My Championship Experience is a diary blog written by Summit League student-athletes detailing their experiences at each of the 19 Championships. Denver junior Michelle Garpenlov penned the women's tennis edition.
_____________________________________
Saturday, April 26
We
started off the day with a nice breakfast at Brueggers as a team. Everyone was
a little quiet this morning because we all knew what was at stake. The vibe
appeared as if everyone was a little nervous, but we were also full of
confidence because we know what we are capable of. We arrived at the courts
full of energy and were excited to start warming up but there was a slight
problem, one of the girls forgot one shoe and it was actually very funny! I
think it was just what we needed because everyone was a little tense and it got
everyone to laugh and relax just enough. Even though the coaches didn't laugh I think
that
inside they even thought it was a little funny. They were probably
wondering how you grab one shoe and not the other. Everyone was playing great
and doing their part, we were all proud of each other and supporting one
another. Our most vocal fan also came out to cheer on the Lady Pios, you never
know what he is going to say but he sure does bring a lot of energy, which I
feel some of the girls feed off of. This big win against South Dakota gave us tons
of momentum, which we plan on carrying into tomorrow’s championship match vs.
IPFW.
I
couldn't be more proud of the team and the coaching staff with what we accomplished
today! We beat South Dakota and did so in dominating fashion. We are all so
excited of the opportunity that stands in front of us, which is to play for the
conference title tomorrow against IPFW. They are a very good team and we are
going to have to bring our best tomorrow. They have great players, and a good
coaching staff and we know that they are going to be ready in the morning. I
want to win this title for all the girls especially the seniors Caroline (Schnell)
and Natalie (Dunn). They deserve this after the four hard years of work they
put in. We are not going to let anyone stand in our way of our goal; failure is
not an option for this team.
Sunday, April 27
WE DID
IT!!!!!!! I have such an amazing team and I’m so proud of being a part of this
process to win the conference title this year. The started off by some (weather)
changes meaning we had to play at Monaco instead of Gates. I was a little
nervous at first in doubles but once we pulled through those matches and played
very well I knew this was going our way this year. When Caroline that is a
senior captain clinched the final score to be 4-0 in matches I was stunned! So
proud. So amazing. So greatful. This was what we talked about this whole year
and finally it was right in front of us. All these hours of hard work on and
off the court, sweat and tears was very well worth it.
I am
happy to call Denver Women’s Tennis Summit League Champions.
GO LADY
PIOS, WE’VE GOT THIS!!
-Michelle Garpenlov
Don’t forget to check out the next
edition of My Championship Experience as it follows the Softball Championship, May 8-10 and throughout the 2013-14 season for
coverage at each of The Summit League Championships.
