ALTA Fall Midpoint - How's your team doing?

[SweetH2O]

We're now in a tie for first place and well ahead of third place. We play the team we are tied with this week, so this coming match decides the division winner. Should be fun.

[Conrads]

Originally Posted by chatt_town

If it's the Bitsy team I heard we had like 3 3 setters with them and lost all 5. It's hard to tell some times. That is rough though losing all 5 lines to a team that has won all but one match out of 25 or 29.

it is bitsy. What team do you play for? I don't think we have had 3 3 setters with any team except the last match we played with paces ferry park. We won 3-2 (considered a bad week for us..lol). I played line 3 and we had a real close match 7-5,6-7,7-5...should have won the 3rd :/ we have 27 points now going into the last match.

[chatt_town]

I play for Creel Park but I did not play that match. Maybe it was 2 but I know he said this past saturday when I was there that lines 1 and 2 went 3 sets. We are having some serious personel issues. I think we took 3 from them(paces ferry) as well. We might have lost 2 3. All I know is I won my line. I loved playing usta there earlier this summer. Right by the pool....the scenery was real nice as we were kicking them in. nahhh seriously...they had a nice line of doubles that I played there in USTA this summber. They were better than the guys we played in Alta. The guy that we played was joking around and told us that they were the alternates to the alternates. I thought that was funny. So....did ya'll really have tryouts or were my guys just full of beer?

Originally Posted by Conrads

it is bitsy. What team do you play for? I don't think we have had 3 3 setters with any team except the last match we played with paces ferry park. We won 3-2 (considered a bad week for us..lol). I played line 3 and we had a real close match 7-5,6-7,7-5...should have won the 3rd :/ we have 27 points now going into the last match.

[SweetH2O]

Originally Posted by SweetH2O

We're now in a tie for first place and well ahead of third place. We play the team we are tied with this week, so this coming match decides the division winner. Should be fun.

Our match for the division title: playing line 2, my partner and I agreed to a later start so our opponent could coach his child's sports team that morning. Of course, we split the other lines 2-2, so it comes down our line for the division. My partner and I played pretty well, but the guys we played were simply better.

We finish the regular season with 29 points and second place, still feeling pretty good about our chances in the playoffs.

[Conrads]

Originally Posted by chatt_town

I play for Creel Park but I did not play that match. Maybe it was 2 but I know he said this past saturday when I was there that lines 1 and 2 went 3 sets. We are having some serious personel issues. I think we took 3 from them(paces ferry) as well. We might have lost 2 3. All I know is I won my line. I loved playing usta there earlier this summer. Right by the pool....the scenery was real nice as we were kicking them in. nahhh seriously...they had a nice line of doubles that I played there in USTA this summber. They were better than the guys we played in Alta. The guy that we played was joking around and told us that they were the alternates to the alternates. I thought that was funny. So....did ya'll really have tryouts or were my guys just full of beer?

no tryouts as far as i know Ahh creel park. I know line 1 went 3 sets and line 2 had a close 2nd set 7-6. I guess i can't complain about driving for alta since you come from chattanooga to play ALTA.

[chatt_town]

I'll tell you what I do everyone else about driving from chatt. Many in atl spend 1 and half driving back and forth to work everyday. It's not that bad for me. I get fed real good when i come there whether it be by Creel or at another park.

Originally Posted by Conrads

no tryouts as far as i know Ahh creel park. I know line 1 went 3 sets and line 2 had a close 2nd set 7-6. I guess i can't complain about driving for alta since you come from chattanooga to play ALTA.

[spot]

Our AA4 team was dominant this season but we had a first time captain who messed up a movement rule that forced us take 0 points in week 6. That took us from first place to being 2 points back of first place. Not only that but the last week we had to face the team that was currently in first to finish out the season. With 2 points to make up the team had to take 4 points to make playoffs though thankfully it was the best availability we had all season.

Line 1 won comfortably. Our line 2 hadn't dropped more than 2 games in any match this season and they ended up losing a third set tiebreaker. That meant that we had to win the other 3 lines. Line 3 won the first set comfortably and was up 5-2 in the second. The crowd got a little unruly and there were some shouting between the players on the court and the stands. Our line 3 actually ended up losing a second set tiebreaker before coming back and winning comfortably in the second set. Line 4 won 3 and 0 so it came down to line 5- winner makes playoffs and loser goes home.

