The Run Ends In The Final

I am sorry to report that we had a short day at the courts this morning as Dani lost handily to Lucas Jovita 6-0, 6-2. Dani simply could not find his opponents weakness today enough to get the job done. We certainly wish Lucas good luck in the superbowl later today and tomorrow. I enjoyed meeting up with Rollins coach Ron Bohrnstedt, who is a nice man, a smart coach and clearly a good recruiter. I look forward to perhaps seeing him again in the spring.

That being said, Dani did have a great run to the final and should be ranked #2 in the fall rankings released in November. This was certainly a confidence booster for Dani and also an eye-opener in terms of areas to improve for the future.

We have a late afternoon flight back to NY but we are actively trying to move up our departure time so as to arrive home earlier. Either way, I hope to get to the Hungry Owl for a good last Mobile meal before the flight.


Back to Bronxville. I look forward to seeing you all soon.

Nuff said...

Dani In The Final...

Good news to report folks. Dani Piludu has won again today 6-4, 6-3 defeating #2 seed and 15th ranked Hans Hach and has advanced to the Final of the ITA/NCAA D2 Singles National Championship. He will face off against Lucas Jovita of Rollins tomorrow at 8:30am.

Dani looked a bit more comfortable today and was very solid from the baseline. He really moved well and played tremendous defense. He was able to frustrate a very tough player in Hach which is no easy task. Dani's trip to the final is the third appearance for a Clipper in the last five years beginning with Alex Grubin's run to the championship in 2007. Andrey Boldarev was a finalist in 2009.

After the match we enjoyed a delicious lunch at The Brick Pit which is a smokehouse/BBQ establishment that some of you may have seen on the popular show Man vs. Food. Well today it was Coach Dan vs. Food as I cleaned my plate of pulled pork, coleslaw and baked beans in record time. Coach Neil really enjoyed his meal as well licking his plate clean. Dani had the ribs and should be fortified for his match tomorrow.



The real fun came after the meal as I asked to be let into the smokehouse and was granted the opportunity by the smokemaster to see "Big Red". We had so much fun and hope to continue our tour of local eateries with the Hungry Owl up next.



After a short snooze, we will be off to the hotel fitness room to work off the calories. I know that coach Neil will certainly be looking to release some stress. We stopped by the local Vitamin Shoppe and encountered a naturopathic doctor / iridologist who was offering a free consultation. An iridologist is someone who boasts an ability to determine what is wrong with you by examining your eyes. I insisted that Neil indulge the gentleman. The good doctor revealed that any and all of GNT's symptoms were a result of increased anxiety in life and that for only $180 he would prescribe the proper treatment for rectification and a return to good health. I also received a consultation and was told that I was a "brick" and that there was nothing he could do as I was so healthy. Clearly he is unable to get a reading of my cholesterol levels by looking at my eyes.

Well, here ends the essay. I look forward to more good eating and more winning on the court.

Nuff said...

Dani Wins

After a sluggish start, a bit of a slow middle, and a so-so finish, Dani wins his quarterfinal match 7-5, 6-1 over Vlad Catlan of Bluefield State. Dani seemed to be fighting his nerves a little out there and simply was not able to get comfortable on the court. As a result, we watched a serious pushing match. Now don't get me wrong, Dani can push his brains out as if we were on the slow red clay at Roland Garros but he will certainly need a more attacking style if he would like to further advance in the tournament. Next up today is Hans Hach of ACU, a player who broke the hearts of Clipper fans in Las Vegas last spring defeating Andrey Boldarev in three sets coming from 1-4 down in the third to win the dual match 5-4. Lets see if I can get Dani a little better warm up and some confidence this morning.

I will try to do a little better on Twitter today so as to keep you up to date.

Also, I look forward to a visit to the Brick Pit for lunch. I enjoyed the Wintzell's Oyster House last night and their fried pickles. It is nice to have some good meal choices here as we have received some ideas from Man vs. Food.

Nuff said...

Sweet Home Alabama

Such an important event but a strange place to have it. Yes Clipper tennis fans, we have traveled in a small group "back down to Mobile" (Alabama) for the ITA National Small College tournament as Dani Piludu will represent the region in the singles draw.

