May 7, 2015Welcome back faithful readers (a.k.a my mom and one, maybe two other people)!
I am sure you are all dying to know how we fared in the NCCAA National Championship Tournament in Mobile, Alabama. Luckily for you, I have all the insider information and am willing to disclose it in this blog. I just hope that you have not already died due to bursting with anticipation and excitement for the news that I am about to relay. So…here goes.
I have decided to cut right to the chase and share the results to our tournament matches. I could give you all the details, but that would take about 27 pages (single-spaced). I could tell you about the amazing food we ate or the cutthroat games of Monopoly that led to both verbal and physical attacks, but that would most likely bore you to tears. As much as I like to evoke emotions from my readers, I am thoughtful enough to spare you tears of boredom. So, you’re welcome! But, there is quick shout out that is necessary before any match results are given. Congrats to John FIlcik and Ryan Shomo for being named NCCAA Scholar- Athletes, as well as NCCAA Second Team All-Americans! Please give them a round of applause now.
Now that you are done clapping, I will share the results as promised. On Tuesday morning, we opened tournament play against Dallas Baptist. We showed a lot of fight! Team Shark (Shomo/Clark) earned a victory at #2 doubles, but we lost both #1 and #3 doubles. In singles, Ryan won, and three of us managed to force a third set. Unfortunately, we couldn’t quite pull off the come-from-behind victory. So we began tournament play with a hard-fought loss.
On Tuesday afternoon, we got a chance to redeem ourselves against IWU. The Wildcats defeated us 9-0 in the regular season. Though we were all exhausted and sore from the morning match, we went out there and showed a lot of heart. But once again, we didn’t manage to capture any matches.
Our great season concluded against Palm Beach Atlantic on Wednesday. It was another battle that was much closer than the score showed. We gave it our best effort at every position, but still fell 5-0 to the Sailfish.
Though we failed to win a match, overall we had a great experience at the NCCAA National Championship. The weather was warm. The facilities were stellar. And it was an awesome few days of team bonding with some quality guys.
I hope you have all enjoyed reading Cedarville men’s tennis blog this season. I have certainly enjoyed writing it. Typically, the last blog of the season consists of the seniors giving their final comments and goodbyes. Unfortunately, one of them is on his way to the Amazon for a missions trip, and the other two are sleeping in the back of the bus. So, my closing comments will have to do. I apologize.
I will conclude with some well-deserved "thank you’s". Competing is great, but there is so much more to playing a college sport. There are people that work hard to make it possible, and others that are continually there to support us and to make it enjoyable.
First, I want to extend a huge thank you to our coaches. Coach Edlund and Coach Lesko invest so much time and energy into helping us to grow as tennis players and men of God. It is such a blessing to have them as a part of our daily lives. Personally, there is no one that I would rather play for.
Next, I want to thank the graduating seniors. Teammates are what make every stressor and disappointment that comes with being a college athlete worth it. Being able to spend the last two years with each of the three seniors has been an incredible blessing. I have learned so much from them. John, Adam, and Austin: thank you for setting a good example for us underclassmen. Thank you for all the laughs you have provided me. Thank you for being dependable friends both on and off the court. You guys have left some big shoes to fill and will be dearly missed. May God bless you in all of your future endeavors.
Lastly, I want to convey our appreciation to the fans (mainly parents). It is hard to get much fan support at college tennis matches (when you are not a DI powerhouse that is). Though we are extremely handsome and talented, I have yet to play in a match where the bleachers are full. That being said, I have never played in a match when there were no Yellow Jacket fans in attendance either. It doesn’t matter if we are in Florida, Alabama, or the middle-of-nowhere West Virginia, a parent or two always manages to get there. That type of love and support means a lot to each of us. Thank you so much CU tennis faithful!!
In the famous words of Porky Pig, "Th-th-th-that’s all folks!" I hope you have gotten a laugh or two out of my blogs this year. It has been my pleasure to address you all each week. Have a great summer!
Signing off for the last time,
Stephen Combs
Apr. 29, 2015Â Â Â Â
Welcome back to your favorite source of entertainment - this blog!
I know the question that is racing through all of your minds right now. I am sure that each and every one of your heart rates is rising dramatically! So, who won the Cedarville vs. IWU tennis match, you ask? Wait for it…wait for it… not Cedarville. Yes, the Wildcats of Indiana Wesleyan proved to be the better team, defeating us 9-0. Thus, our hopes and dreams of participating in the NCCAA National Championships in Mobile, Alabama were killed and buried deep into the ground, never to be spoken of again. On the way home from the match, we drowned our sorrows with some of the best milkshakes and sundaes known to man. We then returned to the ‘Ville filled with great nutrients (sarcasm) but also sadness because of the loss.
