Back-To-Back (Times 17) Sectional Titles For Lady Tiger Tennis
May 20, 2017 at 4:17 a.m.
Back-To-Back (Times 17) Sectional Titles For Lady Tiger Tennis
By Mark [email protected]
Friday night at Warsaw Tennis and Fitness, it was business as usual with Warsaw blanking Whitko 5-0 for a 17th consecutive title and 27th overall.
So dominant were the Lady Tigers that they lost just 10 games in the entire tournament, three to Tippecanoe Valley in the semifinals and seven Friday.
“It never gets old,” longtime Warsaw coach Rick Orban said. “In fact, the older I get, the sweeter they are.”
He said the team uses the sectional streak as a focal point.
“(Winning sectional titles) is huge for them. I reminded them just before we started that Plymouth’s streak ended against Bremen. (The Lady Pilgrims would have the same streak as Warsaw, but lost in 2014.) I told them ‘You never know. We can either keep this streak going, or it ends tonight. It’s your call.’“
Morgan Keirn, whose win at No. 1 singles propelled Whitko in to the final, fell in identical 6-1 sets to Liza Lewis. Alyssa Zellers needed just 13 games to win at No. 3 singles over Jackie Werstler. Likewise with Collette Smith and Athena Schlitt at No. 1 doubles over sisters Jessica and Gracie Hook. Rachel Boyle and Amy Herendeen won 6-3, 6-0 at No. 2 doubles over Jenna VanCuren and Manon Sonneville.
The top performance of the tournament came from Ella Knight at No. 2 singles. She won 24 straight games in the sectional and dropped none, including her win over Whitko’s Delaney Keirn..
“Ella came out extremely focused. She was on a mission tonight, and that was pretty cool to watch,” Orban said.
“Alyssa moved well, played well, and played her game the whole time. At one doubles, they played aggressive, smart tennis, and played really well. Rachel and Amy played a few loose points at the beginning, but pulled it together and really smoked that last set.”
Whitko coach Ben Ogden said while the loss was disappointing, the legacy left by departing seniors, the Keirn and Hook sisters, will go a long way in helping the Lady Wildcats establish a more competitive program in the future.
“The mark the seniors are going to leave on this program is going to stick around for quite a long time. The hard work they put in and dedication they showed over the last four years and beyond is going to rub off on the younger girls.
“We had lots of freshmen and sophomores this year that saw the work the upperclassmen have been putting in, and the benefits they reap from putting in that hard work.
“I’m hopeful and optimistic that the mark left by these seniors, especially Morgan and Delaney, will be a positive and help us fulfill our goals for building the program.”
Warsaw will open play at the Culver Academies Regional Tuesday against Rochester, who upended the host Lady Eagles at the same site in the sectional. Rochester’s only two sectional titles have been the last two seasons.
Orban said the focus on one match at a time will carry over to the next round against the Lady Zebras.
“The girls would obviously love to win the regional, but the first thing is to focus on Rochester,” Orban said. “If we win that match, then we’ll talk about the title on the bus ride home.”
WARSAW 5, WHITKO 0
Singles: No. 1 – Liza Lewis (War) def. Morgan Keirn (Whi) 6-1, 6-1; No. 2 – Ella Knight (War) def. Delaney Keirn (Whi) 6-0, 6-0; No. 3 – Alyssa Zellers (War) def. Jackie Werstler (Whi) 6-1, 6-0.
Doubles: No. 1 – Colette Smith & Athena Schlitt (War) def. Jessica Hook & Gracie Hook (Whitko) 6-0, 6-1; No. 2 – Rachel Boyle & Amy Herendeen (War) def. Jenna VanCuren & Manon Sonneville (Whi) 6-3, 6-0.
Friday night at Warsaw Tennis and Fitness, it was business as usual with Warsaw blanking Whitko 5-0 for a 17th consecutive title and 27th overall.
So dominant were the Lady Tigers that they lost just 10 games in the entire tournament, three to Tippecanoe Valley in the semifinals and seven Friday.
“It never gets old,” longtime Warsaw coach Rick Orban said. “In fact, the older I get, the sweeter they are.”
He said the team uses the sectional streak as a focal point.
“(Winning sectional titles) is huge for them. I reminded them just before we started that Plymouth’s streak ended against Bremen. (The Lady Pilgrims would have the same streak as Warsaw, but lost in 2014.) I told them ‘You never know. We can either keep this streak going, or it ends tonight. It’s your call.’“
Morgan Keirn, whose win at No. 1 singles propelled Whitko in to the final, fell in identical 6-1 sets to Liza Lewis. Alyssa Zellers needed just 13 games to win at No. 3 singles over Jackie Werstler. Likewise with Collette Smith and Athena Schlitt at No. 1 doubles over sisters Jessica and Gracie Hook. Rachel Boyle and Amy Herendeen won 6-3, 6-0 at No. 2 doubles over Jenna VanCuren and Manon Sonneville.
The top performance of the tournament came from Ella Knight at No. 2 singles. She won 24 straight games in the sectional and dropped none, including her win over Whitko’s Delaney Keirn..
“Ella came out extremely focused. She was on a mission tonight, and that was pretty cool to watch,” Orban said.
“Alyssa moved well, played well, and played her game the whole time. At one doubles, they played aggressive, smart tennis, and played really well. Rachel and Amy played a few loose points at the beginning, but pulled it together and really smoked that last set.”
Whitko coach Ben Ogden said while the loss was disappointing, the legacy left by departing seniors, the Keirn and Hook sisters, will go a long way in helping the Lady Wildcats establish a more competitive program in the future.
“The mark the seniors are going to leave on this program is going to stick around for quite a long time. The hard work they put in and dedication they showed over the last four years and beyond is going to rub off on the younger girls.
“We had lots of freshmen and sophomores this year that saw the work the upperclassmen have been putting in, and the benefits they reap from putting in that hard work.
“I’m hopeful and optimistic that the mark left by these seniors, especially Morgan and Delaney, will be a positive and help us fulfill our goals for building the program.”
Warsaw will open play at the Culver Academies Regional Tuesday against Rochester, who upended the host Lady Eagles at the same site in the sectional. Rochester’s only two sectional titles have been the last two seasons.
Orban said the focus on one match at a time will carry over to the next round against the Lady Zebras.
“The girls would obviously love to win the regional, but the first thing is to focus on Rochester,” Orban said. “If we win that match, then we’ll talk about the title on the bus ride home.”
WARSAW 5, WHITKO 0
Singles: No. 1 – Liza Lewis (War) def. Morgan Keirn (Whi) 6-1, 6-1; No. 2 – Ella Knight (War) def. Delaney Keirn (Whi) 6-0, 6-0; No. 3 – Alyssa Zellers (War) def. Jackie Werstler (Whi) 6-1, 6-0.
Doubles: No. 1 – Colette Smith & Athena Schlitt (War) def. Jessica Hook & Gracie Hook (Whitko) 6-0, 6-1; No. 2 – Rachel Boyle & Amy Herendeen (War) def. Jenna VanCuren & Manon Sonneville (Whi) 6-3, 6-0.
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