The Warsaw Tigers girls tennis team continued its winning ways and improved its record to 6-4 with a 4-1 Tuesday home win over the NorthWood Panthers.

Kara Kesler and Liza Weidenbenner started the night off for the Tigers as they teamed up against NorthWood's Jessica McCarthy and Danae Stump at the No. 1 doubles slot. Kesler and Weidenbenner went up 5-2 early and ended up winning the set 6-3. McCarthy and Stump were as close as 2-1 in the second set, but Warsaw persevered and won the set 6-4 to earn Warsaw's first point of the match.

"Kara Kesler is back after missing the Homestead meet because of an injury," said Warsaw Coach Jill Basden. "She and Liza (Weidenbenner) are now 2-2 in the NLC at No. 2 doubles."

Jessica Yoder of NorthWood and Heather VanPuffelen of Warsaw squared off at the No. 2 singles spot. Van Puffelen jump-started the match, and before long was up 4-1 in the first set. After winning the first set 6-1, VanPuffelen went up 2-1 early, but Yoder battled back to tie the score at two. However, that was as close as NorthWood would get in the match, and VanPuffelen battled back to win the second set 6-2 as well as earn Warsaw's second point of the day.

"We had some opportunities with key points but we lost them," said NorthWood coach Angie Yoder. "We also lost some key sets tonight."

In the closest match of the day, NorthWood's Anna Metz stepped on the court against Warsaw's Abbie Simmons in the No. 1 singles match. In the first set, Metz went up 3-2 early, but Simmons captured the next three games to win the set 6-3. Simmons jumped up to an early 1-0 lead in the second set until Metz tied the score at one. Simmons went up again 2-1, but Metz won the next two games to take a 3-2 lead. Warsaw tied the score at three and then went up 5-3, but NorthWood scored another point to make the score 5-4. The final game was tied at deuce when Simmons won a volley to give her the advantage. Then Metz double faulted on her serve, allowing Simmons to win the set 6-4.

"Simmons really battled back to win," said Basden. "She was behind in the first set and came back to win it. NorthWood went up once in the second set but after Abbie (Simmons) tied it at three, she took control and won it."

At No. 3 singles, Amy Hughes was the lone victory for the Panthers as she defeated Kim Fluke 6-4 and 6-1 while NorthWood's Jen Myers and Vicki Otis fell to Sarah Tidball and Elizabeth Hann 7-6 (7-5), 6-2.

"We played very well tonight," said Basden. "The girls played some close matches and came out on top. They played extremely well tonight."

"Our team struggled with consistency tonight," said Yoder. "We just need to take another step mentally. We are a young team, and we are still developing. We just need more experience."

Warsaw is now 2-2 in the Northern Lakes Conference, while NorthWood falls to 0-4 in the NLC.

Varsity

Warsaw 4, NorthWood 1

Singles

1. Simmons (W) def. Metz 6-3, 6-4

2. Van Puffelen (W) def. Yoder 6-1, 6-2

3. Hughes (NW) def. Fluke 6-4, 6-1

Doubles

1. Kesler/Weidenbenner (W) def. McCarthy/Stump 6-3, 6-4

2. Tidball/Hann (W) def. Myers/Otis 7-6, (7-5), 6-2

JV

Warsaw 4, NorthWood 1

Singles

1. Witzky (W) def. Gillam 6-0, 6-0

2. Aguilar (W) def. Ryman 8-5

3. Wentworth (W) def. Davis 8-1

Doubles

1. Atkinson/Lundvall (NW) def. Barrett/Wolf 4-6, 7-5, 7-5

2. Suchecki/Wolf (W) def. Michael/Maust 8-1 [[In-content Ad]]