At this point, as all good fans should, you are probably feeling depressed. You are probably asking yourself "Now what am I going to do with my life? What team should I support? Are there any other teams out there that are as handsome and talented as the Cedarville University Men’s Tennis Team?" Well, the answer to that last question is a definitive "no", but don’t go grabbing your comfort food and tissues yet. Could it be that there were a couple of at-large bids up for grabs!? Could it be that Cedarville University received one of said bids!? You are probably thinking to yourself, "No way! That is too good to be true." Well, you are wrong! Yes ladies and gentlemen, the tide will indeed roll. This coming Sunday we will be ‘Bama bound! All of us on the team are thrilled about this opportunity, and I am sure you are too! So if you are not busy on May 5-8th, book your flights now. If you can’t make it, that is okay. We forgive you. However, please remember to pray for safe travels, as the bus ride down there is quite long. The great season we have had thus far season has been prolonged.
Celebrate responsibly!
Stevie
Apr. 23, 2015Hey there CU faithful!
Welcome back to your favorite blog that is about men’s tennis at Cedarville University (also the only one)!
When I concluded my last blog, we were on a four-match losing streak. We have played three matches since my last post and are currently on a three-match WINNING streak. Things have been extremely busy but fun nonetheless! I will now give you some of the juicy details of what has been a pretty crazy week of tennis.
Last Tuesday, we concluded conference play a home. Central State made the long and vigorous trek (approximately five miles) to our very own Johnson-Murdoch Tennis Complex. The Marauders did not pose much of a threat. We glided to a 9-0 victory in timely fashion. Thus, the four-match losing streak came to a close. Hallelujah!
The next day, we took off for Columbus to play Otterbein. The Cardinals beat us 9-0 last year, so I was far from optimistic. But, for the first time ever, I was wrong! We defeated Otterbein in a dramatic, come-from-behind fashion! Entering singles, we were down 2-1. Our doubles point came from Ryan and Joel. Otterbein’s #2 doubles team was no match for team SHARK (Shomo+Clark=SHARK)! We ended up winning the match because of dominant singles play! We managed to capture five out of the six singles matches, clipping the Cardinals wings! Shoutout to Ryan Shomo for grinding out a clutch three-set victory at #2 singles!
When the weekend rolled around, we got an incredible treat! On Friday, we made the 5 1/2 hour journey to the home of senior captain, John Filcik! Upon arrival at John’s house, we were immediately greeted by the sweetest dog in the whole entire state of Michigan! Additionally, Mr. and Mrs. Filcik took hospitality to a whole new level. There were a vast array of snacks on the table and cold Gatorade in the fridge. We finished off the night by playing the classic board game Balderdash, as well as some A+ ping-pong. In the morning, we made the 15-minute drive to Hope College. When we arrived at the courts, we were dumbfounded. Roger Federer himself would have been pleased with such a facility! It was so cool! We did not let the amazing facility distract or intimidate us though. We fought hard and earned a 7-2 victory, honoring John with an appropriate homecoming victory!
The season is quickly drawing to an end. In fact, only one regular season match remaining. On Thursday (April 23rd), we will travel to Marion, Indiana to take on Indiana Wesleyan University. The IWU Wildcats are definitely the favorite, but so were the UK Wildcats (and we all saw how that turned out)! This is a bit of a rivalry, and a lot is riding on this match! The winner earns a spot in the NCCAA National Championships in Mobile, Alabama. The loser hangs their head in disappointment and utter shame (maybe a little over dramatic). That being said, fan support would be stellar! A crowd full of yellow and blue could be the spark that leads to #TheTamingOfTheWildcats! So, be there or be square!
So long for now!
-Stevie
Apr. 14, 2015Greetings ladies and germs!
As Annie once sang, "The sun will come out tomorrow." This describes this week’s happenings in the world of Cedarville tennis very well and very horribly at the same time. You may be asking yourself, " Where is he going with this?" Well my dear inquisitive fans, I will tell you. So sit back, relax, and enjoy this blog post.
First, I will give you the good news. The above statement from our favorite red-haired orphan (no, not Jon Class) was true in a literal sense. When I last addressed all you wonderful people, three out of our last five matches had been canceled due to unruly amounts of water falling from the sky. Our luck was much better this time around. We played all three of the matches that were scheduled. We went up against Georgetown (Ky.) this past Friday, the University of Charleston the day after that and Davis & Elkins the following Monday. Needless to say, it was a very exhausting four days.
Sadly, it is now time for the bad news. Though the rain stayed away and the sun came out to play, but the outcomes of the past few matches were anything but warm and fuzzy. The Georgetown match was heartbreaking. We came so close but ended up losing by a 5-4 margin. We got solid wins at #1 singles, #4 singles, #5 singles, and #3 doubles.
The Charleston match was a blow out. To be honest, it is hard to find a silver lining in that match. The Golden Eagles just outplayed us at every position. On the bright side, the pizza after the match was pretty stellar!
