April 29, 2014
And just like that our season is done.
Wednesday was our final Bible study for the year. We talked about the meaning behind the name El Shaddai. It was a very meaningful time, especially since it was our last of the school year!
On Thursday, we kicked off the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) tournament with an ice cream social. The ice cream was obviously delicious! It was nice to talk with the other teams away from tennis and get to know them more. On top of that, some of my amazing teammates received awards. Lily and Lauren received all-conference first team. Maryssa and Courtney received all-conference second team. Lauren stole the show after she was awarded Freshman of the Tear and named the G-MAC Player of the Year! The girls worked so hard this year to deserve these awards!
We beat Alderson Broaddus on Friday 5-0 and moved on to the G-MAC championship match against Davis & Elkins on Saturday. This was our last match of the season. Although the matches were tight, we lost 5-3. It was a heartbreaking loss, but we are thankful for the great season we have had overall. We finished 17-7 and 6-1 in the G-MAC. I’m so proud of the girls and the work they put into tennis in order to win!
We had our final tennis gathering on Sunday to conclude the season at Kathy’s house. We came together to reflect on the season and look forward to next season. Of course, Kathy, Becky, and Coach prepared delicious food for us like fresh veggies, pigs in a blanket, and homemade apple pie! Joy and Emma presented everyone with gag gifts that go along with some jokes we had with each other all season. They had us laughing for a while. We also shared our summer plans with each other. Many of us will be traveling all around the country and even internationally! If you think about it, pray for where God takes us this summer, especially for Maryssa. She will be traveling to Haiti this summer for an internship!
Coach gave us all gifts depending on what year we are on the team. The girls who have been on the team for one year received a framed certificate of completing one year on the team. Courtney finally got her Cedarville pullover that she has been anxiously waiting on (for two years on the team). The third year players got nice clocks with a picture attached! The four year players got Cedarville blankets for their commitment to the team.
It has been a great season with our team. We have grown closer to each other throughout the season with our long road trips, Bible studies, and getting through our hectic schedule. I am so thankful for this team and I’m excited for what next season will bring!
April 23, 2014
The girls wrapped up our regular season pretty nicely this past week right before Easter break! We won both our matches against Central State and against Ursuline. Of course, it was bittersweet for our seniors, Emma and Joy, being that it was some of the last times they will play for Cedarville.
We conquered the Marauders on Tuesday at indoor courts in Dayton! Although the matches went quickly, the girls were able to have some good conversations with our opponents.
Joy and Emma attended the senior banquet on Wednesday. The banquet was a time for all senior athletes to come together and reflect on their performance as student-athletes at Cedarville. Congrats to Jared Gerber from the Men’s team for getting the Callan Sports Ministry Award!
On Thursday, we quickly squeezed in a match with Ursuline before break! The girls were able to have some great conversations with the Ursuline girls. Joy learned that her opponent was from Chile, which happens to be where she will be for an extended time after graduation. Joy’s opponent was able to give her some great advice and connections for her stay in Chile.
One of the biggest highlights of this short week was one that happens every year, yet is always a great surprise: Coach Morris and Coach Johnson’s Easter baskets. They are filled with every variety of Easter candy that you can imagine from mini-bubble gum eggs in a carton, a Reese’s egg, and jelly beans. They covered it all! It’s one of the best traditions we have on the team, and most delicious.
Thankfully, we still have the G-MAC Tournament coming up on Friday and Saturday. It will be great to have all the teams from the conference together on our courts. We are looking forward to an opportunity to share the love of Christ with the teams throughout the few days. On Thursday night we will be kicking off the tournament with an ice cream social. It should be a good time to get to know the girls before matches start. It didn’t take much convincing from Coach after she told us ice cream was involved.
We are thankful for the few days of rest we got over Easter break to gear up for this tournament and of course, finals. Everyone was able to get off campus for a nice, refreshing break. Now we are ready to buckle-down again. It’s going to be a crazy end to the semester as usual!
April 15, 2014We won two great matches this past week, despite the crazy weather! Friday and Saturday both turned out to be beautiful days for tennis! The girls played great tennis on both days, particularly Saturday as we beat Bethel 7-2!
It was Senior Day on Friday and a great time to celebrate Emma and Joy. Both of them have brought so much joy to our team these past four years! In honor of Senior Day, the girls came up with some things we love about Joy and Emma and where we see them going next.
