USTA/MID-ATLANTIC’S TENNIS ON CAMPUS NEWSLETTER SPRING 2012

Mid-Atlantic Section TOC Championship Green Spring Racquet Club, Lutherville, MD February 11-12, 2012 Despite the freezing temperatures, the tennis at Green Spring Racquet Club in Lutherville, Maryland was just starting to heat up. On the weekend of February 11th and 12th, the club played host to the 2012 Mid-Atlantic Tennis On Campus Section Championship. 15 club tennis teams from colleges and universities across the section gathered in Maryland to compete for a chance to earn a trip to this year’s Tennis On Campus National Championship in Cary, North Carolina. Saturday’s action kicked off with pool play. The 15 team field was divided into 3 pools of 4 and one pool of 3. Pool winners were the College of William & Mary, James Madison University, Old Dominion University, and the . Joining these teams in the gold bracket were Johns Hopkins University, George Washington University, Georgetown University and the University of Maryland. On Sunday, a win in the first round would guarantee a trip to nationals. After UVA, James Madison, and Maryland advanced out of the quarter finals comfortably, one match proved to be a nail bitter. The William and Mary team was leading going into the mixed doubles set and a quick break by George Washington had the Tribe on edge. But thanks to a few clutch forehands by both William and Mary players, the match was over and the Tribe was moving on with a 25-22 victory. Because UVA won the fall invitational and already secured a bid to nationals, an extra bid went to the winner of the back draw. After two pressure packed semi-final matches, the finals would be determined by a single 6 game mixed doubles pro set between Georgetown and Old Dominion. After converting on an early break point chance, Georgetown never looked back winning the bid to nationals with a 6-3 victory. The gold semi- finals saw defending champion pitted against 1st time semi-finalist James Madison. JMU fought hard especially at men’s singles, the only court they would win, but the talent and experience of the UVA players proved to be too much in the end. UVA secured their spot in the finals with a 27-15 victory. In the 2nd semi-final, the University of Maryland faced off against William and Mary. Maryland was able to sweep all courts in rout to the final. The finals set up a rematch between the two pool D titans. UVA got off to an early lead by winning both doubles sets. They found continued success on both singles courts but Maryland managed to keep the score close heading into mixed doubles. The Terps were down 9 games going into the final set. After posting a 6-3 win, they were down 6 games. After making up 3 games in overtime, UVA finally won a game and ended the come-back run, winning the match 28-24.

RESULTS

1. University Of Pennsylvania Duel in the District 2. University of Virginia Georgetown University, DC 3. University of

Maryland March 17 & 18, 2012 3. Northeastern On the weekend of March 17-18, Georgetown University hosted its annual Duel University in the District tournament in honor of Michael Jurist (F '07). Participants from

eight visiting schools benefited from unseasonably warm weather. In attendance were teams from Northeastern, University of Pennsylvania (which brought two teams), University of Virginia, University of Maryland, Virginia Commonwealth University, Rutgers, Johns Hopkins, Old Dominion, and, of course, Georgetown. After pool play on Saturday, teams advanced to single-elimination bracket play on Sunday. UPenn's A-squad took home the first place trophy, beating UVA 26-20 in the final. Meanwhile, UMD and Northeastern tied for third place. In the silver bracket, Johns Hopkins took first place, defeating Georgetown in the final.

2012 USTA TOC Nationals, Cary NC April 12-15, 2012 The 2012 USTA Tennis On Campus National Championship may have been the most competitive tournament from top to bottom in the program’s history. For the first time in 12 years, no at large bids were given meaning that every team present earned their way into the tournament through their respective section championship. The Mid-Atlantic sent six teams to Nationals this year thanks to the University of Virginia winning the Fall Invitational and the University of Maryland winning the National Team of the Year Award. In addition to the aforementioned teams, the section was represented by the College of William and Mary, Georgetown University, James Madison University and Old Dominion University.