The conference showdown in Elkins, WV certainly did not go as hoped for. After losing to the Senators of Davis & Elkins 5-4 at home, we had high hopes for the second match-up. To make a long story short, after traveling over, around, and through what seemed like every mountain in West Virginia, we reached the courts with the anticipation of earning a share of the conference title. Sadly, we made the same exhausting trip back with disappointment and shame in our hearts. D&E came at us firing on all cylinders, but for the most part, our tires were flat. Joel helped us to maintain a slight amount of dignity with a win at #4 singles. But much to our dismay, the Senators will serve another term as G-MAC men’s tennis champions.
Though we are at a low point in our season, we are confident that we can get back to our winning ways! And due to all of our rescheduled matches, we have plenty of chances to do so in the very near future! Coming up on the horizon is Central State (4/14), Otterbein (4/15), and Hope (4/18). The Central State match is our last home match of the year. So we expect all CU Jackets fans to be in attendance! It may be your last chance to witness senior Speedy Levesque hitting a cheeky dropshot winner or senior John Filcik hitting blistering backhand winners left and right or senior Austin Stokes hitting some of his world-famous lobs, all in a Cedarville uniform! You don’t want to miss that! That being said, I will see you Tuesday at the Johnson-Murdoch Tennis Complex for the conclusion of our conference play!
Thanks for being awesome!
Stephen Combs
Apr. 8, 2015Hellllooooo Cedarville tennis junkies!
The theme for this blog post comes from an old nursery rhyme. "Rain, rain go way, come again another day." There were five matches scheduled between my last blog and this one. Only two of those matches were played. Shockingly (sarcasm), the away match at Davis & Elkins was cancelled due to weather for the third time. Additionally, our match-ups against the Capital Crusaders and the Wittenberg Tigers were also postponed due to rain. However, we got all of the doubles matches in against Wittenberg and currently possess a 2-1 lead. We have a great chance to finish them off, which would be HUGE considering we lost to them 8-1 last season!
We did manage to get in two conference matches despite the abundance of precipitation! Our conference opener against Central State was very anti-climactic. We defeated the Marauders 9-0 (all in straight sets) last Wednesday at home! This past Saturday, the long awaited match-up with Davis & Elkins took place at the Johnson-Murdoch Tennis Complex. We fought hard and came up just short. The Senators fended us off in a nail-biting 5-4 fashion. Shomo and Clark had a great win at #2 doubles and the bottom three spots in the singles lineup all had solid wins. We have high hopes that we can return the favor at their place (rescheduled for April 13)! We’ve proven that we are capable of beating them, and now it is time to go out and take care of business!
We have a busy weekend of tennis on the horizon. On Friday, we will take on Georgetown (Ky.) at home. This is our second to last home match! You have no excuse not to be there! In fact, I am expecting at least 100 blue and yellow clad fans at the Johnson-Murdoch Tennis Complex on Friday at 3:30 p.m! I expect to see faces and chests painted (just kidding, I don’t believe that is Cedarville approved)! But seriously, there is no better way to spend a Friday afternoon! On Saturday morning, we will make the trek to Charleston, WV! The Golden Eagles did a number on us last year, but we are a better team now! Still, I would label this a David vs. Goliath contest (and we all know how that turned out)! Charleston, WV is the place to be at 10 a.m. Saturday morning. Be there or be square!
Always making a racket,
Stephen
Apr. 1, 2015Greetings and welcome back to the best blog this side of the Mississippi! *Cue cool theme song*
When I concluded my last blog post, I once again (due to the original postponement) was setting the stage for our huge conference opener against Davis & Elkins. Guess what!? Hold onto your hats…Take a deep anticipatory breath…I am about to share the results…It got postponed AGAIN! Yes, the match was a no go. The forecast for Elkins, WV at match time was calling for snow and below freezing temperatures. I am not even sure the tennis balls would have had any compression. The match got moved to April 7th. So book your flights for West Virginia now!
We did manage to get one match in this past week despite the cold temps! On Saturday we faced up against the Pilots (as in maritime pilots) of Bethel College (Ind.). Though this match was supposed to be at our very own Johnson-Murdoch Tennis Complex, it got moved into the lovely, warm, windless, Five Seasons Sports Club. We jumped to an early lead, sweeping all three doubles matches! Our dominance continued into the singles. Shomo, Class, and Clark all won in straight sets, and Stokes had a clutch comeback win at #6 singles! Since Bethel wanted to get back on the road, we stopped the match as soon as the winner was decided, meaning Levesque and Carter didn’t get to finish their singles matches. So the final tally was 7-0 in favor of your favorite tennis players ever! It was nice to put an end to our losing streak and to do it in such a bold fashion, completely sinking the Pilots’ ship!
We have a busy week of tennis coming up! We open up conference play on Wednesday at 4 p.m. against the Marauders of Central State. The match is at home, so I fully expect to see a packed Johnson-Murdoch Tennis Complex! On Thursday, we head to C-bus for a big match-up against Capital. The Crusaders pulled off a 6-3 victory against us last season, and we are looking to return the favor! That match will begin, as all good battles do, at high noon! Since Capital is but a stones throw away, I am expecting a vast array of yellow and blue in the bleachers. Fan support could help lead to the #FallOfTheCrusaders!