Joy has always been a strong leader on our team and very passionate about the things she loves. She can always lighten the mood, especially with her hilarious laugh. Recently, Joy has a new love for the game 20 Questions that has provided us with entertainment on the bus rides. We can never forget the ever famous “granny shot” that Joy always gets in whenever the opportunity comes. Emma always has a willingness to listen and serve others. She also has a contagious smile and laugh that lights up a room. Most of all, Emma loves cats more than anyone could know.
In 10 years we all definitely see Joy traveling the world on amazing adventures. We could see her being a school counselor, too. We think Emma will be working as a nurse and married to Lance living with a bunch of cats (somewhere between 3-20 cats, we’re not sure!). As far as Emma’s wedding goes, our team thought of what her first dance song should be. We came up with Titanium (our favorite team song), The Time of My Life from the movie Dirty Dancing, or Baby Got Back! (Emma - we should probably just DJ your whole wedding!) Our team will definitely miss them both next season!
We will be finishing out regular season this week with home matches against Central State (indoors) and Ursuline. It hard to believe we’re almost finished! We’re hoping to finish strong as we gear up to host the G-MAC Tournament in two weeks!
April 9, 2014I'm so glad we made it through this busy week! It wasn’t easy with three matches, one long road trip and dealing with crazy weather. Catching up on our sleep has been priority #1 since we got home Saturday night.
Last Tuesday, we played Central State with near hurricane-like winds. The sunshine was fantastic, but the gusty wind really made our matches challenging and at times a bit hilarious as balls would just fly off target. Everyone did the best they could to manage the environment and we came out with a win, which is huge.
Our toughest match of the week was Thursday against Indiana Wesleyan. Unfortunately, we didn't pull off a win. However, the team really did give it their all and the girls played solid tennis. Shoutout to Joy and Lauren for getting our only point at number one doubles!
We trekked out to good ole’ West Virginia on Friday. We beat Alderson Broaddus 9-0; a great conference win for us. More than hungry following our match, we finally reached Olive Garden at 9:00 p.m. and feasted until closing time.
Saturday, we had a difficult match against Davis & Elkins. It was cold, windy, and just not our day. Courtney Heydt had a marathon match going to three sets! We fought hard, but we didn’t come out with the win. Thankfully, we will get a rematch Davis & Elkins in the G-MAC tournament.
The road trip was tons of fun despite splitting the two matches. Road trips are excellent fellowship time as a team. We played many rounds of Heads Up, which I highly recommend. It’s along the lines of Catch Phrase, we were acting out everything from songs to animals. It provided plenty of laughs and entertainment for the five-hour trip home. Oh, the stories...
Thankfully, this week is a pretty normal match week for us. We play Kentucky Wesleyan at home on Friday and at Bethel IN on Saturday. We’re looking forward to some great tennis this week!
Come support us if you can!
March 31, 2014The CU women’s tennis team has never been happier – we finally played a match last Friday. Kentucky was full of the warmth and sunshine which made the five hour road trip all worth it.
The matches went well and we won 7-2 over Kentucky Wesleyan. I have to give props to Lauren. After coming back from wisdom teeth surgery, she played her match and fought through despite the pain! Courtney also dealt with massive light posts on her court for her match. We’re very thankful that she made it out of that without any unexpected collisions. Everyone played tough and kept control of their matches; the sunshine brought out the best in us!
The team enjoyed the ever-delicious Culver’s to celebrate. I know the south gets credit for Chick-fil-A, but the Midwest definitely gets claim over Culver’s. It is by far the best fast food restaurant to come out of the Midwest. We all enjoyed their delicious burgers and frozen custard. Of course, the Heydt sisters indulged in their usual treat, ketchup.
Bible study on Wednesdays has been challenging these past few weeks. Becky has been leading us through a bible study looking at the different names we call God. It has been great to open up to each other as a team more every week. Each discussion has led us into a deeper understanding of who God is and relating that to our daily lives.
Tomorrow (Tuesday) we play Central State in our first home match of the spring season! It’s going to be beautiful weather and we can’t wait! The rest of the week should be challenging because we play against our toughest opponents three days in a row! Three of our matches this week will be conference matches, which makes it even more important that we come away with some wins. Stay tuned for the updates!