Day one of the three day event consisted of pool play. The 64 teams present were broken up into 16 pools of four to determine which bracket – gold, silver, bronze or copper – they would be placed in. Old Dominion was placed in pool B along with the University of Central Florida, the University of Cincinnati, and Southern Methodist University. The Monarchs fell short against Central Florida and Southern Methodist before pulling out a win against Cincinnati sending them into the bronze bracket. Pool H was home to the University of Virginia who won all three of their matches and booked a spot in the gold bracket. James Madison University competed against three tough opponents in the University of Southern California, Northeastern University, and the University of Missouri. The Dukes were unable to win a match in pool play sending them into the copper bracket. The College of William and Mary were also unable to secure a win in pool play as they faced off against last year’s gold bracket finalist , Arizona State University, and Lone Star College – CyFair, sending them to the copper bracket. The University of Maryland started off pool play with a win against the University of California – San Diego but was unable to keep the momentum going against the University of South Florida and the University of Oklahoma. With a one and three record, the Terrapins were headed for the bronze bracket. Georgetown University faced off against Stanford University, Brown University and the University of South Carolina. The Hoyas were unable to secure a victory in pool play and were sent to the copper bracket.

Bracket play began on day two. Three Mid-Atlantic teams were fighting to win the copper bracket. Both Georgetown and William and Mary won their first round matches setting up a clash between familiar opponents. James Madison lost their first round match against Michigan State and began their quest to the back draw finals. William and Mary capitalized on their win against Georgetown and rode the momentum to the finals of the copper bracket, beating the University of California – Irvine in the semi-final and setting up a match against Purdue University. Georgetown regrouped after their loss and made it to the match for fifth place before falling to the University of California – San Diego. James Madison played a close match against Columbia University in the back draw but a loss sent them into the draw for twelfth place. The Dukes fell to the University of Iowa by one game and played Stony Brook University on the final day for fifteenth place but were unable to secure the win. The bronze bracket was home to two teams from the Mid-Atlantic. The University of Maryland won their first round match against but lost in the

second round to eventual bronze bracket winner, the . The Terrapins

won their next match against Oregon setting up a match against Texas Tech for fifth place. The Red Raiders squeaked out a victory by two games. Old Dominion lost their opening match to Texas Tech and its second match to Villanova. The Monarchs were able to regroup against South Carolina but fell short to Missouri in the match for twelfth place.

The University of Virginia was the only team to advance to the gold bracket and made the most of their opportunity by making it all the way to the finals. The Cavalier recorded wins against Penn State University, the University of Central Florida, and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. In the finals they faced off against the 2010 National Champions University of California – Berkeley. UVA managed to keep the match close despite early loses in the men’s and women’s doubles events and the men’s singles event. The momentum began to swing in the Cavalier’s favor during the women’s singles set. After a 6-2 win by Natalie Kirchner, the team was trailing by only three games. The mixed doubles team of Riley Blanks and Adam Vagner got off to a strong start, winning the first three games and evening up the score. After a substitution by Cal, the match turned into a tightly contested affair. After securing a break late in the set, UVA was a game away from its first National Championship. With the score at 40-30 the Cavaliers were unable to convert on two championship points. The Cal Bears responded with a break taking the lead in the overall score but would lose the set sending the match into overtime. With Virginia down one, their mixed doubles teams needed to hold serve to send the match to a super tiebreaker. In a match living up to its hype, the championship would be decided by one point. Cal Berkeley survived after a late surge by the Cavaliers and reclaimed the title they won in 2010.

After the match, awards were given to the winners of each bracket, the winner of the leader and team of the year award and the sportsmanship award. The University of Maryland was presented with the National Team of the Year Award and a $500 gift certificate to tenniswarehouse.com. Despite not having won a match, the James Madison Club tennis team maintained their up-beat and friendly manner. They received the sportsmanship award as voted on by the 63 other teams in attendance.

The Mid-Atlantic Section would like to congratulate all of its participating teams on a fantastic season and weekend of tennis and hope to see you next year in Surprise, Arizona!

