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by Ed Krass
There was a women's serve-and-volley shootout played March 17 in Tampa. The collegiate women's tennis team from University of Wisconsin-Green Bay (UWGB) played a dual match against host Hillsborough Community College (HCC) team, in a format showcasing the serve-and-volley and all-court game.
HCC, last year's NJCAA National Team Champion, and UWGB agreed to play a shortened-timed dual match format, with One-on-One Doubles in place of Singles. HCC Coach Chad Berryhill and UWGB Coach Craig Clatt had their teams play 8-game sets of One-on-One Doubles, to be followed by 8-game pro sets of mandatory, serve-and-volley doubles.
The matches were played to a variety of rockin' blues songs, the standard music played at One-on-One Doubles tournaments. This past fall season, Stony Brook University and Head Coach Gary Glassman hosted a one-day, One-on-One Doubles and Rockin' Blues tournament for eight Division I teams.
The match between HCC and UWGB had an entirely different look to it. All six courts, for the One-on-One Doubles matches, had the white athletic trainers' tape extended through the middle of the court. The players knew they had to serve-and-volley on both serves and the returners knew they had to return crosscourt with the alleys as fair game. After the serve and first volley was made, the points turned into an all-court warfare.
After the One-on-One Doubles matches ended, Lauryn Grimando, the #5 player for UWGB, stated "I wish we could play more One-on-One Doubles matches where it counts for team points. I like it better than singles because it combines both singles and doubles skills and allows for a lot more volleys. The middle line really helps make the calls much cleaner. The pace of the match was much quicker and it was loads of fun."
Emily Laurent, the #1 player at UWGB, really fell in love with the new game of tennis. "If I never had to play singles again, then that would be fine with me. This game is a faster pace and more fun to play," said Laurent.
Jullian O'Neill, HCC's #1 player and former top Canadian national junior who won the Orange Bowl Junior Doubles Girl's 16s title, was also impressed with the new format. "Playing One-on-One Doubles is different. I really liked it. This game made me come in and volley. I also had to hit a lot more overheads than usual. The middle line allowed me to focus on targeting my return," stated O'Neill.
One would think that serve-and-volley points would be over within a wink of an eye. Ashley Albro, HCC's #5 player, said "The points went long. I really like all the volleys and overheads I had to hit. I had to make all types of shots and come into the net. Playing with the music on made it lots of fun!"
Paige Palinkas, the #6 player for HCC, enjoyed competing to an old drill that she and her team has been practicing to. "With the match really counting and finally having a middle line made the set very intense but a lot of fun. We need to work on serving and volleying anyway," Palinkas retorted.
The doubles was played to the serve-and-volley rule as well. All three doubles matches showcased the doubles game the way it used to be played. Billy Jean King and Martina Navratilova would have been proud. Even though HCC won the two hour dual match, 7-2, first-year Head Coach Craig Clatt of UWGB was sky high about the new match concept. "I loved the event! The music got the crowd and players involved more. Playing One-on-One Doubles adds the elements of getting to the next level. The skills involved are something we need to work on. I can see this game as the future for tennis," said Clatt.
HCC Coach Chad Berryhill, who won a national championship last year all the while having his ladies serve-and-volley on both serves in their doubles matches, is dismayed at other coaches noncommittal, negative attitudes toward the women's serve-and-volley game in Doubles. "We're a two-year program. It's sad that once our girls leave, they are not allowed to serve and volley. Many coaches don't believe that their women's teams can win playing this way in Doubles. You can't put all the development responsibility on the junior's teaching pro when the college coach still has the time to develop the player. It takes time, a good work ethic and the right attitude," stated Coach Berryhill.
One-on-One Doubles Tennis, which has been played at various ATP, USTA, ITA and USPTA national tournaments, has the potential to be a collegiate format of play for both entertainment and developmental reasons.
This was the second college match that used the new game as part of its college level dual match format. The University of Tampa played Bates College in a much publicized local match last season. There are some Division I women's coaches who are getting their ball clubs excited to move forward and play the midcourt and net game. Paul Peck, the Head Coach of the 7-time Patriot League Women's Champions, U.S. Military Academy, has his "army of women" attacking the net as much as possible. "For us to compete at the next level, our team can't be one dimensional. Our players need to keep the returners off balance. Serve-and-volley confidence and being able to mix up our plays is the key to our program's success," stated Coach Commander Peck.
Glen Marshall, the Head Men's and Women's Tennis Coach at University of Connecticut, believes in his women's ability to learn the serve and volley game for college tennis. Coach Marshall utilized the fall season to develop his women's serve-and-volley skills and confidence. "The whole fall season was mandatory serve-and-volley in doubles on both first and second serves. It took two weeks for my women's team to get their confidence, quickness and timing. The critics were silenced and the critics were the players themselves. They could actually see and feel the improvement. Playing several sets of One-on-One Doubles a week was instrumental in giving the players the all-court confidence they needed. As a byproduct, the translation to singles success was incredible," said Coach Marshall.
Luke Jensen, former #1 ATP doubles player and Head Women's Tennis Coach at Syracuse University, has his women's team serve and volley as much as possible. "In the women's game, the return is usually bigger than the serve. So it's very important to develop strength on the first serve and good placement on the second serve. All the details of the split step and midcourt volley have to be taught. We get slaughtered in the fall because we are making our women serve and volley on both serves in their doubles matches and even in their singles matches. It takes a unique student-athlete to see the big picture. Our players get a whole lot better with their all-court game in the spring. I was trained to serve-and-volley and chip-and-charge as a junior player. For a college coach to have success with their women, in the serve-and-volley game, they first have to believe they can teach and coach this game style and, second, they need to have players who want to get better," stated Coach Jensen.
If this trend can continue, we will be seeing some exciting all-court tennis from our collegiate women players in the future. I can hear the ladies chanting, "feel the power, feel the heat; to serve and volley is the ultimate treat."
Photo taken by HCC Head Coach Chad Berryhill. HCC Women's Team boogie down during half-time to One-on-One Doubles Rockin' Blues
Main photo above: UWGB and HCC Women's Team (plus HCC's Coach Chad Berryhill) celebrate on the new game's middle line!
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