Warsaw Tennis Team Falls To Northridge

July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.

By Anthony [email protected]

Early-season struggles continued for the Warsaw girls tennis team Wednesday at the Tiger Courts.
Playing their second Northern Lakes Conference match in two days, the Warsaw Lady Tigers fell 4-1 to the Northridge Lady Raiders (3-0, 1-0 NLC).
The loss leaves Warsaw with an 0-3 mark overall and the Lady Tigers sit at 0-2 in the NLC after falling 5-0 at Plymouth on Tuesday.
“We’ve got talent on the team, we just haven’t been able to step up and show it,” Warsaw head coach Rick Orban said.
In their three matches this season, which began with a home match against Fort Wayne Canterbury on April 9, Warsaw’s been outscored 13-2.
Lack of practice time due to spring break and the weather is a factor, but not one Orban is pointing to.
“We had four days outside up to today, but every other school is in the same situation,” he said.
One thing that he can point to is a lack of fire from his normally vocal squad.
“You just didn’t see a lot of excitement out there,” he said. “You don’t hear a lot of cheering for their teammates. We have 35 girls on this team, and it was pretty quiet. It was the same way last night at Plymouth.”
Warsaw’s lone victory of the night came at No. 2 singles, where junior Jacqueline Sasso defeated Northridge senior Ashley Smith 6-2, 6-4.
Sasso played at No. 1 singles against Plymouth, but junior Sarah Boyle was in that spot against Northridge senior Sarah Smith, falling 6-0, 6-0.
In three matches, Boyle has played at No. 1 twice, with Sasso playing the top spot once.
According to Orban, the selection of who will play in the top spot isn’t based on skill or matchups.
“To be honest, it’s whoever isn’t sick,” he said. “That’s really the way it’s been. We have some really bad colds and I know Sarah just took off for the doctor just now. We also have some injuries, but those are all excuses. Right now, we have to step it up. We have to say, ‘We’re good and we have to go out and prove it.’”
It appeared Warsaw would be able to get a second point in the loss when its No. 1 doubles team of seniors Olivia Wallin and Marley Smith bounced back from a 6-3 opening set loss to take the second 6-2.
With the team match already decided, as Northridge had won at No. 1 and 3 singles and No. 2 doubles, Wallin and Smith led 4-3 in the third.
However, as the Lady Tigers were two games away from getting the comeback win, Northridge senior Olivia Erekson and junior Courtney Clark won the next three games, taking the set and match with a 6-4 victory.
“When we won the second set to force the third and we were up 4-3, that would have been huge for their confidence (to get the win) going into (tonight’s match at home against Fairfield),” Orban said. “Now we have to step it up and see we need to play like we did in that second set each and every game.”
If rain doesn’t cancel tonight’s match, and they play their scheduled makeup game at Columbia City on Friday, the Lady Tigers will have played four matches in four days.
But for a team looking to turn things around, it needs to get on the court as much as possible.
“We have to get it turned around,” Orban said. “We play a very tough team in Fairfield (tonight), then we play Columbia City on Friday, which is a makeup. (Columbia City is) in our sectional, so we have to turn it around and be the aggressors.”

