ERAU...

Hello Clippernation,

Well it was a tough start for the team as we lost 5-4 in a longish match to Embry Riddle. Actually, the match was a bit similar to last year's contest but this time we came out on the short side.

To be honest, there were a lot of positives to take away from the match. Also, I learned many things about certain players and the team in general. I have not at all changed my opinion that we will be a very tough team in May.

The doubles has been an issue for the coaching staff all year and we know that ERAU always plays solid in pairs. I was happy to see Tomasz and Benas play with intensity. They were up against the #1 team in the NAIA so their effort was sound losing 9-8. It should only get better. I was mildly disappointed with #2 as Dani and Geza lost 9-8 as well. I would have thought prior to the match that this would be our best chance to score a point but it was not to be. We got broken 4 times in the match and this simply cannot happen going forward. If we are to be successful, this pair must pile up wins this season. We will need more aggressive play and a bit more intensity in the future. David and Andy were solid at #3 scoring a win 9-7. My only issue is that they must be able to finish when they get a lead. In all honestly, we could have won all three matches...or lost all three. However, this is why we come here every year, to get good competition and to improve.

The singles also produced some positives. Benas continues to be a solid #1. The kid is going to be a factor here at Concordia. He competed very well and his match was decided by only one break which was his first service game. What I like the most is that he is the only player on the team who came into the office and asked to play #1 singles. As a coach, you simply love that. Andy came up against a tough opponent stylewise but certainly competed to the end. Dani had little trouble at #3 and looks like the player we need him to be and seems to be feeling better physically. David was back to business. He simply does not give away any points. I really enjoyed his approach and opposing coaches always comment about his play. At #5 Mark had some trouble with the conditions but also showed tremendous will to win as he pulled out a win 7-6 in the third set. Once he gets his focus, he will be a tough out for sure. I really appreciated his increased willingness to do the work as the match progressed. If he improves his fitness and mental approach, which he will, I still believe that he will lead the team in wins this season. I was a little surprised that we didn't come away with the win at #6. Tomasz should really be a "lock" down there. He had a little trouble with his fitness and also the windy conditions. He simply provided too much charity. He did compete well and fought to the bitter end but we will really need more from him going forward.

We have a day off tomorrow and will practice some things to get ready for Rollins on Tuesday. This is a very important match that we will need to be ready for. I am sure that we will benefit from yesterday's competition and learn from our mistakes. I really believe that this is a team that has tremendous potential. We are so young and have little college tennis experience. We have a high ceiling and should get better with every match. I am looking forward to the match with Rollins as I will be excited to see if we get better. I also look forward to seeing Coach Bohrnstedt whom I really like as I do most coaches I meet. He does a nice job at Rollins and I enjoyed speaking with him in Alabama at the ITAs in the fall.

We arrived home at about 7:30pm and that left a little time to relax. Of course, Coach Neil spent some quality time in the hot tub which is always a solid move with a sun burn. It seems to be helping his ankle and achilles which is a good thing. I enjoyed a jaunt about the compound and talking with some of the retirees here at Ocean Gallery. There are folks here from all over and it is a pleasure to chat with them.

The fellas enjoyed some Texas Holdem for amusement only as per NCAA regulation of course. I am happy that the "bracelet" was won by me!!! Domination! I will be off to the gym for a nice workout and then to the beach for some cardio. I love being able to get some runs in here while enjoying the scenery. Of course, I sorely need it as Coach Neil keeps me eating meals all day long. That guy can really cook...and eat.

I'll be back.

Nuff said..

We are in limbo somewhat as the weather is not cooperating this morning. We are waiting to hear from the coach at ERAU to see what the playing conditions are. The rain has left us but we have heavy winds that may interfere. Of course, we strongly want to play as we have come a long way and at great expense for these good matches. Of course, it would not really do us any good to play through a tornado but we are hopeful.

Stay tuned. We hope to get on the way to Daytona shortly. Follow me on twitter for match updates through

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Wake Up Little Neily...

Good morning all...

Well I am happy to report that I avoided the CiCi's Pizza fiasco. Most of the boys, including the man with which I am sharing living quarters, including the restroom, attended the low quality pizza mania. However, I enjoyed a nice salad and a bowl of butternut squash soup at Crispers, a Panera Bread knockoff. Very tasty actually but a but expensive.

In any case, back to the condo for a nice shower, which was quite welcomed as there was a water main break which left us without water in the units until 7:30pm. I might add that we had practice until 6:30pm and some of these fellas are a little spicy to begin with.

The couch was a little uncomfortable as I kept falling between the mattress and couch. Up early and went to kill it at the well stocked gym at the complex. Met some nice folks and enjoyed being called the young fella. Wish I hadn't told the truth when they asked me what I did for a living as I ended up answering question after question about their ailments. It's all good, happy to help actually.

Still waiting for good old coach Neil to wake up from a well deserved sleep. I am sure he was exhausted from the trip and the ill advised 1.5 hour hot tub soak last night. The condo complex has instituted a "last call" at 11pm just for folks like Coach Neil.

We will have double session practice today and hope that the weather holds up for us. Every minute we get to hit some balls in the out of doors conditions will only help us in the matches to come.

That's all for now. I am going to wake up the bear from his cave and get some food.

Nuff said...

Return to Ocean Gallery

We have made our safe arrival to St. Augustine, FL and things look pretty much the same. We are here a day earlier than normal this year as our first match is Sunday vs. Embry Riddle.

We have a party of 12 this year as the roster is an even ten with the two coaches. As a result, we have three condos rather than two. However, we do not get the third until tomorrow. As a result, close quarters tonight for the fellas.

