DUBulldog
|
|
Group: Administrators
Posts: 18K,
Visits: 108K
|
#35 Bulldogs take on #70 Utah State today.....Bulldogs currently up 2-0, having won the doubles point and the #2 singles.
Edit: Bulldogs win 5-2.
|
|
|
TennisDog2013
|
|
Group: Forum Members
Posts: 3K,
Visits: 6.3K
|
I honestly wasn't sure if I expected us to win that one. This team may scrap out a few more wins than predicted. Didn't expect Bayo so far up in the singles lineup, glad to see he got a win.
|
|
|
DUBulldog
|
|
Group: Administrators
Posts: 18K,
Visits: 108K
|
Lost yesterday to #40 NC State, 4-2.
Beat #50 Indiana today, 4-2
|
|
|
zman2
|
|
Group: Forum Members
Posts: 1.7K,
Visits: 3.8K
|
I think most people thought this might be a down year but we are off to a really good start already beating 2 ranked teams. And it's a very young team.
|
|
|
TennisDog2013
|
|
Group: Forum Members
Posts: 3K,
Visits: 6.3K
|
I figured we would be ranked in the top 75, but somewhere between 75 and 60. If the beginning of the season is any indication, we may be somewhere closer to 60-40. They play two top 50 teams in Dartmouth and Harvard next weekend.
|
|
|
TennisDog2013
|
|
Group: Forum Members
Posts: 3K,
Visits: 6.3K
|
Lost 3-4 to Dartmouth and lost 3-4 to Harvard.
Both matches that we had chances to win, especially against Dartmouth. Freshman Vinny Gillespie was up 4-0 in the third set when the match was at 3-3 vs Dartmouth, ended up losing the next six games.
Against Harvard we were up 2-0 and had 1 set leads on two other courts, just couldn't get it done.
The positives so far this season:
We are winning the doubles point quite often, which will be needed this year as our singles depth isn't great.
Calum MacGeoch is playing pretty dang well. He was playing well at the beginning of the year last year before hitting a bit of a freshman wall. Hopefully that doesn't happen again.
I just feel like we might have a lot of close, competitive matches where we don't come out on top due to freshmen not being used to the rigors of college tennis yet. For example, Gillespie is a slender dude and he is already playing at No. 3, so if we can get some muscle on him so he can be ready to run in three set matches... we'll be in good shape.
We seem to be more competitive than I thought we were going to be, so getting to the NCAA's by winning The Valley is a viable goal.
|
|
|
TennisDog2013
|
|
Group: Forum Members
Posts: 3K,
Visits: 6.3K
|
Over the weekend we beat Western Michigan 4-3, and it shouldn't have been that close. Not that great of a team, and we needed the final match in a third set tiebreaker to decide it. Uffdah.
Beat Green Bay 4-1. Shouldn't have lost that doubles point though.
Play Minnesota at Minnesota this Sunday. Minnesota is a team in a similar spot as us, playing a very difficult schedule but in a bit of a down year. Still a very strong team on their home courts. Generally a very strong doubles bunch. Excited to see my one live match of the year.
|
|
|
Coach
|
|
Group: Forum Members
Posts: 321,
Visits: 992
|
What is our current ranking?
|
|
|
TennisDog2013
|
|
Group: Forum Members
Posts: 3K,
Visits: 6.3K
|
We are ranked #39.
Minnesota is #23.
Wouldn't be surprised to see both teams drop a bit in the next rankings coming out on Feb 17.
|
|
|
hamlox
|
|
Group: Forum Members
Posts: 4.4K,
Visits: 10K
|
TennisDog2013 (2/11/2016) We are ranked #39.
Minnesota is #23.
Wouldn't be surprised to see both teams drop a bit in the next rankings coming out on Feb 17.Who needs a rebuilding year? Getting some solid competition from the young guys!
|
|
|
TennisDog2013
|
|
Group: Forum Members
Posts: 3K,
Visits: 6.3K
|
I think it's telling of the program that a rebuilding year has us in the Top 50 still (probably Top 60 by EOY)
The fact that we are still there is a testament to scheduling. When you lose to other good teams, your ranking doesn't fall as fast. Props to Coach Koz for the rough schedule.
|
|
|
Lime
|
|
Group: Forum Members
Posts: 5.3K,
Visits: 30K
|
so they beat Minnesota 5-2. seems like they're pretty decent for a rebuilding year.
|
|
|
TennisDog2013
|
|
Group: Forum Members
Posts: 3K,
Visits: 6.3K
|
I thought we were in trouble after losing the doubles point. Very impressed.
