2015 Net News - April 11
4/11/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
Alas the final match of the regular season is upon us after a celebratory homestand last weekend. How quick it comes and how quick it goes, but with plenty of memories created at each practice, individual workout, weightlifting session, stretch routine, timed run, ice bath, load of laundry, ping pong or ultimate frisbee game, flight or road trip, pre or post match talk, team text, video review, sports med treatment or simply just another day in the life of Alabama Tennis.
Last weekend was very special as it offered our seniors, Andrew Goodwin and Stuart Kenyon, the opportunity to compete at home one last time and in front of a very supportive crowd filled with family, friends and fans - what great crowds we've had this year! While not necessarily planned, each senior had a fitting, on-court script play out for them in come-from-behind fashion to claim victory for the home team.
Up first was Stuart who pounded groundstroke after groundstroke against his South Carolina opponent to clinch a thrilling 4-1 Bama win. What started under a sun setting clear sky with a strong breeze and finished under the bright stadium lights and balmy temps was quite the noteworthy ending. For one, Stuart and his teammates had struck out in his first three seasons against the Gamecocks. In fact, just a year ago, Bama fell 4-3 in a heartbreaker in Columbia, S.C. and 4-1 at the SEC Champs that kept the Tide out of the NCAA post-season. Well that bitter taste got somewhat sweeter on Friday as Kenyon stormed back from a first set loss to not only win his match 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 but also create big smiles for the home crowd. Ironically Stuart was unable to finish his match against the same South Carolina opponent last year at the SECs but this season he would not be denied.
The team victory kicked off Senior/Spring Parent Weekend with a bang as well as a post match social with family and friends ... where the evening's hero Stuart, and fellow senior Andrew cut a cake (and ate it too).
Moving onward to Saturday where the team held a morning practice followed by the 2nd annual Senior/Parent Weekend Doubles tournament. Becker & John O'Shaughnessey came in as the defending champions and #1 seeds followed by Mike & Stuart Kenyon at #2, Korey & Kenny Lovett at #3 and Sam & Harold Edwards at #4. A variety of other player & parent/family tandems filled out the rest of the draw. After the top three seeds were upset in earlier rounds, the Edwards boys advanced to the final and battled Lee Hills & Danny Kerznerman. The Edwards stormed out to a big lead in the 10-point tiebreaker final but it's not how you start, it's how you finish. Out of nowhere Lee Hills became the Superman of doubles and caught fire displaying aggressive net play and an opposite hand reflex volley that sent this "mixed" father/player pair of Hills/Kerznerman to the champions podium. As Lee dawned a smile from ear to ear, Danny explained to the onlooking crowd that he "lived" for pro-ams like this.
Later that afternoon, the team celebrated and thanked our seniors at the home of Crimson Racket Club president Susan Cordes and her husband David. What a tremendous setting and intimate gathering to hear Stuart, Andrew and Brent, our pseudo-senior, reflect on their time at Bama as well as provide some advice to their teammates. Plenty of pics taken that will be up shortly in a photo gallery.
Easter Sunday provided more than just your standard egg hunts and brunches. For one, the Husack kids were up at 6:30 a.m. ready to fill their baskets while the team met up later for a tasty pre-match meal at Hotel Capstone. There was also a nice brunch at the courts organized again by the coaches' wives and CRC members (Roll Tide to everyone that contributed!). And while one senior proved on Friday that this was his weekend to start, the other, as in Goodie, showed that it was his weekend to finish. This time it was a match against the team that the majority of Georgians love, and quite frankly, probably have attended or wanted to attend. The "Dawgs" arrived in Tuscaloosa with an impressive Top-10 ranking and the No. 1 spot in the SEC standings. As I said before the script may have been thought of before, but certainly not written. The doubles was tight and ultimately came down to Andrew and Sam's court ... and in a tiebreaker no less. After being down a break late in the set, the Tide stormed back to snag the lead and an opportunity to clinch the doubles point. While UGA wasn't going to lie down, wouldn't it be fitting for Goodie, an Alpharetta, GA native, to have match point on his racket? Well, of course! And that's exactly what the "Animal" did on a poaching volley off a second serve return, and like Friday night, the crowd went nuts, as did Andrew and Sam. So perfect and well-deserved for a guy who gives it his all on a daily basis. "Point Bama!" thank you Brent, heading into singles with some senior momentum on our side.
The team was pumped and ready to duplicate their efforts from a couple days prior. A few matches went Georgia's way early but the Tide hung tough on the remaining courts. An upset was certainly in the air like the BBQ was before the South Carolina match (many thanks to David Ford, Alan Cunningham, Bony Barrineau, Kristina Husack, Megan DeHeart and CRC volunteers for that tasty cookout!). After a three-set victory by a Georgia freshman the upset was null and void...rats...but not before we gave it all we had plus the kitchen sink. A moment to remember for many and definitively a great memory or two for our seniors.
So now it's off to Music City and a showdown with the Vanderbilt Commodores this Sunday at 1 p.m. CST. This will be the final match before heading on the road Tuesday night to College Station, Texas and the SEC Championships. We've had a great week of practice and the guys are ready. We also got in a couple of intense ultimate frisbee games ... congrats to Ryler for getting a W in one of them ... those DeHeart Ws seem to come few and far between. Fittingly, Goodie sported the black jersey and the Bama "peloton" had their eyes, minds and hearts set on a great match ahead.
While we clearly don't know the result of the upcoming battle, one thing we do know (and as Ellie Goulding sings) is that "anything can happen."
Roll Tide!
George