March 26, 2014
Dicing It Up
This week, as we wait for the snow to pass for matches to start, I have asked one of our seniors, Joy Dice, to make a guest appearance! She has some great things to say about the last four years playing tennis. Enjoy!As I reflect over my time at Cedarville my mind is instantly flooded with countless memories. To say that all of these memories are happy ones would not be fair. God has definitely used times of loneliness and heartache to draw my face towards his, but he has also blessed me with more good memories than many people gain in a lifetime.
Though I could go on and on about many good times that I spent with my org, DPS, or just with friends in general, I want to focus on the memories that have developed due to four years spent on the Cedarville University women’s tennis team. I would not trade my time on this team for anything. Of course, as with all experiences, it has had its share of ups and downs. However, the good times have definitely overshadowed the bad ones. From dance parties and blanket forts on the bus to long, cold victorious matches in the Ohio wind, us girls truly do have fun together. I love that our team is big enough to find your niche in, and yet small enough to get to know every player on a more personal level.
My teammates have taught me so much about how to live life to its fullest. In particular, Emily Paul (the normal voice of the Women’s Tennis Blog) has taught me how to have a lot of fun in life with all types of people, and how to keep a positive attitude even in the hard times. That’s what I love about this team; we learn from each other on and off the court. This connection with my teammates is one that has greatly enhanced my four years at Cedarville.
I could go on and on about how this team experience has poured into my life. Without being a student-athlete I would never have had the opportunity to serve on various athletic committees or build relationships with faculty and staff within the athletic department. These friends, both peers and mentors, have pushed me in ways that I am oh so thankful for. I hope that all student-athletes value their time at Cedarville. It is a place with many good people. Value your professors, they care about you; talk to them; they want to invest in you. Have ears ready to hear, hearts ready to change, and hands ready to serve.
Joy
March 20, 2014
Patience is a Virtue
Well, we have definitely had some challenges this week. Joy needs a new arm. Lauren is a chipmunk. And I need a walker. On top of that, the weather is not cooperating for us to play outside!
While we are hoping to overcome these temporary conditions, it can be tough to already be encountering them right before the bulk of our season starts. If you could, pray that us three will heal, but also that God would prepare us for the upcoming season and whatever it is going to bring. Although it can be hard when we don’t know what is going on, it is so important that we trust in God and focus on how we are honoring Him no matter what the circumstance. I know that I have definitely been learning that lately.
Don’t worry though, not all things are going wrong! Our team has been looking really strong out on the courts with the practice time that we are able to get. The girls have been working so hard to keep up their conditioning and hone in on some specific ways to improve on the court.
Next Tuesday is our first match at home against Wittenburg. It will be a good match. Hopefully the weather cooperates so that we can play!
Check our twitter account @WomensTennisCU before heading out to support us!
March 12, 2014
The fun didn’t stop the rest of the week in Florida! I can’t believe spring break is already over!
Our two matches on Wednesday challenged us to play at the top of our game. I would definitely say we rose to that challenge because we won both of our matches against Montana State Billings and Eastern. We were so exhausted by the end of the day (after seven hours of tennis!) that we even decided to skip the beach for some extra sleep.
We were supposed to have our last match on Thursday, but instead we got pouring rain and a cancelled match. We decided to go bowling with the men’s team since the bowling alley was conveniently right beside our hotel. What else can you do on a rainy day in Florida? We split up into teams, combining the women’s and men’s team, and all four of our lanes were at competition with each other the entire time. As for who was the best, I won’t say, but everyone had some interesting bowling techniques that’s for sure. We agreed that the losers had to buy winners slushies. I was regretting that decision after the first two frames.
Friday is always the great reward at the end of the week because we go to Downtown Disney until we have to leave for our flight. We all become little kids again exploring all the shops with about anything and everything you can imagine. Of course, our favorite part of the day is going to Ghirardelli’s ice cream shop. If you have never been to one before, you’re missing out and you need to go!
Besides all the laughter, card games, and ice cream, my favorite part of the week is when we all come together in Coach’s room and have devotions. Each day two of the girls shared with the team how God has been challenging them or just anything that was on their hearts for the week. It is always an awesome way for us to bond as a team and learn more about each other through our walks of faith. I love all the women on our team and the way God is continually bringing them closer to Him. It is so cool to see!