To make it even more dramatic- the captain who had messed up the lineup was playing line 5 for us so he had a TON of pressure. The teams were very evenly matched and we won a first set tiebreaker. The crowd was really getting into it, probably a little excessively. The tennis center asked me to try and ask people to not drop the F Bomb since there were kids playing as well on other courts. In the second set our team got down 0-4 and though they got back into the set to make it close the other team took the set 6-4.

So coming down to a third set and its basically a playoff match. We get an early break and give it right back. At 4-4 our team gets broken and its looking bleak. But we broke the opposing guy pretty easily to stay in the match and then held easily. The opposing server was down 0-40 on his serve needing to hold to force the tiebreak. He came through with some huge serves and gets out of the hole to hold.

So now its a third set tiebreak. We get up 5-2 and then 6-4 but just can't close it out. It goes to 6-6 in the tiebreak and its incredibly tense. But then our team has a big serve to take the lead once again and then closed it out 8-6.

It was just a crazy finish to the end of the regular season, particularly when we were so strong all season long.

Our A7 team squeaked into playoffs as a third place team. Then we found out that the team we faced the last week had an movement rule violation so we picked up a couple extra points that ended up not mattering. STill waiting to hear how far we have to drive.

[Conrads]

Originally Posted by spot

Our AA4 team was dominant this season but we had a first time captain who messed up a movement rule that forced us take 0 points in week 6. That took us from first place to being 2 points back of first place. Not only that but the last week we had to face the team that was currently in first to finish out the season. With 2 points to make up the team had to take 4 points to make playoffs though thankfully it was the best availability we had all season.

Line 1 won comfortably. Our line 2 hadn't dropped more than 2 games in any match this season and they ended up losing a third set tiebreaker. That meant that we had to win the other 3 lines. Line 3 won the first set comfortably and was up 5-2 in the second. The crowd got a little unruly and there were some shouting between the players on the court and the stands. Our line 3 actually ended up losing a second set tiebreaker before coming back and winning comfortably in the second set. Line 4 won 3 and 0 so it came down to line 5- winner makes playoffs and loser goes home.

To make it even more dramatic- the captain who had messed up the lineup was playing line 5 for us so he had a TON of pressure. The teams were very evenly matched and we won a first set tiebreaker. The crowd was really getting into it, probably a little excessively. The tennis center asked me to try and ask people to not drop the F Bomb since there were kids playing as well on other courts. In the second set our team got down 0-4 and though they got back into the set to make it close the other team took the set 6-4.

So coming down to a third set and its basically a playoff match. We get an early break and give it right back. At 4-4 our team gets broken and its looking bleak. But we broke the opposing guy pretty easily to stay in the match and then held easily. The opposing server was down 0-40 on his serve needing to hold to force the tiebreak. He came through with some huge serves and gets out of the hole to hold.

So now its a third set tiebreak. We get up 5-2 and then 6-4 but just can't close it out. It goes to 6-6 in the tiebreak and its incredibly tense. But then our team has a big serve to take the lead once again and then closed it out 8-6.

It was just a crazy finish to the end of the regular season, particularly when we were so strong all season long.

Our A7 team squeaked into playoffs as a third place team. Then we found out that the team we faced the last week had an movement rule violation so we picked up a couple extra points that ended up not mattering. STill waiting to hear how far we have to drive.

did your AA4 team play Havenstone? sounds like the same bunch of asshats. very poor tennis etiqutte. I am glad you guys took it to them if it was them. When i played AA4 in the spring we had to play them it was quite annoying.

[Boj]

We took second in our division. Headed to playoffs. Anxious to see B-1 draw. When do they usually post it?

[alb1]

Hey Spot
You've got a 1st place AA3 team at DTC also but we will not play them till city finals if we can both get there.

[spot]

Yes- it was Havenstone. One of our guys was wearing a Live Strong shirt and they kept yelling "Live Strong!" at him which I thought was pretty much over the top. At the time we didn't even realize that they were trying to make fun of him for saying it since we didn't think that anyone actually would mock someone for testicular cancer so we figured it was something they said to encourage their teammates. Its probably for the best that we didn't realize it or else it could have gotten a little ugly.

[Boj]

Great 1st weekend of playoffs here. Saturday our fate depended on our line 5s. They lose 1st set in t-breaker 8-6. 2nd set they were down 5-1 40-love. Would you believe they dug out of that mess and won?!? Sunday went much smoother and we took the win. Now we get to rematch our div champs this Saturday. Should be interesting! We are hoping to score a big plate this season....

[bcart1991]

^^ I've done that twice. Feels good, man.

Oh, what could have been...