Finalist-University of Virginia Sportsmanship Award-James Madison University

National Club Team of the Year Award Winner: University of Maryland

The club tennis team at the University of Maryland in College Park has come a long way since its inception in 2006. Now all of their hard work has come full circle as the club team was awarded the USTA Tennis On Campus National Team of the Year Award. The USTA Tennis On Campus Club of the Year Award is presented annually to the college or university club tennis team that has achieved a level of sustained excellence, while also demonstrating a commitment to giving back to their local community.

The 225 members of the team were a constant presence at Mid-Atlantic section event throughout the summer and the fall, volunteering at the Dreams for Kids Adaptive Clinic at the Legg Mason Tennis Classic, helping out as ball kids and ushers at the US Open Wildcard Playoffs, and staffing the USTA booth at Washington Kastles’ matches. In addition, the Terrapins host their own fall invitational. This year the tournament fielded 16 teams from the Mid-Atlantic and other sections.

This year also marked the team’s inaugural charity tournament benefiting Bilingual Backpacks. Bilingual Backpacks was created by team members Tiffany Lin and Tim Ghazzawi to raise money to build and supply book shelves in Ecuador where the two taught while studying abroad.

The University of Maryland club tennis team has been at the forefront of the Tennis On Campus program in the Mid-Atlantic Section. Their work on and off the court embodies the ideals of the Tennis On Campus program.

The team competed at this year’s Tennis On Campus Nationals in Cary, NC, where they were honored for their achievement. They will also receive an award at this year’s Mid-Atlantic Section Annual Meeting.

Section Leader of the Year Award winner: Carol Nettina, Loyola University Maryland In her 2 years at the helm of Loyola club tennis, Carol Nettina has been responsible for the team’s growth in membership and philanthropic outreach. For her tremendous efforts during the 2011/2012 school year, Carol has been given the Mid-Atlantic T.O.C Leader of the Year Award. In addition to hosting the team’s first fall tournament, Carol organized a multitude of fundraisers to help local Baltimore area groups. Even though Carol is a senior, Loyola plans to continue its tradition of community service outreach.

Carol along with her team competed at this year’s Section Championship where they received an award for their second place finish in the Off-Court Point Series Race. Carol will officially be presented with her Leader of the Year award at this year’s Mid-Atlantic Section Annual Meeting on November 17.

Off-Court Point Race The race ends February 1, 2013.

Don’t miss out on the chance to win cash money! 1st Place wins $1000 and 2nd Place wins $500. 4 Ways to get Off-Court points: 1. 650 pts: Have at least 4 current members of your team play on a USTA League team. 2. 400 pts: Successfully host a tournament. A tournament recap and photos from the tournament must be sent into Avi Parida ([email protected]) within one week from date of tournament. 3. 50 pts: Per player who volunteers at section/district event. Must be verified with section/district event coordinator. 4. 20 pts: Per current USTA member: must provide USTA membership number. 5. Host a 10 U workshop for your club http://ct.usta.com/qstrcw/

Current Standings

1. University of Maryland – 700 pts 2. Georgetown University – 650 pts 3. James Madison University – 550 pts 4. University of Virginia – 350 pts 5. College of William & Mary – 250 pts

Don’t forget to cash in on your off-court points! Send updates of your off-court activities to [email protected] or by filling out the form by using the link below. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dFlMTEJt OEJTWk1xMjVXRnAzczFNT2c6MQ

Interested in hosting a fall tournament and earning 400 off-court points?

Use the link below to fill out the tournament hosting form!

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dFphaHM1cko0TEtXa3F1R FVMYllFM0E6MQ

Fall Tournament Series Schedule (subject to change)

October 6-7, University of Mary Washington Fall Invitational October 13-14, USTA/VA TOC Fall Invitational at Old Dominion University October 27-28, Virginia Tech Fall Invitational

Upcoming Volunteering Opportunities Each team member that volunteers gets 50 points! Give back to your community!

