Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Men's Senior Day

This past weekend the UW-Whitewater tennis program honored are three senior men, immediately following the match vs. Elmhurst.  The match went about as expected as the Hawks dropped only one point at 2 singles on there way to an 8-1 victory.  The real story took place afterwards as Coach Barnes, family, and friends all took part in honoring are three great seniors.  Byron Balkin, Brian Klein, and Kevin Friend.
These three young men have been a staple of Whitewater tennis for the past four years and in coach Barnes' words "really classed up the joint."  Rarely does a team elect all three seniors to be their captains, but in this years case it was absolutely well deserved.  Every year it is difficult to see the seniors leave the program, but we know they will be returning as alumni and fans and will forever be Warhawks.


Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Warhawks Flying High

The Lady Hawks took Nielsen Tennis Center, in Madison by storm this past weekend.  The team which was coming off a less than stellar spring break (result wise) was looking to bounce back against some tough competition.  On Friday Morning the ladies took on #22 Denison University from Ohio.  The Warhawks recognized the opportunity at hand and seized all three doubles points.  You may know, here at Whitewater we put a tremendous emphasis on doubles.  Having a 3-0 lead heading into singles is a huge advantage.  Last weeks practice definitely emphasized serving and doubles strategy.  Kudos to the ladies for taking it to heart, and putting it into action this weekend.  After doubles the Warhawks kept there focus and captured 4 of the 6 singles spots.

Friday afternoon featured what will most likely be the toughest competition the Lady Hawks will see in the regular season.  Matched up in the semi-final vs. #10 Wash-U the ladies were only able to capture one doubles point. The freshman duo of Megan Humphreys/ Amy Upthagrove won 8-6 at #2 doubles.  The Warhawks fought hard in singles but were only able to capture one singles point.  Alexandra Bayliss was in full force (as usual) as she defeated Jamie Silverberg 6-2, 3-6, 11-9 at #1 singles.  Alexandra has been playing at a new level this year, clearly she has been putting in the extra work!! 

Saturday at 11 featured the 3rd place match between your Warhawks and #12 University of Chicago.  The scores do not do this match justice.  The way the Lady Hawks competed, fought, and played throughout the entire match, was at a level not seen before this year.  Doubles consisted of three incredibly tight matches with Chicago taking a lead into singles 2-1.

Doubles Scores:
1D) 8-9(5)  Best match 1 dubs has played all year!!!
2D) 9-7   2 Dubs went 3-0 on the weekend against the #22, #10, and #12 ranked teams in the nation!!!
3D) 8-6  Trailed 5-1 and rock!!

After some emotional doubles the Ladies were able to re-focus and push Chicago to their limits.  Whitewater was able to capture victories at both #2 and #3 singles.  Megan Humphreys moved like "a cat with a hot foot" on her way to a 6-4, 6-3 win over Tiffany Chen at 2.  Jackie Vitale was also able to seize a singles point, beating rival Helen Sdvizkhov 1-6, 6-1, 6-3.  "I didn't let the first set get me down, I just kept fighting and was able to figure out a way to win."  said captain Jackie.  who went on to say "we proved this weekend that we can compete with the best in the nation.  The passion we brought to the court was unlike any match before.  After this weekend I know are team can reach new hieghts this year."

Saturday also featured the home outdoor opener for the Men.  However, the first match against Carrol University was moved indoors, due to weather.  Classic Wisconsin.  This match featured a rematch of the central ITA final between Jake Humphreys and Jack Michael.  Jake left the drama in Minnesota and was able to capture his second straight victory against the wily foe.  This one coming in straight sets 6-3, 6-4.

Saturday afternoon the men took the outdoor Wangerin Stadium Courts vs. Monmouth College.  Monmouth has a tough #1 doubles team and the show court match up did not disappoint, seeing the #1 duo of Balkin/Humphreys return their way to an 8-5 victory.


Thursday, April 3, 2014

Midwest Invite Preview

This upcoming weekend the Lady Hawks will travel to Madison to face some of their toughest competition.  The NCAA Midwest region annually hosts an invite for the top teams around the Midwest.  The Lady Hawks have been in attendance the last few years, and are looking to take some serious steps toward becoming a national contender this weekend.  The Lady Hawks face off with Dennison University in the first round.  Dennison is a team we do not know much about, but like always, it will be crucial to our success, to get off with a good doubles start.  Having a lead heading into singles helps any teams confidence, and when you emphasize doubles in practice, the way the Warhawks do, doubles leads are imperative.  Serving and volleying has been a theme in practice all week, as our Lady Hawks gear up for the final push of the season.  Team and individual ranks are at stake along with seeds for nationals.  We need all the love and support we can get this weekend.  
GO HAWKS!!!

Follow us on Twitter for match updates and results
@UWWtennis

Women's team homepage, up to date articles and results