We took off yesterday after an hour or so wait on the tarmac courtesy of our friends at Delta airlines and LaGuardia airport while on an airplane sporting a sub 60 degree temperature...not to mention the somewhat overly friendly male flight attendant. We did arrive safely in Atlanta and then on to Mobile after a short walk to change terminals. I wish I had some extra time in Atlanta as my old childhood friend is hospitalized in the Atlanta area with a recent cranky appendix removal. In any case, I hope he is on he mend.

After a quick repast at Panera Bread, it was off to the hotel to check in, change into tennis whites and then off to the event site just 10 minutes away. This is the first time we have traveled to this event with only a singles player which means that yours truly is responsible for hitting with Dani for his warm up. I have not been hitting so much and am not moving so swiftly around the court. I can only hope that Dani is finding the hitting at least somewhat beneficial. I may be the first person ever to consider seeking a trainer at the event even before it officially started.

I am up earlier than the others as usual but soon I will provide my own version of a wake-up call to the fellas so that we can ready ourselves and head down to the complimentary breakfast buffet. Dani's match time is 10:30am. I will certainly report the result as the match concludes or you can follow along with me on twitter.

Feel-free to send your well-wishes to Dani here in the comment section of this post or send a shout-out on Facebook. I know he would appreciate the support. I think he has a real shot to win this tournament but it will not be easy as there are several capable entrants.

Nuff said...

Piludu Wins ITA Regional...

Dani Piludu won the ITA Eastern Regional this past weekend in Philadelphia, PA at the Ashe Tennis Center (click here for the draws). He defeated teammate David Tisserand in the final to advance to the National Small College Championships in Mobile, AL.

David scored the upset of the event defeating the #1 seed of Queens College Attila Toth in the semifinal round. David played some very solid tennis and showed the entire region that he is a force in singles.

Joining David and Dani in the semifinals was freshman Tomasz Olfans who lost to Piludu in the semis.

The competition in the region has become much stronger this year and that is a good thing. We certainly hope for some more competitive matches going forward.

We certainly have some work to do with the doubles play as we have many new players and are struggling to find chemistry.

In other news, both indoor and outdoor courts have been repainted and are playing nicely.

Next up will be a home match versus Bowdoin College on Saturday 10/1 with a 10am start time. We welcome former Bronxville Bronco Peter Davis home for the event. I look forward to seeing you there.

Nuff said...

First Spring Rankings...

After much deliberation, the first spring rankings have been established and announced by the ITA. Please note that the report date for this set of rankings was February 27th, and thus, prior to our Florida success.

As there was little play in our region, the ITA Eastern Regional rankings stay the same with us still at the top of the list (Click here for Regional Rankings).

We did make a small jump in the National Rankings, up to #8, as some highly rated and perhaps over-rated squads from the fall dropped out of the top ten (Click here for the National Rankings).

We will be off to Las Vegas, Nevada this Sunday 3/13 to square off with three more highly ranked teams.

Monday 3/14 vs. Fresno Pacific University (#1 NAIA)
Tuesday 3/15 vs. Abilene Christian University (#10 NCAA II)
Wednesday 3/16 vs. Hawai'i Pacific University (#25 NCAA II)

We will need to avoid complacency and a let-down after Florida to be successful out west. It seems as though the team is a little tired and satisfied this week. We will need to get recharged in a hurry to get Vegas wins. If we continue the success and are able to defeat ACU and HPU, we should ascend into the top 3 or 4 in the next set of rankings that will be published 3/30.

With our current #8 ranking we have tied our all-time high for NCAA II. We look forward to setting a new mark in a few weeks and continuing on our path to achieving greater goals in May.

Nuff said...

National Rankings Released...

The ITA has released the Fall / Preseason rankings (click here for full rankings) and your Clippers have maintained their place at #10. The team rankings are identical to the final rankings from last season despite roster changes and some significant fall play. However, the national chair and some of the committee's more "influential" members have decided to use a new philosophy this fall, so there has been no movement. But enough about that.

