Tigers Blank Squires in First Sectional Match
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
The boys track sectionals were not the only sporting events affected by Thursday's severe weather conditions. The Wawasee girls tennis sectional fell victim to the storms as well.
The match between Warsaw and Manchester was postponed until Friday evening, but the water works did not stop Friday so the two teams met at the Warsaw Racquet Club.
Manchester played a good match, but in the end, Warsaw's experience overcame the Squires as the Tigers earned a 5-0 win to advance to Saturday's portion of sectional play.
"This was our first 5-0 win of the season," said Warsaw coach Mike Baber. "It was nice to get a 5-0 win. Manchester is a good team, and they have a good group of girls."
Warsaw's No. 2 doubles team of Angie Suchecki and Tracey Yoder started the eveing off on the right foot for the Tigers. The Warsaw duo defeated Manchester's Allison Ingold and Rachel Bushong 6-1 and 6-0 to earn the first team point of the evening.
"Warsaw's No. 2 doubles team is very strong," said Manchester coach Eric Christiansen. "I told Mike (Baber, Warsaw's coach) that he basically has two No. 1 doubles teams."
The next match to finish was the No. 1 singles competition between Warsaw's Abbie Simmons and Manchester's Christy Markstahler. Simmons won the first set 6-1 before taking a 3-0 lead in the second. Markstahler won one game to make the score 4-1, but she could not overcome Simmons' lead, and Simmons won the second set 6-1 for the second Warsaw point of the night.
At No. 2 singles, Warsaw's Amber Barrett battled Manchester's Molly McWithey. Barrett took an early 3-2 lead in the first set, but the two were evenly matched. McWithey battled back to stay within one game of Barrett (4-3 , 5-4) until Barrett took two sets in a row and won 6-4. Barrett then won the second set 6-1 to get the third point for the Tiger squad.
"The match that really stood out was at No. 2 singles," said Baber. "Amber has had a tough year, and this was a big win for the team as well as for herself."
At the No. 1 doubles match was the most competitive of the evening. Carmen DeFusco and Katrina Runkel faced off against last year's state qualifiers from Warsaw Kara Kesler and Liza Weidenbenner. DeFusco and Runkel took a 4-3 lead before Kesler and Weidenbenner came back to win three straight games and a 6-4 win. The second set was much like the first as the Warsaw duo came from behind to win 6-4 again.
"Carmen and Katrina played right with them," said Christiansen. "Warsaw was very aggressive, and that was the difference in the match."
In the final match of the evening, the No. 3 singles players squared off. Warsaw's Lauren Witzky won her first set over Jamie Lauer 6-1. Although Witzky took a 2-1 lead in the second set, Lauer fought back to take a 3-2 lead. Lauer went on to take a 5-4 lead before Witzky won three straight games to get a 7-5 win and secure Warsaw's 5-0 victory.
"That's how Jamie has played all year," said Christiansen. "If she loses the first set, it doesn't get her down. She played a lot of third sets. In fact, we started to call her third sets 'Lauer Land.' She just couldn't quite get there today."
The win allows the Warsaw squad to move on to face Wawasee, a team that beat the Tigers 3-2 earlier in the season, today at 10 a.m., while Tippecanoe Valley faces Whitko at the same time. The morning winners will meet at 2 p.m. today for the sectional final.
"We played Wawasee earlier in the season, and I think it will be close either way," said Baber. "It should be a very competitive match." [[In-content Ad]]
The boys track sectionals were not the only sporting events affected by Thursday's severe weather conditions. The Wawasee girls tennis sectional fell victim to the storms as well.
The match between Warsaw and Manchester was postponed until Friday evening, but the water works did not stop Friday so the two teams met at the Warsaw Racquet Club.
Manchester played a good match, but in the end, Warsaw's experience overcame the Squires as the Tigers earned a 5-0 win to advance to Saturday's portion of sectional play.
"This was our first 5-0 win of the season," said Warsaw coach Mike Baber. "It was nice to get a 5-0 win. Manchester is a good team, and they have a good group of girls."
Warsaw's No. 2 doubles team of Angie Suchecki and Tracey Yoder started the eveing off on the right foot for the Tigers. The Warsaw duo defeated Manchester's Allison Ingold and Rachel Bushong 6-1 and 6-0 to earn the first team point of the evening.
"Warsaw's No. 2 doubles team is very strong," said Manchester coach Eric Christiansen. "I told Mike (Baber, Warsaw's coach) that he basically has two No. 1 doubles teams."
The next match to finish was the No. 1 singles competition between Warsaw's Abbie Simmons and Manchester's Christy Markstahler. Simmons won the first set 6-1 before taking a 3-0 lead in the second. Markstahler won one game to make the score 4-1, but she could not overcome Simmons' lead, and Simmons won the second set 6-1 for the second Warsaw point of the night.
At No. 2 singles, Warsaw's Amber Barrett battled Manchester's Molly McWithey. Barrett took an early 3-2 lead in the first set, but the two were evenly matched. McWithey battled back to stay within one game of Barrett (4-3 , 5-4) until Barrett took two sets in a row and won 6-4. Barrett then won the second set 6-1 to get the third point for the Tiger squad.
"The match that really stood out was at No. 2 singles," said Baber. "Amber has had a tough year, and this was a big win for the team as well as for herself."
At the No. 1 doubles match was the most competitive of the evening. Carmen DeFusco and Katrina Runkel faced off against last year's state qualifiers from Warsaw Kara Kesler and Liza Weidenbenner. DeFusco and Runkel took a 4-3 lead before Kesler and Weidenbenner came back to win three straight games and a 6-4 win. The second set was much like the first as the Warsaw duo came from behind to win 6-4 again.
"Carmen and Katrina played right with them," said Christiansen. "Warsaw was very aggressive, and that was the difference in the match."
In the final match of the evening, the No. 3 singles players squared off. Warsaw's Lauren Witzky won her first set over Jamie Lauer 6-1. Although Witzky took a 2-1 lead in the second set, Lauer fought back to take a 3-2 lead. Lauer went on to take a 5-4 lead before Witzky won three straight games to get a 7-5 win and secure Warsaw's 5-0 victory.
"That's how Jamie has played all year," said Christiansen. "If she loses the first set, it doesn't get her down. She played a lot of third sets. In fact, we started to call her third sets 'Lauer Land.' She just couldn't quite get there today."
The win allows the Warsaw squad to move on to face Wawasee, a team that beat the Tigers 3-2 earlier in the season, today at 10 a.m., while Tippecanoe Valley faces Whitko at the same time. The morning winners will meet at 2 p.m. today for the sectional final.
"We played Wawasee earlier in the season, and I think it will be close either way," said Baber. "It should be a very competitive match." [[In-content Ad]]