Our trip would not have been what it was without Kathy and Becky! They are such a great help to our team and fun to have around! They work hard all week to cook some of our meals, drive us around, and cheer us on.
Now, we have two weeks in Ohio to gear up for the craziness of our spring season! This is the calm before the storm and we are all preparing as best as possible by staying healthy, getting ahead on school, and practicing!
March 5, 2014
The sun has not stopped shining since we’ve been in Florida and we have been loving it. The first few days we arrived, we relaxed, practiced, and spent lots of time at the pool.
Sunday, thanks to Jared’s resourcefulness, we had the opportunity to hear Nick Vujicic speak at Northland Church with the men’s team. Nick was born without arms and legs because of a rare condition. It was incredible to hear his story about how despite his condition, God has used him throughout the world to bring people to Christ.
Sunday was also a very special day because it was Lauren’s birthday! The big 1-9. Coach took us out for ice cream and the girls decorated Lauren’s room with streamers and to their surprise, ‘It’s a girl!’ balloons. In honor of her birthday, I asked Lauren to share a few words about her day: "I have the best team on the face of the earth!" Mission accomplished.
Lauren and Joy always joke that the reason they go on spring break for tennis is for the food. I’m pretty sure the reason for that is because we do eat the best food on our trip. From Sweet Tomatoes to Becky’s chicken curry, we are always satisfied.
Besides the food, we love playing tennis down here in Florida. We have had two great matches and came out winning one and losing the other. Everyone has been playing great tennis. Lauren and Joy kept us all on the edge of our seats with their comeback from 1-7 in doubles as well as Maryssa winning a third set tiebreaker.
The only downside to all the sun is the sunburns. Now, we have to load up on aloe every night. Despite the burns, we have fun after our matches as well. Every night, we gather for a team devotional. It’s a good time to come together and regroup before our next day of matches.
We have played cards together where we learned 11 does not come after 10 in a deck of cards, thanks to Joy and Kathy. We also went to the movies to find out that Joy laughs no matter what and Lily cannot handle any sort of suspense without curling up in her chair. Needless to say, we have a had a fun and eventful spring break so far and we’re only halfway through!
Today, we have two matches so we will definitely be exhausted by the end of the day. We’re loading up on sun screen and drinking lots of water! We plan on bringing some more wins and sunshine with us back to the Yellow Jacket nation.
February 27, 2014
Flo Rida Here We Come!
I think I can speak for everyone on our team when I say that the Florida sun could not come any sooner! It’s hard to believe that we are already halfway through the semester, and even more than that, tennis matches will be starting up again!
Spring break always comes at the perfect time of the year after we’ve been cooped up all winter. We’ve been training and practicing as much as we can with the crazy winter we have had. I am pretty sure we have all been dreaming of Florida since the "Polar Vortex."
Our team has a tradition before every spring break to have a team sleep-over and bake treats for our trip. We normally end up making oreo balls, puppy chow, and peanut butter bars.
We leave from campus at 4:30 a.m. this Saturday! How we are going to get up for that I have no idea, but I assure you, it will happen - it always does! Some of us, like myself and Maryssa will be rolling right out of bed and straight back to sleep as soon as we reach 10,000 feet in the air.
Our team can’t wait to tear it up on the courts in Florida and win some matches! It is going to be a week full of fun, sun, and plenty of runs!
Serving you always!
October 15, 2013
The fall season went out with a bang for the CU Women’s Tennis Team. Our match against Malone was an important match to win and was definitely a tough one. We came to play last Tuesday, that is for sure. Although the final score looks easier than it was, CU was able to win 8-1. We had some long battles going on in singles. Courtney, Maryssa, and I all split sets! Our team rallied from behind sometimes to get the win, but that could not have been done without the girls and our fans cheering us on to win!
By the end of the match, we were all exhausted and ready for some good food. Coach treated us at Colonial Pizza for dinner since it was our last match of the fall! We overindulged in the different types of pizzas, specifically ordered to meet everyone’s needs.
But before we hang up our rackets, we have our annual mixed doubles match with the men’s team. We will split up into two teams and then play doubles like it was a real match. It is fun for all of us to get together. Our coaches prepare pizza and snacks for us as a final end to both of our seasons.