As I mentioned, we have kept our #10 ranking which still places us among the elite in the division. However, that being said, I believe that we deserve a better ranking and we will demonstrate this in the spring when we have the chance to play many ranked teams.

Also, we are pretty well represented in the individual singles and doubles rankings. Andrey Boldarev checks in at #14 and Daniele Piludu at #39. I am not sure that we will ever be able to get our entire top 6 ranked in the top 20 nationally like some other schools, but I am sure we will have better representation when certain "influential" coaches see our guys play and see some of their results.

We also have two doubles teams ranked. Boldarev and Piludu are #7 and Tamas Dobrotka and Geza Bazula are #26. Our doubles has been pretty impressive so far considering that we have four new teams playing together. I am not certain that these will be the teams that will be taking to the courts in the spring but doubles will be an area that we focus quite a bit on and an area that we will need to improve to be successful going forward (no pun intended).


We are working hard in the off season and will continue to do so. I expect that the players will be in the collective best shape of their lives and will be ready to compete versus any team on the schedule. I look forward to reviewing the players goals and helping them to achieve great things. Lets be special.

Nuff said...

Fall "Preseason" Rankings...

Greetings Clipper tennis fans. The ITA rankings have been released and are being called the "Fall/Preseason" rankings. Things have changed a bit as the rankings are not so much based on action that has taken place in the fall but rather mainly reflect how the season ended last May. This seems odd to me but since there are no specific ranking criteria suggested by the ITA ranking chairman, this is what we have to report.

East Region:

Team:

1. Concordia College 2. Queens College
3. Bentley University
4. Philadelphia University
5. Merrimack College
6. Southern New Hampshire University
7. University of the Sciences (PA)
8. Chestnut Hill College
9. Stonehill College
10. Adelphi University

Singles:

1. Andrey Boldarev - Concordia
2. Daniele Piludu - Concordia 3. Attila Toth - Queens
4. Felix Missal - Concordia
5. David Tisserand - Concordia
6. Geza Bazula - Concordia
7. Tamas Dobrotka - Concordia 8. Tomas Gajdusek – UDC
9. Andreas Lindell – Concordia10. Patryk Polus - Queens
11. Juan Arango-Campo - Southern New Hampshire
12. Alvaro Vargas – USP
13. Tim Fayed - Stonehill
14. Mario Gutierrez – Chestnut Hill
15. Dave Burstein - Queens

Doubles:

1. Boldarev / Piludu – Concordia
2. Bazula / Dobrotka – Concordia 3. Toth / Burstein – Queens
4. Tisserand / Lindell – Concordia 5. Kazekevich / Vargas – USP
6. Burke / Sqouros – Philadelphia
7. Wever / Ribeiro – Bentley
8. Polus / Smith – Queens
9. Missal / Frey – Concordia10. Nieves / Voynov - Adelphi


As you can see by the plentiful bold, blue font, your Concordia netmen are well represented. The ITA national rankings are scheduled to be released 11/9/10 provided they are approved by the national committee. We look to continue our top 10 team ranking and also to have players ranked nationally in the singles and doubles. Check back soon...

Join me in congratulating the players.

Nuff said...

Singles 3rd, Doubles 4th...

Andrey won his third place match over Rong Ma of BYU Hawai'i 6-4, 7-5. Still some ups and downs but ultimately a victory.

Plenty of room for improvement for the team as a whole and the plan is for more off season practice and fitness within the NCAA regulations.

Flight back to NY late this afternoon.

Nuff said...

ITA Day 1 Results...

Some good some not so good...

Andrey struggled in his quarterfinal match versus an inferior opponent as he had a fair amount of trouble finding his strokes and the good mental focus. However, he was able to advance over Shikar Kapur of Bluefield State 5-7, 7-5, 6-1. Ultimately, Andrey's fitness and skill were able to turn the match midway through the second set and he never looked back.

Of course, we all know that we will need better tennis from Andrey if we are to advance deeper into the singles and doubles. This event (click here for draws) brings many of the top collegiate players in the country to Mobile, and to win, you must be at your best.

