Whitko, Warsaw Advance To Tennis Sectional Finals
May 19, 2017 at 4:00 p.m.
By Mark [email protected]
Eventually the Lady Wildcats’ Morgan Keirn came back from a set down and won a tightly-contested third set to beat Wawasee’s Meg Heinisch 4-6, 6-2, 7-5 and hand Whitko a 3-2 win.
Wawasee won both doubles matches and Whitko’s Delaney Keirn clinched her match at No. 2 singles. Just as a lightning delay was called, the Lady Wildcats’ Jackie Werstler won the final point in her match with Elizabeth Kloepfer.
After a delay of about 45 minutes, Morgan Keirn won five straight points to take the second set, giving the match the undivided attention of all in attendance.
Neither player led by more than a game, and with Heinisch serving the players were at deuce 17 times over two games. Keirn finally won on the seventh match point.
“I guess, you figure, if you are down one point it’s still not over,” said Keirn. “You still have that one point to make it back up. If you get to deuce, you have that much better chance for two points and you got the game. I guess that’s how you get through it. Tell yourself it’s not over yet.”
Wawasee’s No. 1 doubles team, Kendra Doerr and Kabrea Rostochak, advanced in the singles and doubles tournament and will play again in the Culver Academy Regional next week. They’ll take a 12-4 season record into the tournament.
“I’m glad they are going to be going to Culver,” said Wawasee head coach Shane Staley. “They deserve it. They stepped up. One thing I was always concerned about them was playing down to competition, but they’ve always seemed to be competitive and played up to the competition, so I am excited to see what they can do at Culver.”
Whitko’s reward for the win is a match with 16-time defending sectional champion Warsaw for the tournament title at 4:30 p.m. today. The Lady Tigers dropped just three games in 10 sets in a 5-0 win over Tippecanoe Valley.
“We knew we should win that pretty solid,” Orban said. “Basically, I told the girls different things I wanted them to work on. They played just phenomenal. It’s tough to play somebody that’s not as talented, and everybody knew that, but it’s the postseason and you have to play your game no matter what. We still played good, solid tennis, and that’s what I was pleased about.”
The Whitko-Warsaw winner advances to the Culver Academies Regional on Tuesday and will play Rochester, which won the Culver Academies Sectional Thursday.
WARSAW 5, TIPPECANOE VALLEY 0
Singles: No. 1 – Liza Lewis (W) def. Aerin Shewman (TV) 6-0, 6-0; No. 2 – Ella Knight (W) def. Lea Stouder (TV) 6-0, 6-0; No. 3 – Alyssa Zellers (W) def. Tiphanie Hodge (TV) 6-1, 6-1.
Doubles: No. 1 – Athena Schlitt & Colette Smith (W) def. Kennedy Niedbalski & Makenna Bradley (TV) 6-0, 6-0; No. 2 – Rachel Boyle & Amy Herendeen (W) def. America Baca & Makayla Sandbakken (TV) 6-1, 6-0.
WHITKO 3, WAWASEE 2
Singles: No. 1 – Morgan Keirn (Wh) def. Meg Heinisch (Wa) 4-6, 6-2, 7-5; No. 2 – Delaney Keirn (Wh) def. Peyton Rookstool (Wa) 6-2, 6-1; No. 3 – Jackie Werstler (Wh) def. Elizabeth Kloepfer (Wa) 6-2, 6-2.
Double: No. 1 – Kendra Doerr & Kabrea Rostochak (Wa) def. Jessica Hook & Grace Hook (Wh) 6-2, 6-2; No. 2 – Taylor Mock & Courtney Larson (Wa) def. Jenna VanCuren & Manon Sonneville (Wh) 6-3, 6-4.
Eventually the Lady Wildcats’ Morgan Keirn came back from a set down and won a tightly-contested third set to beat Wawasee’s Meg Heinisch 4-6, 6-2, 7-5 and hand Whitko a 3-2 win.
Wawasee won both doubles matches and Whitko’s Delaney Keirn clinched her match at No. 2 singles. Just as a lightning delay was called, the Lady Wildcats’ Jackie Werstler won the final point in her match with Elizabeth Kloepfer.
After a delay of about 45 minutes, Morgan Keirn won five straight points to take the second set, giving the match the undivided attention of all in attendance.
Neither player led by more than a game, and with Heinisch serving the players were at deuce 17 times over two games. Keirn finally won on the seventh match point.
“I guess, you figure, if you are down one point it’s still not over,” said Keirn. “You still have that one point to make it back up. If you get to deuce, you have that much better chance for two points and you got the game. I guess that’s how you get through it. Tell yourself it’s not over yet.”
Wawasee’s No. 1 doubles team, Kendra Doerr and Kabrea Rostochak, advanced in the singles and doubles tournament and will play again in the Culver Academy Regional next week. They’ll take a 12-4 season record into the tournament.
“I’m glad they are going to be going to Culver,” said Wawasee head coach Shane Staley. “They deserve it. They stepped up. One thing I was always concerned about them was playing down to competition, but they’ve always seemed to be competitive and played up to the competition, so I am excited to see what they can do at Culver.”
Whitko’s reward for the win is a match with 16-time defending sectional champion Warsaw for the tournament title at 4:30 p.m. today. The Lady Tigers dropped just three games in 10 sets in a 5-0 win over Tippecanoe Valley.
“We knew we should win that pretty solid,” Orban said. “Basically, I told the girls different things I wanted them to work on. They played just phenomenal. It’s tough to play somebody that’s not as talented, and everybody knew that, but it’s the postseason and you have to play your game no matter what. We still played good, solid tennis, and that’s what I was pleased about.”
The Whitko-Warsaw winner advances to the Culver Academies Regional on Tuesday and will play Rochester, which won the Culver Academies Sectional Thursday.
WARSAW 5, TIPPECANOE VALLEY 0
Singles: No. 1 – Liza Lewis (W) def. Aerin Shewman (TV) 6-0, 6-0; No. 2 – Ella Knight (W) def. Lea Stouder (TV) 6-0, 6-0; No. 3 – Alyssa Zellers (W) def. Tiphanie Hodge (TV) 6-1, 6-1.
Doubles: No. 1 – Athena Schlitt & Colette Smith (W) def. Kennedy Niedbalski & Makenna Bradley (TV) 6-0, 6-0; No. 2 – Rachel Boyle & Amy Herendeen (W) def. America Baca & Makayla Sandbakken (TV) 6-1, 6-0.
WHITKO 3, WAWASEE 2
Singles: No. 1 – Morgan Keirn (Wh) def. Meg Heinisch (Wa) 4-6, 6-2, 7-5; No. 2 – Delaney Keirn (Wh) def. Peyton Rookstool (Wa) 6-2, 6-1; No. 3 – Jackie Werstler (Wh) def. Elizabeth Kloepfer (Wa) 6-2, 6-2.
Double: No. 1 – Kendra Doerr & Kabrea Rostochak (Wa) def. Jessica Hook & Grace Hook (Wh) 6-2, 6-2; No. 2 – Taylor Mock & Courtney Larson (Wa) def. Jenna VanCuren & Manon Sonneville (Wh) 6-3, 6-4.
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