 336-819-2970. 

Nicole and Tran both were able to put meaningful numbers on the board.  Nicole scraped and clawed two games in each set tonight.  Tran grabbed 1 in the first and made a go of it in the second up 4-3 before leg cramping did her game in.  It is funny….if you cannot move, you cannot play…ok, not that funny.  The heat and the amount of running did the Cowgirl in for singles. 

Both Shaini and Audrey came away winners tonight.

Shaini was able to keep the ball in play one more time than her opponent.  It isn’t that she didn’t miss shots, she just was more consistent over the course of the games, sets, the match as a whole.  Shot for shot, both players were very comparable.  It was a lovely match to watch, but just as the cowgirls fell to the hands and rackets of the Villains on courts 2-5, so too this court followed in opposite suit.  Comparable, but not equal.  Shaini edged her player with a solid game.

The last victory for the Cowgirls tonight goes to Audrey.  Villains #1 was a hot shot freshman with a wicked forehand, backhand, serve, volley, well crap, it was a lovely game.  But have you been reading these epic tennis journeys I have put pen to paper…er, typed out at great lengths? 

Tonight’s match was coach’s attempt to find a talent that rivaled Audrey’s own before conference.  Yes, Page and Grimsley will come in due time, but Audrey, a sophomore, took this young freshman and schooled her.  Audrey had an answer for everything The Villain offered…and the answers were not to the Villains liking.  When Audrey went up 3-0 in the first, both Audrey and Coach noticed the Villain changing her game and begin hitting out….not just harder, but literally out.  Her many years of lessons did little for her game tonight.  Lessons gains you a shot, but playing real opponents grows the mental aspect of the game, think of it as playing maturity…and with that maturity, a mental edge when shot for shot look the same.  Shaini did this on court 6.  Audrey held dominion on court #1.  Audrey blitzed the young Villain 0 and 0. 

Down 2-4 going into Dubs

We lost on all 3 dubs courts.  Again, on dubs courts 2 and 3, the Villains were simply too much for the Cowgirls.  The ladies fought well.  The differences in the level of play were just too great for the Cowgirls to overcome.  Court #1 shows signs of promise…..holding on serve until the last game, Audrey and Nicole battled.  It was close, but collectively, the better team won. 

Kudos to the Lady Villains of Bishop McGuinness for their very strong play tonight.

Moral of the story?

Again, tonight was about showing the cowgirls a different side of tennis they haven’t seen in regular season until tonight.  Against a very competitive and super nice team, the Cowgirls were able to catch a glimpse of a tennis game we have not yet attained.  Almost every Cowgirl came off the court with a wish list to ask the great tennis fairy for next season. 

The Cowgirls will once again lose 4 players out of the top six – same # as last season.  Understand it is the mental maturity of the ladies who play and their individual skill set coupled with their ability to take instruction from coach that covered last season’s potentially detrimental loss of talent and built it back to a conference championship.  Coach looks forward to welcoming back Audrey, Tran, introducing Lauren and potentially Kate into the top 6 as well as a few fresh faces of rising 9^th graders, a 10^th grader and most certainly other Cowgirls to charm the reader with their tales of adventure on the tennis courts come the fall.

Until Monday night and the dismantling of the Tigers from Ragsdale.

Take care Cowboy Nation!

SW cowgirls played host to the lady villains of BMHS in non conference tennis action

Audrey Serb (sw) over Lindsey Bergeron (bm) 6-0, 6-0

Lourdes Lopez (bm) over Annie Vo (sw) 6-0, 6-0

Izzy Ross (bm) over Nicole Sopala (sw) 6-2, 6-2

Allie Dennen (bm) over Tran Nguyen (sw) 6-1, 6-4

Nina Hilton (bm) over Maggi Mugi (sw) 6-0, 6-0

Shaini Lal (sw) over Caroline Gregory (bm) 6-3, 6-3

Dubs:

Bergelin/Lopez (bm) over Serb/Sopala (sw) 8-6

Ross/Dennen (bm) over Vo/Nguyen (sw) 8-1

Hilton/Gregory (bm) over Mugi/Lal(sw) 8-0

A very talented Lady villains team wins 7-2

Cowgirls fall to 8-4 on the season, remain 5-1 in conference.

Cowgirls will play host to the lady tigers of Ragsdale on Monday. 

Pt3-a tourney will take place Wednesday, June 9, at mt Tabor beginning 9am.