More good news as we defeated Rockhurst in the doubles quarterfinal 6-3, 6-2. We were pretty comfortable all the way through this one but really started to click at about 2-2 in the second set. The coaching staff was really earning their big salaries today and the players were playing much better doubles at the end of the match. BUT, would this carry over to the second doubles match of the day (semifinal) versus powerhouse Valdosta State?

The answer is essentially yes! The guys, in fact, played even better. Of course, the opponents were stronger as well so they needed to do so. We grabbed the first set 7-6 with a tie-breaker that impressed everyone watching. Jumping out to a 6-0 lead, we captured the breaker 7-2. The second set went VSU's way 6-2 which set up a 10 point super-breaker for a trip to the final. A few costly misses and some untimely double faults led to our demise and a berth in the third place match. I was happy with the effort and the improvement for sure. It looks like we are on our way to better things. However, there can be a fine line between winning and losing in tennis and we will need to get better and be able to win close matches like this one if we expect to return to the National Final 4 and beyond.

Next up today will be Andrey's semifinal match versus Eudaldo Bonet of Armstrong Atlantic at 10:30 local time followed by Andrey and Daniele playing doubles at 3pm versus ACU.

Lets hope today is a big day for Clipper tennis and we get some nice wins. I would sure like to return to my hotel room, coaches nachos, the one-ply toilet paper, and the 62 degree room temperature undefeated for the day.


Be well everyone and nuff said...

Day 1 Mobile...

5am start...kinda early for my taste! Parkway closed for paving...detour. No easy pass and traffic so arrived late for flight...learned that you must get to airport at least 45 mins before flight or else your bags do not get on flight. Rental car company has no cars available...they know how to take the reservation but not how to hold the reservation...and that really is the most important part of the reservation, the holding.

Well that was fun now wasn't it. In any case we arrived safely in Mobile, AL and checked in to the hotel. After some serious bargaining, we were able to claim two suites...not too shabby indeed. Much love to Nicole for setting us up tight.

We were over to the tournament site for check in and a brief practice. It is always a pleasure to catch up with some old friends/coaches as well.

SHARK!!!


We attended the banquet, which in my opinion, gets worse every year. Always a pleasure to talk with Ola and Yuliya from the women's team. A quick stop at the Fresh Market and now back to the suite. Gotta make it an early night as Andrey plays singles at 8:30am. In addition, we have doubles matches at 1pm and 5pm. I hope to report some wins tomorrow.

Up early for breakfast.

Be well and nuff said...

ITA Regionals...

Many other ITA Regionals are taking place throughout the country this weekend and several more to come next weekend as well. There are 8 Division II regionals in total with the the champions from each to meet in Mobile, Alabama for the National Championship and a berth in the Small College Superbowl of Tennis. The Superbowl is played by the champions from the NCAA DII, NCAA DIII, NAIA and Junior College. The winner of the Superbowl receives an entry to the NCAA DI Indoor event.

It win be interesting to follow along and see which players from the other regions will join us in Mobile. Click here to follow the other regions.

Enjoy.

Be well and nuff said...

ITA Titles...

Well it was a long weekend of tennis for so many of us. However, there is much good news to report. Andrey Boldarev has repeated as East Regional Champion of singles and has advanced to the National event in Mobile, Alabama in October. Andrey defeated his teammate and doubles partner freshman Daniele Piludu 7-6, 6-2 in the final.

In addition the doubles pair of Boldarev and Piludu have won the doubles championship and will also advance to Mobile. They defeated fellow Clippers Tamas Dobrotka and Geza Bazula in the final 7-5,
6-3.

Essentially the Clippers were well represented throughout the entire event. In the "A" singles (click here for draw), we had 6 of 8 quarter-finalists, 3 of 4 semi-finalists, and as mentioned, both members of the finals and the champion. In the "A" doubles (click here for draw), we had 3 of 4 semi-finalists, both teams in the finals and the champion as well.

We had a long but enjoyable weekend for sure. It was nice to get to know the new players a bit better and also to witness their level of play. It seems as though we have another great group of talented young men and I look forward to great experiences to come.