NORTHRIDGE 4, WARSAW 1
SINGLES: No. 1 – Sarah Smith (N) def. Sarah Boyle 6-0, 6-0; No. 2 – Jacqueline Sasso (W) def. Ashley Smith 6-2, 6-4; No. 3 – Emily Hughes (N) def. Rachel Alexander 6-1, 6-1
DOUBLES: No. 1 – Olivia Erekson/Courtney Clark (N) def. Olivia Wallin/Marley Smith 6-3, 2-6, 6-4; No. 2 – Mackenzie Martin/Emily Erekson (N) def. Anna Hall/Mallory Bartel 6-3, 6-0
Records: Northridge 3-0 (1-0 NLC), Warsaw 0-3 (0-2 NLC)
JV – Warsaw 6, Northridge 5
JV Singles: No. 1 – Dora Wisolek (N) def. Blair Findlay 1-6, 6-3, 6-3; No. 2 – Kylie Fraughiger (N) def. Mattie Doran 8-7 (7-5); No. 3 – Alexis Graber (N) def. Shelby Roberts 8-4; No. 4 – Chase Keiper (N) def. Greer Smith 8-4; No. 5 – Mallorie Stiver (W) def. Kourtney Hoarer 8-4
JV Doubles: No. 1 – Lindsay Sciarra/Abbi Baum (W) def. Kayle Owens/Morgan Troyer 6-3, 6-3; No. 2 – Allison Rush/Teegan Bencisc (N) def. Camille Kerlin/Sydney Hartman 8-7 (7-5); No. 3 – Danielle Straits/Olivia Tucker (W) def. Michaela Bontrager/Madison Smucker 8-6; No. 4 – Ashley Neubaum/Mackenzie Riley (W) def. Lucy Wisolek/Mackenzie Kauffman 7-6; No. 5 – Bonnie Wong/Wesley Cowan (W) def. Valeria Skorabagtko/Allie Ellis 9-7; No. 6 – Rosalia Fleming/Cheyenne Jackson (W) def. Alexis Graber/Vanessa Raber 8-3[[In-content Ad]]

Early-season struggles continued for the Warsaw girls tennis team Wednesday at the Tiger Courts.
Playing their second Northern Lakes Conference match in two days, the Warsaw Lady Tigers fell 4-1 to the Northridge Lady Raiders (3-0, 1-0 NLC).
The loss leaves Warsaw with an 0-3 mark overall and the Lady Tigers sit at 0-2 in the NLC after falling 5-0 at Plymouth on Tuesday.
“We’ve got talent on the team, we just haven’t been able to step up and show it,” Warsaw head coach Rick Orban said.
In their three matches this season, which began with a home match against Fort Wayne Canterbury on April 9, Warsaw’s been outscored 13-2.
Lack of practice time due to spring break and the weather is a factor, but not one Orban is pointing to.
“We had four days outside up to today, but every other school is in the same situation,” he said.
One thing that he can point to is a lack of fire from his normally vocal squad.
“You just didn’t see a lot of excitement out there,” he said. “You don’t hear a lot of cheering for their teammates. We have 35 girls on this team, and it was pretty quiet. It was the same way last night at Plymouth.”
Warsaw’s lone victory of the night came at No. 2 singles, where junior Jacqueline Sasso defeated Northridge senior Ashley Smith 6-2, 6-4.
Sasso played at No. 1 singles against Plymouth, but junior Sarah Boyle was in that spot against Northridge senior Sarah Smith, falling 6-0, 6-0.
In three matches, Boyle has played at No. 1 twice, with Sasso playing the top spot once.
According to Orban, the selection of who will play in the top spot isn’t based on skill or matchups.
“To be honest, it’s whoever isn’t sick,” he said. “That’s really the way it’s been. We have some really bad colds and I know Sarah just took off for the doctor just now. We also have some injuries, but those are all excuses. Right now, we have to step it up. We have to say, ‘We’re good and we have to go out and prove it.’”
It appeared Warsaw would be able to get a second point in the loss when its No. 1 doubles team of seniors Olivia Wallin and Marley Smith bounced back from a 6-3 opening set loss to take the second 6-2.
With the team match already decided, as Northridge had won at No. 1 and 3 singles and No. 2 doubles, Wallin and Smith led 4-3 in the third.
However, as the Lady Tigers were two games away from getting the comeback win, Northridge senior Olivia Erekson and junior Courtney Clark won the next three games, taking the set and match with a 6-4 victory.
“When we won the second set to force the third and we were up 4-3, that would have been huge for their confidence (to get the win) going into (tonight’s match at home against Fairfield),” Orban said. “Now we have to step it up and see we need to play like we did in that second set each and every game.”
If rain doesn’t cancel tonight’s match, and they play their scheduled makeup game at Columbia City on Friday, the Lady Tigers will have played four matches in four days.
But for a team looking to turn things around, it needs to get on the court as much as possible.
“We have to get it turned around,” Orban said. “We play a very tough team in Fairfield (tonight), then we play Columbia City on Friday, which is a makeup. (Columbia City is) in our sectional, so we have to turn it around and be the aggressors.”