Speaking of big matches, we have a HUGE match on Saturday as well. Davis & Elkins will come to the ‘Ville at 1 p.m. and attempt to extend their conference dominance for another year. There are eight very handsome men that are going to put a stop to that! If you call yourself a CU tennis fan, you WILL be there to witness #TheStingingOfTheSenators!
I wish you the best of luck in all of your Easter egg hunt endeavors! But on a much more serious note, happy Easter to you and your family as we celebrate our Father’s greatest sacrifice through his Son, Jesus Christ. Have a blessed Easter!
Indebted,
Stephen Combs
Mar. 23, 2015Hello Cedarville tennis fanatics!
This past Saturday, we matched up against the Hilltoppers of West Liberty University. We traveled "over a river and through the woods" (and up a mountain) to reach the WLU tennis complex, a place much less warm and inviting than "grandmother’s house". As mentioned in the previous blog, we lost to West Liberty last year in a nail-biting 5-4 fashion. This year was a bit of a different story. We faced a much different and much better team than we saw last year. Quite frankly, we got obliterated. Though we could have plenty of excuses (soreness, courts facing the wrong way, windy, cold, tight, etc.), the fact of the matter is that West Liberty is a super tough team. They displayed some impressive tennis against us and were deserving of the victory. They set a standard for us. With a lot of work, I think we can reach their level! I am already looking forward to next year’s battle in West Liberty, WV! Also, shout out to Joel’s parents and Jared Gerber’s (Cedarville tennis alumnus and legend) parents for making the trek out to West Liberty to support us! We are all deeply appreciative!
We have two chances to restart our winning ways this weekend! On Friday, we open up conference play at Davis & Elkins. On Saturday, we will be taking on Bethel IN at home! Both matches begin at 11 a.m.! Fan support at both matches is MANDATORY (Not really)! I know that Davis & Elkins is a good ways away, and as lame as that excuse is, I will reluctantly accept it as a reason to not show up on Friday! However, you have absolutely no excuse to not come out and back the Jackets on Saturday! I will see you ALL there!
Until next time,
Stephen Combs
Mar. 18, 2015Welcome back! Thanks for being a part of the largest and most awesome fan base in the nation!
When I last addressed y’all I focused on building up the anticipation for our huge conference opener on the 13th. I am sad to inform you that that match ended in a 0-0 tie. By that I mean that it did not take place. The threat of rain led the coaches to reschedule it for March 27th. That being said, you guys are just going to have to be patient. I know it will be difficult, and I am sincerely hoping that none of you will burst with anticipation and excitement before then! On the bright side, now you have plenty of time to clear your schedule for that day. So start emailing professors and calling off from work now!
In other news, this past Tuesday, we had our first home match of the spring season. We matched up against the Panthers of Ohio Dominican. Unfortunately, they proved that they were the better team in a bold fashion by posting an 8-1 victory. They only dropped a grand total of three games in doubles, and despite lots of fight from our singles lineup, they took 5 out of 6 singles matches in straight sets. Our won point came from our #5 singles player, Adam Levesque. Adam has been on a roll of late and it was great to see him pick up such a quality win. Though Adam was the only Jacket that was victorious, others of us played very well. Plain and simple, ODU was just a more skilled team. Hats off to them!
We are hoping to get back on the horse this coming Friday at West Liberty. Last year the Hilltoppers narrowly defeated us 5-4. On that day, we dropped several matches in three sets. Of all the matches last year, that was the one that sticks out to me as "the one that got away". We have gotten better this year, and we will enter into Saturday’s match as a stronger and more mentally tough team than we were when we matched up against WLU last season! That being said, we need your support! Solid fan support could be the factor that pushes us over the hump and leads us to victory! (Have I guilt-tripped you into coming yet?) It will most definitely be worth your while to make the trip to West Liberty, WV on Saturday to witness the Hilltoppers come tumbling down!
Always making a racket,
- Stevie
Mar. 10, 2015Welcome back to the best blog this side of the Mississippi!
When I last addressed you all I was in a much warmer place. I am already missing being able to sit pool side and have started a countdown to spring break 2016! Though spring break has concluded, there is still oodles and oodles of breath-taking Yellow Jackets’ tennis to be played before the end of the school year! We are just getting started ladies and gentlemen!
At the conclusion of my last blog post, we were 2-0 on our spring break road trip and had a five-match winning streak going. Our assistant coach, Steve Lesko, vowed that if we went 3-2 or better on spring break that he would ditch the shaved head and grow his hair (what is left of it anyway) out for a month. Unfortunately, on Wednesday (March 4th) we dropped a heart breaker to Augustana. It couldn’t have been a closer match. The Vikings pounced on us early taking two out of the three doubles matches. However, Ryan, J.C., and Adam continued their winning ways in singles and tied the match at four-all! It all came down to a third-set super tiebreak at #1 singles. John fought valiantly but was just barely edged out. Steve’s favorite hairstyle (clean shaven) was safe…for now.