We were very lucky once again to have had the good weather with us for the entire weekend and we also thank those involved in hosting the tournament. So many people work hard behind the scenes to make the weekend a nice time for the players and coaches alike. Not sure I thought the turkey burger was worth $8.50 however.


I also think that the players made some new friends as well. The event hosts both men and women so it was easy for some of the players to be distracted from the tennis at hand...for some more than others...

Sadly, yours truly, did not get enough rest this weekend and is a bit under the weather. A special thanks to Coach Tarangioli and the jack hammer snoring :) I hope to be feeling better soon, but right now...throat sore!


Congratulations to the entire team on a great weekend. All of the players competed well and are well on their way to another successful year.

Nuff said...

We are off to the ITA East Regional in Philadelphia tomorrow. I hope that the players understand how important this event is. We have won the singles and doubles draws three years in a row and have enjoyed advancing to Alabama to compete in the national event. I am in no mood to see this string of success discontinued.

I think we have many of the favorites to get the job done as the tournament is more wide open this year without Alex Grubin in the draw. Queens College has added several good players that should be a factor as well. I look forward to seeing what the other teams in the region have added.

A few nagging injuries have presented themselves and I hope that they do not become large concerns over the weekend. This tournament is quite early in the season and forces the advancing players to be on the court for as many as 9 matches in 2 1/2 days. I think we should extend the event to 4 days rather than 3 in the future.

Nuff said...

All-America Teams Announced...

The 2010 All-America teams have been announced highlighted by the ITA/NCAA II Senior Player of the Year Alex Grubin (click here for the press release).

Congratulations to those named.

Nuff said...

Final Rankings...

The Final NCAA II National Rankings (June 2, 2010) have been released and your Concordia Clippers are included in the top 10 (click here for complete rankings). In my heart of hearts, I believe that we are better than several teams ranked ahead of us but it is what it is. Next year we will have more competition against the nation's elite and will have a solid chance to be ranked higher.

Alex Grubin finishes the year at #4 in singles and Andrey Boldarev at #29. Alex and Andrey also finished the 2010 campaign at #4 in the doubles. These are no small accomplishments for these fine young men and both should be congratulated.

In addition, Alex is named as All-American in singles and doubles whereas Andrey is named All-American in doubles.

What a great year. I hope we have some more and new names in the rankings next season.

Nuff said...

Oh what a night...

It's a late night blog post for you guys. It was a night of celebration for all of the student athletes on hand as well as the coaches and tennis programs in general. The NCAA held its annual banquet tonight and we were treated to a special occasion.

First off, the NCAA presented awards to all of the teams. Included in each package was a portfolio folder, wristbands and bag tags, and a laptop case. All with the NCAA insignia. Very nice indeed and items sure to be used by all recipients. A nice dinner was prepared with salad, potatoes, garlic bread, chicken marsala and steak; not to mention a choice of delicious desserts. My choice of course was to sample them all!

Our guest speaker for the evening was Natalie Spilger, professional soccer player for the Chicago Fire. Natalie gave an interesting speech about her passion of "green" environmentally conscious behavior. She certainly had passion and energy for sure...and not too shabby to look at either.

Next up was the presentation of the ITA National Awards. All regional award winners were invited to come forward and collect their awards, followed by the announcement of the National winner. I had outlined all of our Regional winners in an earlier post, but I have some great news to report. Alex Grubin won the National Senior Player of the Year NCAA II! A deserved honor for sure. I am so proud of Alex and his plentiful contributions to our program and college tennis. In addition, yours truly was graciously awarded the National Assistant Coach of the Year NCAA II. It is still hard to believe for sure. I must say that it is nice to be recognized by my peers and I am very thankful. Also, many thanks to my players for making me look good, the athletic department for supporting me, Coach Neil for letting me do what it is that I do, and to my family who let me pursue my passion ahead of many other important functions.

A little further celebration in the form of a "coaches meeting" with Coaches Schwartz, Tasso, SoFresh, and Neil in the Hilton lounge was to follow. Good times and good friends. That is a strong part of my enjoyment of this whole coaching thing.