Got some recon on our playoff opponents, word was they had two real studs and they could give us some real trouble. I gambled that they would be playing line 2. I had a pretty strong lineup for this match, and I was confident that if we could take 1 of the first 3 lines, my 4s and 5s would bring it home easily.

Line 1 gets on the court and wins the first NINE games of the match. We're rolling, right...? Their guys warmed up a bit, and we cooled off a LOT, and lost it 3-6 and 4-6 in the 2nd and 3rd sets. Ouch.

I played it right. Their "studs" were playing line 2, and I was hoping that my guys could annoy them long enough to get the other matches going. My line 2 wasn't as strong as I would have liked, but we got a nice boost when they broke at 5-4 in the second to take it to a third set. I felt even better when my guys went up a break at 3-2 in the 3rd set.

Nope, we gave that break right back the next game. We were serving at 4-5 in the 3rd, and it all fell apart. Line 2 goes down 6-4 in the 3rd.

Line 3 follows accordingly, winning the first set 6-2. Looking good, no? The wheels then fall completely off, losing the 2nd and 3rd sets by one break each.

We're done.

It was some consolation that our 4s weren't even warm and they were already up a break in their first set, but it wasn't meant to be.

[SweetH2O]

We won 3-0 Saturday. It was closer than it looks though, since lines 4 and 5 had started playing and we were struggling on those lines. It was a relief when our line 3 won in 3 sets to clinch it. It was also my first time playing on Hard-Tru since I was a teenager, so that was fun.

We lost a close one on Sunday, with our line 5 going down 7-6, 7-6. I hate losing 3-2, especially when I didn't win my line. Our division winner that we lost a close one to on the last week of the regular season is their next opponent. That would have been a fun rematch.

[spot]

Our A7 team got a LATE start on Saturday since the other team's courts were in a valley and when it rains it takes forever for their courts to dry. We were pretty annoyed since we had courts 20 minutes away at Dekalb that were ready to go but they other team wouldn't take the drive. I couldn't beleive they were willing to squeegee and dry courts for an hour and a half rather than drive 20 minutes but oh well.

We lost lines 1 and 2 in close matches then won lines 3 and 4 easily. It came down to line 5. We on the first set easily and then dropped a close second set. We won the third set 7-5 to advance.

Halloween is a big night for us and the "responsible" people went home around 2:30. We had to drive an hour away to play the match. We lost lines 1, 2, and 3. Oh well- still a good season.

Our AA4 team won uneventfully on Saturday and now they have city finals at Blackburn this coming Saturday. There is another Dekalb AA3 team that made city finals as well so that should be a lot of fun for us all. I think the plan is to go straight to Hudson Grill after the matches and stay through the LSU/Alabama game so that should be a rather impressive tab we run up.

[alb1]

We were without our best player for the playoffs so we went down 3-0 in the first round. It was fun while it lasted now looking forward to spring.

[ace18]

My A1 team lost in the semi's today. It came down to the 5s and we lost 5-7, 5-7. It was a tough loss but the team we played were good guys. I won my match easily today.

[chatt_town]

Big ups to Water's Edge A3....I just heard they are playing in the finals next Saturday. I will be playing with their men's 4.0 team starting also next Saturday.

Originally Posted by ace18

My A1 team lost in the semi's today. It came down to the 5s and we lost 5-7, 5-7. It was a tough loss but the team we played were good guys. I won my match easily today.

[spot]

Our AA4 team won the first 3 lines to win city finals. All week we were a little worried because our top 2 guys may have been out. One had LSU/Alabama tickets and the other guy is a lawstudent who was going to take his MPRE. The lawstudent decided to take the MPRE in March instead so he could play and he won at line 1 easily and played phenomenal. Line 2 played the best we have seen them play all year to win comfortably in straight sets. Line 3 was the line we felt strongest about going in but they struggled a bit but closed it out in a second set tiebreaker. The 4's had won the first set and were 4-4 in the second and our 5's we would have felt great about.

We just had a really deep team. When we formed a new A2 team so some guys could get more playtime we basically dropped off the back half of the roster and were able to add strong players in their spots. Another Dekalb team won AA3 city finals so thats a bit of a bummer that we won't get to face them next season.

[ace18]

Originally Posted by chatt_town

Big ups to Water's Edge A3....I just heard they are playing in the finals next Saturday. I will be playing with their men's 4.0 team starting also next Saturday.

I know the team they are playing well, we compete against them a lot. They were A1 last season but had a tough season and got dropped to A3.