We will take a couple of hours to relax from the long trip and early rise. I will make my claim to the pull-out couch and let old man take the bedroom. We shall see how my back holds up on that center bar. Practice is set for 4pm. It will be our first opportunity to get accustomed the conditions. I fully expect some early difficulty but have every confidence that the team will ready themselves quickly for the tough competition to come.

I have brought the sticks with me and expect to hit a few balls in the 85 degree temps. Alert Flagler Hospital...I might be back.

Catch you all up soon.

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Counting Down...

This is the final week of preparation prior to the "real" beginning of the season. We will travel to Florida on Friday to our friendly confines at Ocean Gallery in St. Augustine. It will be very difficult to reproduce the success of last season's undefeated spring trip as the schedule is a little tougher and our team is somewhat less experienced.

Even with the warmer winter in NY, we have not yet been able to practice out of doors to get acclimated to the conditions. However, regardless of how we do, we will gain match experience and hopefully continue to bond as a team.

I am excited to see how the players respond and preform versus some of the top competition in the country. We are a very young team this year so the most important thing at this point is simply to improve every time we take to the courts. I am pretty confident that we will be there in the end once again this year but the the road traveled will most probably be a little different.

As I mentioned in the season preview on the college's web page, our freshmen will determine how far we go this year. They have progressed quite a bit since the fall and continue to work hard to get themselves where we need them to be in order for us to be successful. It seems as though the team as a whole is starting to grasp the coaching philosophy...finally. Thankfully, Coach Neil bought me an electronic megaphone for Christmas which has certainly come in handy.

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Clippers vs. STAC 8pm Tonight...

Home opener for your Clippers tonight versus STAC with first serve scheduled for 8pm. Stay tuned to twitter for live updates.

We hope to get the entire roster involved tonight but also want to see a solid effort in the doubles matches. I expect to see both energy and improvement as we have been spending much time with four on a court.


If you are in the area, stop by the Meyers Tennis Center and support the fellas. Feel free to say hello to Coach Dano as well.

Please pardon the pictures if you are not able to discern the references.

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Concordia Preseason #1 CACC...

I have never fully understood the importance of preseason polls. These seem to be of very little value but for some reason the conference asks the coaches to take a preseason vote and then publishes some sort of press release with the results. I guess it gives SID's something to do and somehow strokes the ego of those praised. That being said, I have never seen any sort of trophy on the mantle in any home that boasts a preseason championship.

Well, now that you know how much I appreciate these polls, let me share the super-terrific news. Your Clippers have been voted CACC preseason #1 (fireworks exploding and lights flashing). Click here for the exciting story.

The CACC should have some improved teams this season and we will be looking forward to the enhanced challenge. We have done about as well as possible in our first two years in the conference and are certainly expecting to continue the success. Winning the CACC is one of the first steps necessary to achieve our ultimate goals. We know that there are a few teams that would love to take home the title so we do not take any achievement lightly, except of course, for a preseason honor.

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Schedule Update...

Hello tennis peoples,

We have a few changes to the spring schedule to report. We have added two matches and moved one that was scheduled to accommodate Bluefield State and STAC. Please make the appropriate changes to your schedule so that you are able to attend the additional home contests.

2/16, Thursday, STAC, Home @ 8pm
3/20, Tuesday, Bluefield State College, Home @ 3:30pm
3/21, Wednesday, Chestnut Hill College, Away @ 3:30pm

Hope to see you at the home contests.

Nuff said..

Superbowl Champs...

Now off to the Fiat dealership.

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Season Opener...

Hello all. It is an exciting time as tomorrow we will open another season of tennis and another quest for an NCAA D2 National Championship.

We will not open the season with a soft opponent. In fact, the Red Storm of St. John's University are a force this year and will probably among the 25 best teams in NCAA D1. We will certainly get an idea of how good we can be tomorrow but by no means is your Clipper team as good today as it will be in a few months. We have improved quite a bit in this last week and will only get better as time goes by. This is a very young team with tremendous potential and it will be nice to see how we do against a strong opponent tomorrow.

Click here for a preview.

Also, you can follow the match on twitter here.

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Heart...

Hey, I am no Lleyton Hewitt fan but I would certainly take his heart in a player any day. His will to win is pretty strong and I admire that in a player. This is the kind of determination that your Clippers will need to win a championship this year.

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It's Not Just a Day Off From Work...

"Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase."

- Martin Luther King, Jr.

On and Off the Court...

The fall semester grades have been recorded and there is plenty of good news to report for both the men and women of the court here at Concordia.

Your Clipper men posted a solid 2.98 GPA for the fall with 2 players, Mark Mozer and Geza Bazula, achieving perfect 4.0 semesters. These two, along with two others, Benas Majauskas and Dani Piludu, have eclipsed the 3.5 GPA necessary to be ITA Academic All-Americans if they can keep up the good work in the spring. All four will appear on the college's Dean's List for the semester. Whereas the 2.98 team GPA is solid, it is slightly below our goal of 3.2 which is the necessary GPA to achieve the ITA Academic All-American Team standing.

The Clipper women have really impressed with a team GPA of 3.67 for the semester. This is a tremendous accomplishment considering this was achieved during their championship season which requires great tennis demands in addition to the academic tasks. Congratulations to Ana Mendes who achieved a perfect 4.0 for the semester. In addition to Ana, Juliana Frey, Camilla Xavier, and Yuliya Plevako all also achieved a 3.5 or better and will appear on the Dean's List for the semester. Clearly the women's team is in great shape to have several individual Academic All-Americans as well as to secure the team award.

The coaching staff takes great pride in the team's successes off the tennis court. We always strive to have good student athletes that will be ready to succeed in society upon graduation.

Well done!

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Name This Former Clipper...