We plan to rise early tomorrow for breakfast and to watch the Clipper ladies play. Their match time is set for 8am so I better wrap it up here soon. Not only this, but I don't want to make any additional noise as Coach Pampulov and his lovely family with two young children are right next door.

Well, I hope we are ready for tomorrow. It is a little strange this year as we are the hunted and no longer the hunter. I hope we get the job done.

Nuff said...

ITA Awards Announced 2010...

The Intercollegiate Tennis Association has announced their 2010 Awards for both NCAA II Men and Women (click here for complete list). This year your Concordia Clippers are well represented on both East Regional lists. The National awards will be announced May 11th at the banquet just prior to the National Final 16 in Orlando, FL. I hope both teams will be on hand to witness the event.

Alex Grubin - Senior Player of the Year

Andreas Lindell - Rookie Player of the Year

Daniel Rockhill - Assistant Coach of the Year

For the Women:

Senior Player of the Year - Cristina Oliveira

Assistant Coach of the Year - Kylene Murray

With any good luck, there may be a few Clippers honored with a National Award this year. In my humble opinion, it would be a travesty if Alex is not named the National Senior Player of the Year.

Congratulations to those recognized and best of luck in the NCAA Tournament.

Nuff said...

Clippers #9 in ITA/NCAA II National Rankings

With the release of the Fall 2009 ITA/NCAA II National Rankings, the Concordia College Clippers have been ranked #9 in the the national poll by the ranking committee. This is the second time in their illustrious history that the Clippers have been ranked inside the top ten.

The top 10 includes #1 and two-time defending National Champions Armstrong Atlantic State University, #2 Barry University who defeated the Clippers in the 2009 National Semifinal, #3 Lynn University, #4 Valdosta State University, #5 Hawaii Pacific University, #6 Ouachita Baptist University, #7 University of West Florida, #8 Columbus State University, #9 Concordia College, and #10 Rollins College. (click here for complete national rankings)

The National Doubles rankings were also released and as expected the duo of Alex Grubin and Andrey Boldarev are atop the rankings in the #1 slot. This is the first time that a Clipper team has earned the ultimate ranking.

The National Singles Rankings have also been posted and Alex Grubin is #2 followed immediately by Andrey Boldarev who with his improved play, made a huge jump from #33 last spring, all the way to the #3 spot in the country.
The Clippers are heavily represented in the NCAA East Regional Rankings:

Singles:

1. Grubin
2. Boldarev
4. Raphael Namias
5. Tamas Dobrotka
6. Andreas Lindell
8. Felix Missal
Doubles:

1. Grubin/Boldarev
2. Missal/Namias
3. Dobrotka/Lindell

(click here for complete regional rankings)

The Clippers will begin their championship season when the spring semester begins in January 2010. The next ranking date will be March 2, 2010.
Nuff said...

National Doubles Champions

(click here for championship draw)

Mobile, AL

Alex Grubin and Andrey Boldarev won the ITA/NCAA II National Doubles Championship and will be ranked as the #1 doubles team in the NCAA II. This is the first National Doubles Championship for the Clipppers. Alex won the National Title in singles back in 2007.

Coaches Rockhill and Tarangioli traveled to Mobile with the players and a good time was had by all except for the below normal temps just reaching 60 degrees when it should have been in the 80's. Of course, I still had the AC on full blast thus doing away with all free radicals in the suite and forcing Coach Neil (or as it was written on the hotel reservation, Coach Greg), into his tent of 10 blankets on the floor for his night's rest. This does drown out the snoring a bit...thank God.

The fall season is now over and the guys will be getting ready for final exams and taking a nice break from the courts for the most part. As for me, I am looking forward to some additional free time and getting back into the gym.

Also, I am on the recruiting trail looking for one more player for next semester. With the right addition we should be able to make a solid run at the NCAA II Team Championship in May 2010. When I started at this I had three major goals in the athletic area: 1. To win the National Championship in singles 2. To win the National Championship in doubles and most importantly 3. To win the National Team Championship. So far 2 of 3 have been accomplished. Keep the faith everyone!

That's it...nuff said.