We all know Lott is legit, but I was very impressed by MacGeoch and Gillespie. MacGeoch has a fairly big serve and forehand. Gillespie is a good mover.
Ben Stride is good at the four spot. Very clutch today. Will need to work on making his backhand a weapon, all he does is slice it. Slices is it very well, but against better teams they will capitalize.
Bayo can be great if he can improve his backhand. Pretty much just pushes it back.
Young guy at 6, Hands, had a nice turnaround. Was horrid the first set, but picked it up considerably. Very smooth backhand. Forehand can't generate much pace get, really just directs it.
|
|
|
TennisDog2013
|
|
Group: Forum Members
Posts: 3K,
Visits: 6.3K
|
Drake down to No. 44 in the polls after losing to LSU and Tulane over the weekend (beat the Ragin' Cajuns).
Minnesota is now out of the polls completely. So they went from Top 25 to outside the Top 75 in a little over a week. Yikes.
|
|
|
zman2
|
|
Group: Forum Members
Posts: 1.7K,
Visits: 3.8K
|
LSU was 35 and Tulane was 27 so both would be considered losses. The LSU match was tighter than the Tulane match. This schedule is just insanely tough. 44 is still pretty good with pretty much everybody on the team playing at way higher positions than last year. Maybe Giacaletti can have a meeting w/the tennis coach.
|
|
|
TennisDog2013
|
|
Group: Forum Members
Posts: 3K,
Visits: 6.3K
|
This weekend we play No. 39 Purdue and No. 40 Denver in Des Moines. Good opportunity to pick up a couple good wins on our home court.
Purdue is on an 8 match winning streak and Denver is on a 5 match winning streak.
|
|
|
TennisDog2013
|
|
Group: Forum Members
Posts: 3K,
Visits: 6.3K
|
Beat No. 39 Purdue.
No. 40 Denver today.
|
|
|
TennisDog2013
|
|
Group: Forum Members
Posts: 3K,
Visits: 6.3K
|
Beat Denver 4-3.
Those two wins might move us back int the Top 40 when the updated rankings come out on Tuesday.
Next weekend is Iowa (top 50 team), Michigan State (unranked but B1G so you assume they are good), and Cornell (Top 75). Three matches in three days is always tough, especially mentally.
|
|
|
zman2
|
|
Group: Forum Members
Posts: 1.7K,
Visits: 3.8K
|
Tennisdog, I know there is a separate womens tennis thread, but I thought I would ask as you seem in the know. Didn't we have a top 100 recruit? Is she injured? Is she still on the team? What's going on w/them. We seemed to be heading in the right direction w/the other coach. Very weird situation.
|
|
|
TennisDog2013
|
|
Group: Forum Members
Posts: 3K,
Visits: 6.3K
|
zman2 (2/29/2016) Tennisdog, I know there is a separate womens tennis thread, but I thought I would ask as you seem in the know. Didn't we have a top 100 recruit? Is she injured? Is she still on the team? What's going on w/them. We seemed to be heading in the right direction w/the other coach. Very weird situation. Y'know, I have no idea what is going on there. I don't know why the previous coach was fired, but it seemed very abrupt which always makes something seem fishy. I know that Kenya Williams was a good recruit, but she hasn't played a match this season. I bumped into her Instagram account a couple days ago and it looked like she was still at Drake, and she is still on the roster on GoDrakeBulldogs. Maybe she is injured? I think Jordan Eggleston and Lea Kozulic are injured and out for the season, so that hurts depth and could be the reason we are getting shellacked by good teams. The reason I'm more invested in the men's team is that I covered them for the Times Delphic for four years. So if there were any wonky scenarios going on with the men's team, I could always start asking around being like "What's going on over there?!" I just don't know anybody to talk to in regards to the women's team.
|
|
|