Tigers Win Tennis Sectional
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Anthony [email protected]
"We were so young to start the season, and really immature," Warsaw girls tennis coach Rick Orban said. "To watch them grow and get better and better, and more confident throughout the course of the year - yeah, this sectional really does mean a lot."[[In-content Ad]]The Tigers claimed their latest sectional conquest by defeating the Wawasee Warriors 5-0 Saturday morning in Wawasee.
The victory advances the Tigers to Tuesday's Northridge Regional, where they'll play the Northridge Raiders at 5 p.m.
"It's gonna be a tough matchup," Orban said of facing Northridge. "They've got a bunch of seniors. They're extremely good. They won the (Northern Lakes Conference) this year, so our goal is to just get up there and play the best tennis we can."
In the sectional final, the Tigers did play some of their best tennis - for the most part.
On all three singles courts, Warsaw jumped out quickly, taking 6-0 opening-set wins. In the second sets, freshman Erika White (No. 1 singles) and junior Audrey Petro (No. 3 singles) took 6-1 victories, while freshman Alli Tucker took a little more time at No. 2 singles, eventually getting past Wawasee sophomore Alyssa Brown 6-3.
While being beaten in two sets, Wawasee did play extended points with Warsaw, especially at No. 3 singles, where Petro's 6-0, 6-1 victory wasn't indicative of the type of match played. Taking over an hour to play, Wawasee's Caitlin Conley just wouldn't go away, repeatedly forcing deuce games.
"Warsaw's season was not that good for a Warsaw team," Wawasee coach Roger Brady said of the 7-6 Tigers. "But at the same time, they're in the middle of the pack in the NLC, and the NLC is a tough conference.
"We played this team really tough," he added. "We kept them on the courts for two hours. We had three sets at No. 2 doubles, No. 1 doubles almost won the second set and our No. 2 singles loses 6-3 (in the second set). When you talk to them you find out how many deuce games they had. It's just that you have to put two points together. So we're taking a step, but have another to go yet."
On the doubles courts, Warsaw's No. 1 team of senior Erin Coppes and sophomore Lauren Sciarra cruised to 6-0 win in the opening set, but had to fight for a 7-5 victory in the second.
At No. 2 doubles, Wawasee's tandem of junior Rachael Larson and freshman Haley Windle downed Warsaw juniors Jennifer Lokotar and Stefani Davis 6-3 in the first set.
"We did not play our brand of tennis in the first set," Orban said. "We weren't aggressive, we weren't attacking the net. We were playing not to lose, and I had a little chat with the girls. It was good to see them come back. But yet, Wawasee played a great first set. They took it to us, so you kind of gotta give credit where credit is due."
After Orban's chat, Lokotar and Davis won the second set 6-3, setting up a third, which they won 6-1.
That third set victory ended the sectional, which awarded Warsaw a trophy and Wawasee another lesson to learn from in a 2-13 season.
"They've had a tough season," Orban said of Wawasee. "They walked off the courts with their heads held high and their attitudes are great. Just kudos to the Wawasee kids."
With one match to play in the regular season, Wawasee held an 0-12 record. But after defeating Whitko 3-2 and beating Tippecanoe Valley 3-2 in the first round of the sectional, Brady now has some things to build on.
"We've had four different coaches in four years, and the problem is we came in with a brand new system, brand new rules and we had the girls doing completely new stuff," Brady said. "What I appreciate isn't so much that they did it, but that they did it without complaining. They bought in and did the best that they could."
The Tigers once again go on the road to face NLC opponent, but Tuesday's opposition will be much tougher. In the second match of the year, Northridge defeated Warsaw 4-1, but Orban believes he has a much different team this time around.
"Tennis-wise, we're more experienced," he said. "In our second tennis match, we had freshmen playing seniors, and they were intimidated. Now, I can say the kids won't be intimidated. They're going to go up there, believing they can win. Once you believe that, anything can happen."
WARSAW 5, WAWASEE 0
Singles
No. 1 - Erika White (War, 8-8) def. Brooke Kaiser 6-0, 6-1
No. 2 - Alli Tucker (War) def. Alyssa Brown 6-0, 6-3
No. 3 - Audrey Petro (War) def. Caitlin Conley 6-0, 6-1
Doubles
No. 1 - Erin Coppes/Lauren Sciarra (War, 8-8) def. Abby Cox/ Kindra Wright 6-0, 7-5
No. 2 - Jennifer Lokotar/Stefani Davis (War) def. Rachael Larson/Haley Windle 3-6, 6-3, 6-1
Records: Warsaw 7-6, Wawasee 2-13
"We were so young to start the season, and really immature," Warsaw girls tennis coach Rick Orban said. "To watch them grow and get better and better, and more confident throughout the course of the year - yeah, this sectional really does mean a lot."[[In-content Ad]]The Tigers claimed their latest sectional conquest by defeating the Wawasee Warriors 5-0 Saturday morning in Wawasee.