June 9th D.C. Mega Play Day- Washington, DC June 10th Capital Pride Festival – Washington, DC June 15th, 16th & 17th NJTL Regional Cup – Washington, DC June 19-24 Battle in the Burg-Fredericksburg, VA July 12th, 15th, 16th, 18th, 20th, 22nd, & 24th Washington Kastles – Washington, DC July 21-22 Maryland JTT States-College Park, MD July 21-22 Virginia JTT Districts-Richmond VA July 21-22 Asian Festival- George Mason University, VA July 28th to August 5th Citi Open (formerly the Legg Mason Tennis Classic) – Washington, DC August 10th- 12th MAS Jr. Team Tennis Section Championship – College Park, MD

Looking to keep playing over the summer? Give USTA Leagues and Flex Leagues a try and earn off-court points while doing it!

Interested in Leagues? Find USTA League is organized, competitive team play for your local league women and men age 18 and older of all abilities and coordinators by following experience. Whether you're new to the game or a former the link below! college player, there's a spot for you. Teams are made up of a minimum of five to eight players depending upon http://www.midatlantic.usta division. So round up family, friends and co-workers to form .com/USTA- a team – it’s easy and fun. Leagues/how_to_join_a_ust a_league/?intloc=headernav Teams and matches are set up according to NTRP ratings, sub so your teammates and opponents will be at your skill

level. The competition is exciting, the atmosphere is social, and since players compete on teams, you have a built-in cheering section.

Interested in Flex Leagues? Find your local Flex League USTA Flex Leagues packages all the thrills of organized coordinator by following the league tennis into a flexible schedule so everyone, link below and clicking on regardless of time constraints and ability, can play. Maybe Play Flex Leagues! you can’t commit to every Wednesday at 8:00 p.m. http://www.midatlantic.usta Maybe Tuesday of next week works better for you—or .com/USTA- Thursday, the week after that. With Flex Leagues, it’s your Leagues/usta_flex_leagues/ call! ?intloc=headernavsub The Flex League format groups players of similar ability together in an organized seven to ten week league that allows participants to schedule matches on their own terms.

Flex Leagues can be either singles or doubles, all organized

Featured Team: James Madison University 1. How big is your team? The team is currently 64 members but with all of our friends and connections, we’re a family of about 150. Give or take a few cousins removed. 2. Describe a typical team practice Typically we take a few minutes to warm up/hit on our own before bringing it in. We discuss upcoming events both on and off the court, and any announcements are delivered. We will either split up into travel and non-travel teams or participate in drills and games that work on both skills and comradery. 3. Any goals for the/next season? Next year we once again hope to win Nationals…make it back to Nationals. 4. What does your team do for fun? For fun, we like to take long walks on the beach, participate in instructed yoga and see how many times we can bounce a ball on the side of our racket frame. The current record is 153.5 5. Has your team taken part in the off-court volunteering opportunities? Our team is very active in the community. We participate in local events such as cleaning up our football and basketball arenas as well as servicing the student body by giving out food late at night. Recently, we even adopted our own street that we keep clean regularly. The team plans to adopt a deployed military unit next year. 6. Any team superstitions/traditions? We have a long standing tradition that during tournaments, the first shower will belong to the seniors and trickle down to the Newbert Johnson’s that have recently made the team. We also only eat at Subway together. 7. What is the best team moment from this/last season? Without a doubt the best team moment would be a tie between beating UVA at the NC State tournament and grabbing our first bid ever to Nationals.

TENNIS INSTRUCTOR WANTED:

$11.41 per hour Dates: June 25 to August 3, 9 am - 3 pm Monday through Friday (approx. 30 hours a week). Training available. Be a positive influence on our youth and help us grown tennis in Rockville this summer. We are looking for an enthusiastic tennis instructor to teach kids

basic tennis skills through our Summer Playground Program.

Must have a driver’s license and provide your own transportation to various locations in Rockville. Please apply on line at www.rockvillemd.gov/careers or call the Rockville Department of Recreation and Parks at 240-314-8620 for more information.

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