The next day we matched up against Post University. Post was the toughest team we faced over break and probably one of the tougher teams we will play all year. We managed to capture three points from them, but that was all. There were some bright spots in the match though! Joel and Ryan had an extremely impressive win at #2 doubles, J.C. out-lasted his opponent in a three-set thriller, and John completely wiped his opponent off the court! And yes, Coach Lesko was once again safe.
Spring break concluded with a match against Saint John’s University (Minnesota). We jumped to an early lead, winning #1 and #2 doubles! In singles, John, Ryan, J.C., and Adam all took care of business! It was another solid win against a good team! It was terrific to end spring break on a high note! The 14 hour trip back to Ohio was made much more bearable because we left Orlando with a winning record (3-2)! And to put the icing on the cake, Coach Lesko will not be able to touch his scalp with his beloved razor for a whole month!
As mentioned above, there is a lot more tennis to be played this season! So if you didn’t get a chance to make it out to Florida to witness your eight favorite guys battling it out on the tennis court, you will have plenty of chances this season. And you better take every single one of them!! We have a HUGE conference match coming up this Friday! We will travel to Elkins, West Virginia to take on the Senators of Davis & Elkins. D & E got the best of us in both matches last season, but we are inspired and determined to not let that happen again! It should be a hard-hitting, nail-biting type match-up. So you owe it to yourself to be there! The match begins at 2 p.m.! Come on out and BACK THE JACKETS and witness #TheStingingOfTheSenators!
Always making a racket,
Stephen
Mar. 3, 2015Greetings from sunny Florida!
If you are reading this from Ohio or somewhere else cold, you have my condolences. Where I sit currently, it is sunny and 81 degrees. And if I said I wasn’t bragging, it’d be a lie. The 14 hours in a cramped van that it took to get here was most definitely worth it. Everyone on the Yellow Jacket tennis squad is enjoying soaking up the sun! It is great to, in the words of the Beach Boys, "get away from it all." We are also thoroughly enjoying playing tennis, eating all kinds of stellar food, and goofing off with our teammates!
If you have been following the @CUJacketsTennis Twitter feed or attended the matches yourself, you would know that at this point we are UNDEFEATED on our 2015 Spring Break road trip (2-0)! If you have not attended either of our Florida matches, you have really missed out and should be ashamed of yourself. We have been playing arguably the best tennis we’ve ever played since I became part of the team in the fall of 2013! I will now take a few moments to point out some highlights from the trip thus far:
DOUBLESWe have not dropped a doubles match yet during Spring Break 2015 (6-0)! The doubles teams of John and JC, Ryan and Joel, and David and I are in tip-top doubles shape. I think the thousands of volleys we hit in the Doden Field House this winter are starting to pay off! It does a lot for team confidence when we enter the singles matches with a 3-0 lead, and so far we have ridden the momentum to two consecutive 6-3 victories!
SHOMO and LEVESQUEAlso undefeated on our Florida tour is Ryan ("Indigenous") Shomo and Adam ("I-like-to-hug-trees") Levesque. Shomo and Levesque have been playing lights out tennis and have proven to be too much for their opponents thus far. In today’s match against Judson College, Ryan and Adam both had clutch third set, super tie break victories! Well done, gentlemen!
FOODWe have paid visits to some of the finest, casual eating establishments in all of Orlando! Pei Wei and Tiawana Flats have proven to be team favorites. There is nothing better than chowing down on some A+, non-Chuck’s grub after a well-deserved Jackets victory! In the words of Mrs. Class (JC’s mother) ", Vacations are ALL about the food."
THE FANSWe have had some awesome fan support here in Orlando! We had eight fans in attendance in our first match against Montana State-Billings and 17 at our match against Judson College! I am sure all 17 of those fans came to see us play due to their unconditional love for the CU men’s tennis team and not because they needed an excuse to escape the cold weather! (There might be some sarcasm in that last statement.) Regardless of motive, we really appreciate all the support! Our faithful fans definitely deserve some of the credit for our success this Spring Break!
We still have three matches yet to be played here in sunny Florida. It is not too late to skedaddle on down here and catch our last few matches! I promise you want regret it! On Wednesday we play Augustana, on Thursday Post, and on Friday St. Johns. It should be an action-packed three days! We are hoping to ride our current momentum to an undefeated Spring Break 2015! Go Jackets!
-Stephen ("Swaggalicious") Combs
Feb. 25, 2015Welcome back faithful Cedarville tennis fans (all three of you)!