The victory advances the Tigers to Tuesday's Northridge Regional, where they'll play the Northridge Raiders at 5 p.m.
"It's gonna be a tough matchup," Orban said of facing Northridge. "They've got a bunch of seniors. They're extremely good. They won the (Northern Lakes Conference) this year, so our goal is to just get up there and play the best tennis we can."
In the sectional final, the Tigers did play some of their best tennis - for the most part.
On all three singles courts, Warsaw jumped out quickly, taking 6-0 opening-set wins. In the second sets, freshman Erika White (No. 1 singles) and junior Audrey Petro (No. 3 singles) took 6-1 victories, while freshman Alli Tucker took a little more time at No. 2 singles, eventually getting past Wawasee sophomore Alyssa Brown 6-3.
While being beaten in two sets, Wawasee did play extended points with Warsaw, especially at No. 3 singles, where Petro's 6-0, 6-1 victory wasn't indicative of the type of match played. Taking over an hour to play, Wawasee's Caitlin Conley just wouldn't go away, repeatedly forcing deuce games.
"Warsaw's season was not that good for a Warsaw team," Wawasee coach Roger Brady said of the 7-6 Tigers. "But at the same time, they're in the middle of the pack in the NLC, and the NLC is a tough conference.
"We played this team really tough," he added. "We kept them on the courts for two hours. We had three sets at No. 2 doubles, No. 1 doubles almost won the second set and our No. 2 singles loses 6-3 (in the second set). When you talk to them you find out how many deuce games they had. It's just that you have to put two points together. So we're taking a step, but have another to go yet."
On the doubles courts, Warsaw's No. 1 team of senior Erin Coppes and sophomore Lauren Sciarra cruised to 6-0 win in the opening set, but had to fight for a 7-5 victory in the second.
At No. 2 doubles, Wawasee's tandem of junior Rachael Larson and freshman Haley Windle downed Warsaw juniors Jennifer Lokotar and Stefani Davis 6-3 in the first set.
"We did not play our brand of tennis in the first set," Orban said. "We weren't aggressive, we weren't attacking the net. We were playing not to lose, and I had a little chat with the girls. It was good to see them come back. But yet, Wawasee played a great first set. They took it to us, so you kind of gotta give credit where credit is due."
After Orban's chat, Lokotar and Davis won the second set 6-3, setting up a third, which they won 6-1.
That third set victory ended the sectional, which awarded Warsaw a trophy and Wawasee another lesson to learn from in a 2-13 season.
"They've had a tough season," Orban said of Wawasee. "They walked off the courts with their heads held high and their attitudes are great. Just kudos to the Wawasee kids."
With one match to play in the regular season, Wawasee held an 0-12 record. But after defeating Whitko 3-2 and beating Tippecanoe Valley 3-2 in the first round of the sectional, Brady now has some things to build on.
"We've had four different coaches in four years, and the problem is we came in with a brand new system, brand new rules and we had the girls doing completely new stuff," Brady said. "What I appreciate isn't so much that they did it, but that they did it without complaining. They bought in and did the best that they could."
The Tigers once again go on the road to face NLC opponent, but Tuesday's opposition will be much tougher. In the second match of the year, Northridge defeated Warsaw 4-1, but Orban believes he has a much different team this time around.
"Tennis-wise, we're more experienced," he said. "In our second tennis match, we had freshmen playing seniors, and they were intimidated. Now, I can say the kids won't be intimidated. They're going to go up there, believing they can win. Once you believe that, anything can happen."
WARSAW 5, WAWASEE 0
Singles
No. 1 - Erika White (War, 8-8) def. Brooke Kaiser 6-0, 6-1
No. 2 - Alli Tucker (War) def. Alyssa Brown 6-0, 6-3
No. 3 - Audrey Petro (War) def. Caitlin Conley 6-0, 6-1
Doubles
No. 1 - Erin Coppes/Lauren Sciarra (War, 8-8) def. Abby Cox/ Kindra Wright 6-0, 7-5
No. 2 - Jennifer Lokotar/Stefani Davis (War) def. Rachael Larson/Haley Windle 3-6, 6-3, 6-1
Records: Warsaw 7-6, Wawasee 2-13
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