Ephrata -The Ephrata Tigers tennis team faced GrandView Tuesday afternoon with the boys won 4-1.
“It is difficult to complain when you have a 4-1 victory over a good school like Grandview,” said Tigers boys coach Greg Becker.
Ephrata managed to win the first single and the three doubles with the third double match being a victory for Forfhet.
“Me and my partner were aggressive on the net and it paid,” said Charles Flynn who played double with Jacob Wolther. “In a way, we knew what we entered and our main objective was to simply get our services and be aggressive at Net.”
The boys team won two consecutive games before facing GrandView, so they trusted, said Becker. He added that the important thing that the team had to keep in mind was not to be too confident in their abilities.
“If you enter this mental space where you think you cannot lose, you will inflict a lot of losses before you can get out,” said Becker. “The tip for us was not to neglect anyone, to play every match as it comes, to respect our opponents and to play the best mistake without error that we can play.”
Tigers Girls was able to keep it near, but ended up falling to Grandview 2-3. Despite the loss, the girl coach Emily Allsopp said that the team is still showing a great improvement.
“Overall, as a team, we took the 2-3 defeat, but I am always incredibly proud of all my daughters and the way they played today,” said Allsopp.
The two victories of Ephrata’s day came from the first double match with Erika Morford and Chloé Ho 6-2, 6-1 and Third Doubles with Makenna Wennerberg Lutz and Emma Padilla 6-3, 6-1.
One of the biggest lessons that the female team will take on the game is that tennis is a very mental game, said Allsopp.
“As soon as you are frustrated, the opponent can see him and they are going to play it,” said Allsopp.
Becker and Allsopp are their first year of university tennis coaching in Ephrata. Becker had resulted in JV before, and Allsopp played four years of tennis for tigers.
“I really like to get to know all girls and try to teach them the sport that is very close and expensive to me,” said Allsopp. “I just hope that I allow my daughters to have the same experience.”
The boys’ team will work on their services and make sure they get a larger percentage of first services, said Becker.
“I think it gives you a real mentally and physically advantageous advantage,” he said. “When you get them, you feel like you were at the top of your game.”
Another aspect that needs practice is the ability to diagnose the game while they play and find out how to correct things on the fly, he said.
The girls will continue to work on form and fundamentals and mental discipline during the games while they are preparing for their next games, said Allsopp.
“I am proud of my daughters and how I see them improve every day,” she said.
Ephrata boys
Josh Mullings
Christian Downs
Charles Flynn
Jacob Wolther
Mitch Morford
Jett Julian
LEASHER ZANDER
Corbin Reeve
Ephrata girls
Ali Helaas
Jillian Linehan
Erika Morford
Chloé Ho
Kara Davis
Jessica Mathis
Makenna Wennerberg Lutz
Emma Padilla
Charles Flynn and Double Jacob Wolther’s partner won their 6-0 match, 6-1
The girls of Ephrata were able to remain close to their double victories, including Ericka Morford and Chloé Ho, who won 6-2, 6-1.
Josh Mullings succeeded in his match in simple against Joseph Alaniz de Grandview winning 6-0, 6-1.