Coach Mitch Taylor says members of his Brownstown Central boys tennis team have to learn how to win three-set matches.
“We haven’t won a three-set match all year,” Taylor said after the Braves dropped a 3-2 Mid-Southern Conference match to Scottsburg at home Thursday afternoon.
Ethan Isaacs and Ethan Davis helped the Braves get off to a quick start by winning their matches at No. 1 and No. 2 singles in straight sets as Isaacs defeated Ryan Gibson 6-2, 6-0 and Davis was a 6-3, 6-0 winner over Cole Atha.
The loss dropped the Braves to 2-1 in the MSC.
Isaacs improved his season record to 5-1 and feels as if he has gotten better since last year.
“I feel good coming up to the net and read my opponent,” he said. “My first serve has gotten better. I’ve changed it up. Coach has helped me with that.”
Isaacs feels the team can get a little sharper.
“We just need to practice better and work on our shots and stay confident,” he said. “We have the ability. We have a chance to win (Brown County tournament Saturday) if we play how we can play. That will be the difference, if we play well or not.”
Taylor said Scottsburg played tough.
“I think you’ve got to give credit to Scottsburg,” he said. “They are competitive guys and they came out here and they don’t care who they are playing against, they just want to win the match, whether it takes two sets or three.”
BC’s Connor Gwin fell 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 to Eli Carr at No. 3 singles, Reece Carlin and Griffin Stidam dropped a 1-6, 6-1, 6-3 match to Jase Watson and Joe Neace at No. 1 doubles and Garrett Elliott and Cole Shasteen lost 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 to Blake Drury and David Gaffney at No. 2 doubles.
“In the third sets, they just had a little bit more than we had,” Taylor said. “I really think my guys have to trust themselves to finish off a match. We played North Daviess last weekend and we had similar matches where we were in three different positions where we got into three sets and didn’t win any of them.”
Being mentally strong can help.
“I really think it’s trusting yourself and being confident and playing singles and playing doubles the way you know how to play,” Taylor said. “You have to take the next step mentally. We aren’t there yet.”
The Braves (5-2) will play in a tournament at Brown County on Saturday.
“We have to take the next step and just (have) laser focus when it comes to the third sets because it’s easy to just let your legs go and get lazy and start hitting balls out, and suddenly, you’re down three games in the third set,” Taylor said.
”So mentally, we have a lot of growth left to do even with a senior-heavy team that we have,” he said of relying on Carlin, Isaacs and Stidam. “We just have to figure out ways to win three-set matches. We haven’t won a three-set match at any position.”
Brownstown’s next home match will be Sept. 10 against Bedford North Lawrence.