NORTHRIDGE 4, WARSAW 1
SINGLES: No. 1 – Sarah Smith (N) def. Sarah Boyle 6-0, 6-0; No. 2 – Jacqueline Sasso (W) def. Ashley Smith 6-2, 6-4; No. 3 – Emily Hughes (N) def. Rachel Alexander 6-1, 6-1
DOUBLES: No. 1 – Olivia Erekson/Courtney Clark (N) def. Olivia Wallin/Marley Smith 6-3, 2-6, 6-4; No. 2 – Mackenzie Martin/Emily Erekson (N) def. Anna Hall/Mallory Bartel 6-3, 6-0
Records: Northridge 3-0 (1-0 NLC), Warsaw 0-3 (0-2 NLC)
JV – Warsaw 6, Northridge 5
JV Singles: No. 1 – Dora Wisolek (N) def. Blair Findlay 1-6, 6-3, 6-3; No. 2 – Kylie Fraughiger (N) def. Mattie Doran 8-7 (7-5); No. 3 – Alexis Graber (N) def. Shelby Roberts 8-4; No. 4 – Chase Keiper (N) def. Greer Smith 8-4; No. 5 – Mallorie Stiver (W) def. Kourtney Hoarer 8-4
JV Doubles: No. 1 – Lindsay Sciarra/Abbi Baum (W) def. Kayle Owens/Morgan Troyer 6-3, 6-3; No. 2 – Allison Rush/Teegan Bencisc (N) def. Camille Kerlin/Sydney Hartman 8-7 (7-5); No. 3 – Danielle Straits/Olivia Tucker (W) def. Michaela Bontrager/Madison Smucker 8-6; No. 4 – Ashley Neubaum/Mackenzie Riley (W) def. Lucy Wisolek/Mackenzie Kauffman 7-6; No. 5 – Bonnie Wong/Wesley Cowan (W) def. Valeria Skorabagtko/Allie Ellis 9-7; No. 6 – Rosalia Fleming/Cheyenne Jackson (W) def. Alexis Graber/Vanessa Raber 8-3[[In-content Ad]]
Have a news tip? Email [email protected] or Call/Text 360-922-3092

e-Edition


e-edition

Sign up


for our email newsletters

Weekly Top Stories

Sign up to get our top stories delivered to your inbox every Sunday

Daily Updates & Breaking News Alerts

Sign up to get our daily updates and breaking news alerts delivered to your inbox daily

Latest Stories


Late-Inning Surge Puts Northridge Over Warsaw 4-2
Looking to stay on pace with the top of the Northern Lakes Conference, the Warsaw baseball team took to the road on Wednesday to take on Northridge. The Tigers scored first, but it was the Raiders who got on the board last, winning the game 4-2.

Tippecanoe Valley Makes Hiring Of Coach Eli Henson Official
Tippecanoe Valley High School has announced the appointment of Eli Henson as the 9th head coach in the 51-year history of its basketball program.

Protest Scheduled For Saturday At County Courthouse
A local protest organized by Thomas Skeens will take place Saturday, May 1 rain or shine downtown at the courthouse from 4 to 6 p.m.

Yakym Announces District Staff Mobile Office Hours For May 2025
MISHAWAKA – Congressman Rudy Yakym (IN-02) announced the following dates, times and locations that his office will be holding mobile staff office hours in May 2025 throughout Indiana’s Second District.

Three New Toll Road Troopers Receive Patrol Vehicles
Three Indiana State Police troopers assigned to the Indiana State Police Toll Road Post received their patrol vehicles Tuesday after successfully completing three months in the ISP Field Training Program.