It has been a great fall season. The team finished off with a 6-3 record. Now, we plan on going into hibernation for the long, winter months ahead of us. However, the team will be training and continuing our Bible study on leadership in the next couple months.
Thank you to all our fans that came and supported us in our fall season! We are looking forward to bringing you our best for the spring season of 2014!
October 8, 2013
One More Time
Well, the team had a nice break this past week. Our match on Thursday against Ohio Wesleyan was rained out. As a result, we had extra time to prepare for our last match of the fall season. Thankfully, it is a home match against Malone! It will definitely be one of our more challenging matches.
Even though we were rained out, the team still stayed busy because it was Homecoming at Cedarville! There were plenty of festivities to attend, but on Saturday, the tennis team worked together at the concessions for the soccer games. We serve at the concession stands together all soccer season every year to raise money for our spring break trip to Florida! Homecoming Weekend is the best time to do concessions because it is the busiest with all of the fans and food! We have fun racing to get fans their food and give them their change as quick as we can. It’s not as great as Chick-fil-A service, but it’s pretty close.
Speaking of Chick-fil-A, we were also selling Chick-fil-A sandwiches since we knew this would be a busy weekend! They were a huge hit and we sold most of them during the first game. Depending on preference, each girl that is working concessions picks a job for the night. During one of the games, I served as the grill master, Maryssa was the quick cashier, and Emma was team chef doing food prep! Throughout the afternoon, we were so thankful to have the help of Kathy, Becky, and Coach Morris during the food rush hours. Side note: Kathy leads our fall Bible studies and they are fantastic! Running the concession stand is a great time for team building.
It is hard to believe our fall season is almost over! The fall weather is definitely kicking in here in Cedarville. The air is a little more crisp, the leaves are changing, and the rain is pouring down - yep, definitely fall weather in Ohio. Thankfully, we plan on having no rain for our last match!
We are excited to have our fans out on the courts one last time!
October 2, 2013
Emily Paul updates the latest info from the Lady Jackets in her first VIDEO BLOG of the season!
September 24, 2013
Fall is Here
This week the team only had one match against Oakland City. We were able to come out with a 9-0 win! Unfortunately, our match with Indiana Wesleyan was cancelled.
Elise and Kolleen are the guests of honor this week. You all deserve to know a little bit about these ladies since they are new to the team this year!
Elise is a freshman and has been playing tennis off and on since she was eight years old. Her goals for this season are to keep the record at more wins than losses and to become a better player overall. Elise loves to strategize in her tennis game. This makes sense because she is the brainiac on the team, being a Chemistry major. To prepare herself for matches, Elise tries to psych herself out and think about the worst thing that can happen. Then she puts it all into perspective and realizes that there are worse things in life. She prefers not to reveal her secret weapon.
Kolleen is a sophomore and she has been playing tennis since the 4th grade. She wants to improve her game and take it to the next level throughout the upcoming season. One of Kolleen’s most embarrassing moments in tennis was when she got hit with a tennis ball in the face. She had a bloody nose for almost a half hour! Kolleen loves the competition and complexity of tennis. She loves how unpredictable tennis can be. Before matches, Kolleen pumps herself up with music.
During her match, she bounces the ball three times before serving. Consequently, her secret weapon is her serve.
We’re looking forward to a busy week with three matches! We have home matches today and Thursday! Come out and watch some great tennis!
September 17, 2013
You Can’t Always Get What You Want
It’s been a tough week for the CU women’s tennis team. The girls have played marathon matches. This past Saturday, CU hosted the first home match of the season against Southern Indiana. It was perfect weather for tennis! The sun was out and there was an occasional breeze to cool us off. Unfortunately, the team lost 8-1, with Lauren getting the only win. This is one of the toughest teams we will play all year. Thank you to all the fans that came out to support the team!
Monday, we got on the road to take on Otterbein. This was another great day to play tennis! Again, it was sunny with an occasional breeze at the perfect moments. Lily was not able to join us this match because she was working on becoming a great nurse at clinicals! The doubles teams came out with a bang. The girls played with solid volleys, great serves, and great communication. Everything looked great.
Unfortunately, the matches didn’t go in our favor. Singles was another battle. All the girls played tough, but we were not able to come out with a win this match. The team lost 8-1. We all gave our best and left it on the court.