It has been a long, cold winter, but it is finally time to put away the snuggies and hot chocolate and sweep the dust off your "Yellow Jackets Tennis" t-shirts. Yes, the spring tennis season is upon us (*cue cheers from our adoring fans)! Its been awhile since I have addressed you, our awesome fan base, so with this blog post I will fill you in on all of the CU tennis action you have missed during the off-season and on what is to come.
First, a tribute to Dr. Lewis. Coach Lewis has led the team in devotions for the last 4.5 years. He faithfully took time out of his crazy busy schedule (as Dean of the Pharmacy School) to prepare for our team meetings. He truly is one of the biggest servants I know. He always found a way to challenge us as Christian men and encourage us in our walks with Christ. Under his leadership, the team has grown closer to God and to each other. For this, we are all very thankful. Coach Lewis will be dearly missed as he moves on from being our chaplain. And though he will no longer be the leader of team devotions, we all know that he will continue to attend matches, encourage us in our faith, and maybe even host another one of his world-famous gourmet hot dog nights! If you are reading this, thank you so much for all you have done for us, Coach Lewis. You have set such a great example of what a Christ-follower should like for all of us on the team! That being said, Coach Lewis left some big shoes for someone else to fill. So please be in prayer that we can find someone to fulfill this role.
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Our intramural basketball gangOn a much less serious note, who knew tennis players could hold their own on a basketball court?? We certainly didn’t! After taking WAY more than our fair share of beatings in "B" league intramural basketball over the last few years, we shocked the world this winter. We didn’t win one game…or two games…but THREE games! Our basketball record was identical to our tennis record in the fall (3-1). More importantly, we clinched our first intramural basketball playoff birth since 2003! Unfortunately, we lost our playoff game, but we made a huge step in the right direction. Come this time next year, I will probably be informing you all that we went undefeated and won the intramural basketball championship by 35 points (probably not, actually)!
Ok, I guess I should talk about tennis now. Promptly after returning from winter break, we returned to the tennis courts. In the month of January, we practiced twice a week on the blazing fast courts in the Doden Field House and once a week at Five Seasons. We kept alive the tradition of stopping to see our favorite redhead (and John’s mom’s personal friend), Wendy, on the way home from the Monday night Five Seasons practices. Much to the delight of everyone in the van (except Coach Edlund), Ryan (But-I’m-Not-A Rapper-Shomo) rapped our enormous order into the drive-thru microphone during one of the Wendy’s visits. Sadly, his "freestyle" was cut short because he was simply too fast for the worker taking our order. He then had to just speak the order like a normal person.
Once we got into February, we began going to an off-campus tennis facility three times a week. We continued to go to Five Seasons but also added two practices a week at Dayton Center Courts in order to avoid playing challenge matches in the brutally quick Doden Field House. At two of our Dayton Center Courts practices we were graced with the presence of CU tennis alumnus David Barton. It was super fun to have some conversations about calves and reminisce about old times with big DB.
As pre-season comes to a close, everyone on the team is buzzing with excitement. We have seen some improvement in our games and are ready for whatever team the schedule throws at us. We are also ready for some warm weather! And luckily for us, we will get to experience the warmth very soon! On Saturday we will head to Orlando for spring break. Yes, we cannot wait to get tan, wear aviators, wear shorts, wear bro tanks, longboard and participate in other fun activities that come with nice weather, but we are also super excited to compete. We are the most hungry to succeed that we have ever been. We have big goals, and every one of us believes we can accomplish those goals. It is going to be an exciting season. Trust me, you do not want to miss even a single volley! So if you want to escape the cold, come out and support us in Florida! If that’s not possible, we AT LEAST expect to see YOU at every home match this season. GO JACKETS!
Always making a racket,
Stevie
P.S. We do plan on honoring the night-before-spring-break tradition of buzzing all of our heads. We will ALL be sporting a fresh buzz cut as we hop into the van at 5:00 a.m. Saturday morning! Yes, the life of Adam "Speedy" Levesque’s infamous afro will be put to an end. Additionally, JC’s beloved red bangs will fall to the McChesney bathroom floor! You got to love traditions!!
Oct. 13, 2014Welcome faithful fans to the final edition of the CU men’s tennis blog this fall!
We concluded our fall season with an easy victory over Miami University - Middletown last Wednesday. The ThunderHawks, who were a bit short-handed, went down in very quick fashion. In fact, they only managed to escape with two games in the entire match. It certainly wasn’t the prettiest win we have ever had. The hurricane force winds ensured that! It was just one of those matches that we did what we had to. There’s really not much else to say about it.
We concluded our fall schedule with a 3-1 record. That’s not too shabby if you ask me! I think we have a lot to look forward to in the Spring. Yes, we had our ups and downs this fall. We all hit shots worthy of a "come on" or a Rafa Nadal fist pump! Unfortunately, we all hit shots that made us want to quit tennis forever (for a brief moment) as well. Hopefully we work all the little kinks out of our games in the off-season. Additionally, we will be pumping some iron in the off-season. Yes, contrary to popular belief, tennis players do lift…sometimes. So expect to see a stronger, faster, more athletic team in the Spring (no promises on that though).
