A Vision for Excellence

It was obvious, then, that well before they played their first match, well before the wins began to pile up, and well before they reached tournament time in November, Collegiate’s girls varsity tennis team – 12 players, two coaches –had the ingredients to make the 2018 season magical.

 

“We were very strong,” said first-year head coach Allyson Brand. “We had a lot of skilled players. We knew on paper we could do it.”

 

Knowing and doing, though, are quite different. The challenge was translating the “knowing” into “doing” despite the weather-related disruptions and the sky-high expectations.

 

“One of our biggest goals was not being complacent,” said Bailey Andress, a senior tri-captain (with Sophie Mitchell and Anya Sood). “When we were on the court, we tried to play for every single point. It sounds cliché, but when you’re expected to win, it’s easy to go through the motions. Our vision statement helped us keep a common goal in mind and not get comfortable with where we were.”

That vision statement – which speaks to confidence, consistency, and focus, as well as aggressive but controlled, intentional play – became the players’ mantra. It became their mindset for excellence. Competitive and cohesive excellence became their hallmark.

 

“I introduced the girls to it early on, and they really took to it,” said Brand, a knowledgeable, accomplished, and passionate practitioner of the sport who grew up in Atlanta and competed for Westminster School, then, on scholarship, for Vanderbilt. “It was the last thing we read before we went out for a match. That helped a lot.”

 

The Cougars completed their regular season 20-0, then won every bracket in singles and doubles in the League of Independent Schools tournament, then captured the VISAA championship with a 5-2 victory over Norfolk Academy in the finals.

 

“We knew nothing would be given to us,” Brand said. “We had to go out and earn it. All the players had the tools. We knew they were capable. It was a matter of making sure they believed and had confidence.”

 

During the regular season, the Cougars won 155 of 168 individual matches. They swept 13 of 20 team matches. Twice, their opponent didn’t win even a game. All 12 players competed in at least nine individual matches.

 

Helena Huff, a supremely talented sophomore, was 14-0 in singles and 9-0 in doubles. Mitchell was 21-1, 18-0; Sood 20-1, 15-0; sophomore Nora Willett 18-1, 11-0; and junior Alyssa McDaniel 10-1, 17-0.

 

Seven players earned All-LIS honors: Huff (#1 singles, #1 doubles), Mitchell (#2 singles, #1 doubles), Sood (#3 singles, #2 doubles), Willett (#4 singles, #3 doubles), McDaniel (#5 singles, #2 doubles), Andress (#3 doubles), and sophomore Saanvi Mittal (#6 singles).

 

Three – Huff, Mitchell, and Sood – earned All-VISAA distinction. Huff was voted LIS and state player of the year. Brand was state coach of the year.

 

Strong teams with high expectations can succumb to pressure, but the Cougars fended off that possibility by focusing on individual and team goals, train and compete more skillfully, intentionally, and passionately each day, and staying humble. In so doing, they kept their collective eyes on the prize without getting too far ahead of themselves. And they had fun.

 

“Staying in the moment really helped us,” Mitchell said. “Our team was really good at focusing on every shot and not letting the things we couldn’t control get in our heads like the environment, the crowd at an away match, or the weather. Focusing on the vision statement and believing in ourselves helped us win.

 

“We all pushed each other to be the best we could be. Having the team bond really helped us be successful. It’s just so awesome to be leaving Collegiate tennis like this: to be part of such a great group of girls and awesome coaches.”

  -- Weldon Bradshaw