On our way home, Coach treated the team to Culver’s! If you have never heard of Culver’s, it is one of the best things to come out of the Midwest! They have great Butter Burgers and Frozen Custard! Most of us indulged with burgers and ice cream since we don’t find Culver’s around too often! Courtney, however, indulged in her usual ketchup feast! Thankfully, she did manage to have some fries with her ketchup.
The girls are looking forward to preparing for another road trip, this time all the way out to Indiana to play Oakland City this Thursday!
September 10, 2013
Take Me Home Country Roads
Just like that, CU Women’s Tennis is back to the early morning grind of Saturday matches. This time the team headed out to West Virginia to play our first match of the season. We had a long five-hour haul, but thanks to Norris, finally got to the courts safely. If you haven’t heard, Norris is the best bus driver ever!
After battling it out, the team got our first win of the season 8-1! The girls brought their games today. Each new player got the first wins of their college career, too! Lauren won her match at #2 singles and Elise won her match at #6 singles. You couldn’t even tell they were nervous! Everyone played great.
After a long day of playing in the crazy heat of West Virginia, we got back on the bus to go home. Bus rides probably capture some of my favorite moments of the season. We have fun laughing together, telling stories, sleeping, and sometimes there is a slight chance we get some homework done. Lily and I even provide music for everyone with our vocal talents. It is always a great time to get to know each other more and enjoy a relaxing break from the craziness of classes.
This next week consists of practicing and getting ready for the long string of matches we have ahead of us. Coach is making sure all of us stay hydrated as practices get tough with the heat during drills. We are trying to enjoy the weather while we can before the long, treacherous months of winter creep up on us. Winter on this campus means overpowering winds, sideways rain, and hopefully some long-lasting snow. It’s only a matter of time until the joy of Ohio weather comes!
We are looking forward to our first home match this Saturday against Southern Indiana University! To all those who can make it, come support the CU women’s tennis team!
September 4, 2013
I think I can speak for all of the CU women’s tennis team when I say, it is unbelievable to think that we are already back at school and even more, that our first tennis match is this Saturday! Now that we have all gotten settled into our dorms, made them look cute and comfy, we are ready to buckle down for our matches this fall. Our team welcomed four new members this season! We are excited to have Lauren Jackson, Kristen Heydt, Elise Perry, and Kolleen Overmyer. We have enjoyed getting to know them, bonding over mutual love for Chipotle and Five Guys. Although it is almost 30 minutes away, it is worth the drive! Trust me!
Becky Kuhn led us in Bible study this past week, as we shared our testimonies with each other. It is always very encouraging to see how God has brought each of us to Him and how He is molding our lives. The bonding didn’t stop there! The girls had a fun outing to our annual Young’s Dairy Farm for some ice cream!
Since not many people know the new members of our team, Kristen Heydt and Lauren Jackson, two freshmen, gave me an inside look to their game.
Kristen has been playing tennis for 12 years. Her dad has coached her for most of her tennis career. She has always played for fun and found herself working her way up as she played in middle school, high school, and finally, at Cedarville. Her goals for this season are to play the best she can, grow in her weaker areas, and win as many matches as possible. Kristen will most likely be our new "come-back queen" this year since her favorite part of a match is when she is down and able to make a big come-back. Look out for Kristen’s forehand. It’s the shot she feels most comfortable with and can hit the hardest.
Lauren has been playing for 14 years. She began competing in USTA tournaments at the age of seven. She was competing at the national level by her freshman year in high school. Lauren’s eyes are on the prize as her goals for this season are to have a winning season as a team and to win the G-MAC! I know Coach will like the sound of that one! Lauren takes her pre-game preparation very seriously. Out of all the preparation, it all comes down to one thing: a nap. Her opponents might have a tough time getting the ball past Lauren as her secret weapon is being lazy. She can get any shots back without even moving! In all seriousness, her real specialty is her slice serve out wide. Her opponents never see it coming and it pulls them off the court.
Now that I have revealed some inside information, our fans and maybe even our opponents know what to look for in the upcoming fall season. We are looking forward to making our way out to West Virginia to take on Fairmont State on Saturday!
Emily Paul is a junior at Cedarville University from Cooksville, Md. and majoring in journalism.