Other than more free time, one great thing that comes with the off-season is team devotions with Coach Lewis. I know all of us are really excited about devos starting back up. It is great to see each other in a different setting. That is, it is fun to see each other and talk to each other as brothers in Christ and not just teammates. It is a great time to grow closer to God and grow closer to our teammates in the process. Though I won’t be eager to return from Fall break, the anticipation of team devotions starting back up will make the idea of getting back to school a little more appealing.
That’s it for now. Thank you to all of you who made it out to a match this fall! We are extremely appreciative! I look forward to seeing the Johnson-Murdoch Tennis Complex packed out with fans in the coming spring season! There is a lot more exciting tennis to be played before this school year is over. You do not want to miss it!!
Signing out for now,
Stevie
Oct. 6, 2014Welcome to the next edition of the Cedarville Men’s Tennis blog!
Last Tuesday we made the trip to Richmond, Indiana to go head-to-head with the Red Wolves of Indiana East. It seems that every year we play IU East they have gotten a little bit better than they were the time previous. This year was no exception. Even still, we breezed to an 8-1 victory. Though the final tally makes it seem like we absolutely overwhelmed them, that was not at all the case. The Red Wolves fought valiantly, forcing one set tie-breaker and one third set. A good quotation to sum the Indiana East match up would be, "All’s well that ends well."
The competition did not end even after the match concluded. We headed to a nearby Buffalo Wild Wings for a victory feast. At B-dubs we competed against each other in trivia and other games on the tablets provided by the restaurant. Coach Edlund amazed us with his vast expanse of trivia knowledge. I personally think he should give Jeopardy a shot!
This past Saturday was Homecoming and we got to participate in one of my favorite Cedarville tennis traditions. Every year we get the opportunity to play a little tennis with CU tennis alumni. It is always really fun for us as players to hear the alumni reminisce about old times! Additionally, a little friendly competition never hurt anyone!
Monday, October 6th, we conclude our fall schedule at home against Miami University- Middletown. The fall season flew by so fast. It feels like we just started the playing again yesterday. Time flies when you’re having fun I guess! Don’t worry though! Lucky for us, and all our adoring fans, there will be lots more exciting Yellow Jacket tennis in the spring! Hallelujah!
So, back to Monday’s match, it starts at 4 pm, and
YOU should be there! Come cheer us on and help us close out or season with a bang!
Signing off for now,
Stephen "Swaggalicious" Combs
Sept. 30, 2014Greetings Faithful CU Tennis Supporters!
The team spent a majority of our weekend at the Ohio Dominican Invitational. The weather was nearly perfect. The social atmosphere was stellar (thanks to most all of our families being there to support us)! Our success on the court, however, was not so notable. In fact, we had very few wins and a fair amount of losses. The level of competition was extremely high, and though we gave every match our best effort, we were simply outmatched a majority of the time. Though our losses to wins ratio was disappointing, there were some highlights from the weekend worth pointing out.
1. Joel ClarkJoel won the consolation bracket in "B Division" singles! This essentially means that he got third place out of all the #3 and #4 singles players at the tournament. Considering the ridiculously tough competition, that is extremely impressive! Some would tell you that his success this weekend was due to his stellar volleys and ground strokes. Others would tell you it was his "Usain Bolt-like" speed. I, on the other hand, know the secret to Joel’s success. It is all in his calves. Just like Sampson’s strength was all in his long hair, Joel’s tennis abilities are all in his gigantic calf muscles!
2. Soccer Tennis/Family TimeSince the tournament had five teams participating and only six tennis courts available, we did a lot of waiting around. This was good for two reasons. First off, we got to spend a lot of time with our families and teammates. Secondly, we got to brush up on our soccer tennis skills. In all, we had ten family members show up to the tournament this weekend. It was fun to spend some time off the court chatting with our families and the families of our teammates. Some of the time we spent off court was also devoted to soccer tennis. Adam and Ryan dazzled us with some cheeky juggling (soccer juggling that is) abilities. Some of us with lesser soccer skills (a.k.a JC and I), had much more fun watching Speedy and Shomo do their thing than participating ourselves.
So, that’s enough from what happened this weekend! It is time to talk about what will be going on this week. On Tuesday (September 30th), we travel to Indiana East. We fared pretty well against the Red Wolves last year, beating them both times we played. That fact means very little because there is often a high player turnover rate among college tennis teams. Regardless, it should be a fun afternoon of tennis! So if you feel like driving out to Richmond on Tuesday, we would love your support! If not, you will still get the play-by-play from me in the next blog. So, no worries!
Till next time,
Stevie
Sept. 22, 2014Hola Cedarville Tennis Junkies,
It is time for the second edition of the Cedarville Men’s Tennis blog for the 2014-15 campaign! We opened up our season last Tuesday with a tough loss to the Findlay Oilers. Though we got blanked (9-0), there were some positives that could be taken from the match.
