Emmaus boys tennis head coach Brian Bleam likes slogans and likes to issue challenges.

One of those slogans is “become the best version of yourself.” After eight matches this season you could say his team is doing just that, with a solid 7-1 record.

“We’ve definitely played well,” says Bleam. “But we have some tougher matches coming up where we will need to be at our best.”

The challenge is to step up their games as the upcoming scheduled includes dates against some solid competition.

Being at “our best” involves equipping the Green Hornets with tactics that produce a winning strategy. Bleam is focusing on teaching two formations to his doubles teams. He believes this could be the difference between victory or defeat against some of the top East Penn Conference teams.

The first is the Australian formation, which is designed to marginalize an opponents’ effective return of the serve. Bleam explains that a cross-court shot is normally utilized to return a serve. If applied correctly, the Australian formation pushes the opponent to return a forehand or backhand shot down the line - often a difficult maneuver. This is accomplished by having the net player stand near the center line of the service box and the server lining up close to the center hash mark on the baseline, where they can exercise good court coverage.

The formation is considered an advanced strategy in the sport and the vast majority of high school programs are not using it, Bleam said.

The second is the “I” formation, a far more common serving tactic. Bleam explains the server unleashes the serve near the center point of the baseline. His partner is positioned at the midpoint of the center line and crouches. The player closer to the net gives a hand signal to their partner, letting them know which part of the court they will cover, so the server can cover the other side. This tactic can confuse and break the momentum of the returning team.

While these two strategies are for doubles, the singles players for the Hornets have their own strategies early this season.

Sophomore Sean Jaeger, the Green Hornets’ number one singles player, has picked up where he left off last year and is mowing through opponents. On March 28 against Easton’s Ethan Gabay, Jaeger dominated play with a 6-0, 6-0 victory.

“He’s just a very consistent player and is playing at a higher level than anyone else in the EPC,” Bleam said of the returning district champ.

Number two Quinn Erk has also had a strong 2019 and is “taking care of business,” according to Bleam. During the Green Hornets’ matches with Easton, Erk easily defeated Rover Neal Gilbert 6-2, 6-0.

Emmaus’ third singles player, Aiden Springs, has also been outstanding early.

“He’s played very solid and is the glue that hold the team together,” says the coach. The coach said his practice session with Springs include developing the big man’s footwork.

“He just has a lot of potential,” Bleam said. Springs is already displaying that potential right now, recently defeating Easton’s Jake Cabreza 6-0, 6-2 in their March 28 match.

The Green Hornets’ doubles squads feature the number one duo of Grant Haffner and Kevin Gee.

“They are really solid and they are friends,” the coach said.

That chemistry has helped them claim some tough victories early on this season, including a 6-4, 6-3 triumph over Easton’s Jack Joseph and Joe Torrato.

The Green Hornets’ doubles squads also feature the tandems of Ali Ahmed and Nic Gilboy along with David Boukengolts and Johnson Yang.