1. The freshmen did not play like freshmen.Both David (I-Do-Judo) Carter and Jon (JC/Red) Class showed very little nerves in their first collegiate match. I was especially encouraged by this because David happens to be my doubles partner. Poor Adam (Speedy) Levesque had to deal with my first match jitters last year. Let me tell you folks, it was the farthest thing from pretty. Just like David’s, JC’s game conveyed very little nervousness. He and John showed a ton of fight in the first doubles matchup, and almost robbed Findlay of a shutout! "Red" also put up a good fight in singles and showed a lot of
class (see what I did there).
2. Austin StokesAustin’s heart had to go through some medical testing at the beginning of last season and by God’s grace all tests came out negative. If you saw him play Tuesday, that would have been obvious to you! There ain’t nuthin wrong with his heart! The only married member on our roster showed all kinds of heart as he battled back to force a second set tiebreak after losing the first set 6-0. Though he didn’t quite pull it off, his effort deserves to be commended. Well-done Mr. Stokes!
3. Colonial PizzaThe match ended after Chuck’s closed. That means that we got to escape the cafeteria and enjoy some delectable subs at one of the finest eating establishments in all of Cedarville - Colonial Pizza!
4. The FansWe had a great fan turn out by Cedarville tennis standards! There were parents, friends, former players and professors (including CU tennis legend Murray Murdoch) that made the trek to the Johnson-Murdoch Tennis Complex to watch us compete. We as players really love any fan support we can get. So it was extremely encouraging to receive a good amount in our season opener.
On Monday (September 22) we go head-to-head against West Virginia State. We have a real solid chance of getting our first win of the season. The match starts at 3:30 and is at home. So basically, you have no excuse not to be there! Please come out, enjoy the unpredictable Ohio weather, and watch us smack a couple tennis balls around (sounds like a fun afternoon if you ask me)! Also coming up this weekend is the Ohio Dominican Invitational. We will be heading up to Columbus on Friday and Saturday to compete. So if you don’t have anything to do this weekend, come up to C-bus and support us. There is no better way to spend a weekend than watching a whole bunch of Yellow Jacket tennis crammed into two exciting days!
So long for now!
Stevie
Sept. 15, 2014Hello Cedarville Tennis Fanatics,
It is that time of the year again, the moment you have ALL looked forward to ALL summer long. It is time for the Jacket Tennis Team to shake off all the rust and go back to work on the Johnson-Murdoch Tennis courts. I am Stephen Combs. I, with some help from Joel "Calves" Clark and Ryan "Rafa" Shomo, will be providing you, our adoring fans, with all the insider information regarding Cedarville’s Mens Tennis this season. Along with match summaries and scores, I will share all the funny stories and other notable team experiences. Trust me, you will not want to miss it!
Since this is the first of many awesome blogs this season, I think it is only fair to introduce the new members of the team. So here goes:
David (I-Do-Judo) Carter - When he is not flipping kids on the playground at recess, David enjoys hitting fuzzy yellow balls over a net. He fits in well with the team as he helps us maintain our title of shortest (including the women’s teams) and smartest (he is in Calc 3 as a freshman) athletics team at Cedarville. On a more serious note, we all really look forward to getting to know David better.
Jon (Red/JC) Class - It has already been established that "Red" will be the most picked on player on this year’s roster (Thank God it’s not me again). Luckily, he is a really good sport! It is extremely easy to pick JC out in a crowd. He is unusually tall for a Cedarville tennis player, and he has the brightest red hair you have ever seen. Seriously, his head could provide light for the whole town of Cedarville! He is already dreading the spring break Florida trip because he knows that, according to Yellow Jackets tennis tradition, his "beloved bangs" will be buzzed right off. Poor guy… Anyway, we like having Jon around and look forward to the impact he will have on the team!
I should probably talk a little bit about tennis. This is a
tennis blog after all. Our team is looking very strong this year. According to Coach Edlund, he has never had players that are so close in ability from one through eight. This makes practices very competitive. We as players are all highly motivated to bring home a ton of "W’s" and shine Christ’s light in the process! After all, that is what Cedarville tennis is all about!
We open up our season against the Findlay Oilers this Tuesday (the 16th of September) at home. It is truly a David vs. Goliath match up! Considering Findlay took 96 to our 24 games last year, we are fulfilling the role of David. That’s ok, we are primed to go out there and give it our all! Every match will be fast-paced and exciting to watch! You DO NOT want to miss it! That being said, I expect to see you all at the Johnson-Murdoch Tennis Complex at 4 p.m. Tuesday to watch the Jackets sting the Oilers!
Always making a racket,
Stephen
Stephen Combs is a sophomore at Cedarville University from Miamisburg, Ohio and majoring in accounting.Â
