Warsaw Netters To Play Plymouth In Regional Final
May 24, 2017 at 4:34 p.m.
By Mark [email protected]
Plymouth rolled to a 5-0 win over Manchester in the other semifinal, setting up tonight’s 5 p.m. final.
Lady Tiger coach Rick Orban said the only scouting on the Zebras came before the match, but that’s not out of the ordinary.
“I watched during the warm-ups, made sure the girls hit forehands, backhands during the warm-ups, tried to pick out some weaknesses and talked to the girls about that before the match started. That’s pretty much how I coach,” said Orban.
Four of Warsaw’s wins were with the Lady Tigers losing two games or less. The fifth, at No. 2 singles, went three sets, when Ella Knight dropped the first set 6-4 before roaring back for the win.
“Ella has played so strong. There was a coach here looking at her from college, a couple of relatives that haven’t been here before, and I think she was just nervous that first set,” said Orban.
“So I just looked at her, and I said ‘OK, play your game. It’s time to just play your game.’ Six-one, six-O. That’s her game.”
Plymouth was just as impressive in its win over Manchester, with only the No. 2 singles match going three sets. Orban said the senior-laden Lady Pilgrims, who beat Warsaw 3-2 in Northern Lakes Conference play April 18, will be tough to beat.
“What Plymouth always brings is the mental toughness: their kids never give up,” he said. “I don’t care if you beat them 6-0 the first set, and you’re up 5-0 the second set. You’d better start worrying because they just don’t give up. I love the attitude of the team, have total respect for Plymouth, for Brad (Haeck), the coach, and they’re a really good team. I think our match-ups are pretty good with them, but we’ve got to come to play in order to win it.
“Last year they beat us 4-1, and we were able to come back and beat them at the regional. This year they beat us 3-2,” Orban recalled. “If we come to really play, I think it’s going to be a great match. I like our match-ups ... a slightly different lineup than we had the first time we played them. All of our injuries are gone right now, so that’s a good thing. It’s just going to be a fun match tomorrow night.”
Manchester sophomore Kelsey Eichenauer, the daughter of head coach Joel Eichenauer, won her first set at No. 2 singles, then dropped a second-set tiebreaker before falling in the third set. Eichenauer won a three-set match Monday night at Peru.
"Playing long three-setters on back-to back-nights didn't give the star sophomore much recovery time,” Coach Eichenauer said. “Tonight anyone who saw her play would have been impressed to see her fired up and winning."
Manchester finished its season with a 13-4 record, and won back-to-back Three Rivers Conference and sectional titles.
The regional final will go rain or shine at Culver Academies, with first serve at 5 p.m. today.
WARSAW 5, ROCHESTER 0
Singles: No. 1 – Liza Lewis (W) def. Zoe Bixler (R) 6-1, 6-1; No. 2 – Ella Knight (W) def. Allie Bickle (R) 4-6, 6-1, 6-0; 3. Alyssa Zellers (W) def. Abbie McCarter (R) 6-0, 6-2.
Doubles: No. 1 – Athena Schlitt & Colette Smith (W) def. Arrianah Jacobs & Rosalie Navarro (R) 6-0, 6-0; 2. Rachel Boyle & Rachel Herendeen (W) def. Grace Daake & Clair Dunwoody (R) 6-2, 6-0.
PLYMOUTH 5, MANCHESTER 0
Singles: No. 1 – Lanae Singleton (P) def. Karly Eichenauer (M) 6-2, 6-2; No. 2 – Erin Hunter (P) def. Kelsey Eichenauer (M) 3-6, 7-5 (7-4), 6-0; No. 3 – Ashley Harrell (P) def. Leiah Brandenburg (M) 6-1, 6-1.
Doubles: No. 1 – Kendall Dreibelbis & McKenzie Scheetz (P) def. Lauren Metzger & Bethany Collett (M) 6-0, 6-1; No. 2 – Cortni Cook & Leah Smith (P) def. Kendra Auler & Lydia Little (M) 6-1, 6-0.
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Plymouth rolled to a 5-0 win over Manchester in the other semifinal, setting up tonight’s 5 p.m. final.
Lady Tiger coach Rick Orban said the only scouting on the Zebras came before the match, but that’s not out of the ordinary.
“I watched during the warm-ups, made sure the girls hit forehands, backhands during the warm-ups, tried to pick out some weaknesses and talked to the girls about that before the match started. That’s pretty much how I coach,” said Orban.
Four of Warsaw’s wins were with the Lady Tigers losing two games or less. The fifth, at No. 2 singles, went three sets, when Ella Knight dropped the first set 6-4 before roaring back for the win.
“Ella has played so strong. There was a coach here looking at her from college, a couple of relatives that haven’t been here before, and I think she was just nervous that first set,” said Orban.
“So I just looked at her, and I said ‘OK, play your game. It’s time to just play your game.’ Six-one, six-O. That’s her game.”
Plymouth was just as impressive in its win over Manchester, with only the No. 2 singles match going three sets. Orban said the senior-laden Lady Pilgrims, who beat Warsaw 3-2 in Northern Lakes Conference play April 18, will be tough to beat.
“What Plymouth always brings is the mental toughness: their kids never give up,” he said. “I don’t care if you beat them 6-0 the first set, and you’re up 5-0 the second set. You’d better start worrying because they just don’t give up. I love the attitude of the team, have total respect for Plymouth, for Brad (Haeck), the coach, and they’re a really good team. I think our match-ups are pretty good with them, but we’ve got to come to play in order to win it.
“Last year they beat us 4-1, and we were able to come back and beat them at the regional. This year they beat us 3-2,” Orban recalled. “If we come to really play, I think it’s going to be a great match. I like our match-ups ... a slightly different lineup than we had the first time we played them. All of our injuries are gone right now, so that’s a good thing. It’s just going to be a fun match tomorrow night.”
Manchester sophomore Kelsey Eichenauer, the daughter of head coach Joel Eichenauer, won her first set at No. 2 singles, then dropped a second-set tiebreaker before falling in the third set. Eichenauer won a three-set match Monday night at Peru.
"Playing long three-setters on back-to back-nights didn't give the star sophomore much recovery time,” Coach Eichenauer said. “Tonight anyone who saw her play would have been impressed to see her fired up and winning."
Manchester finished its season with a 13-4 record, and won back-to-back Three Rivers Conference and sectional titles.
The regional final will go rain or shine at Culver Academies, with first serve at 5 p.m. today.
WARSAW 5, ROCHESTER 0
Singles: No. 1 – Liza Lewis (W) def. Zoe Bixler (R) 6-1, 6-1; No. 2 – Ella Knight (W) def. Allie Bickle (R) 4-6, 6-1, 6-0; 3. Alyssa Zellers (W) def. Abbie McCarter (R) 6-0, 6-2.
Doubles: No. 1 – Athena Schlitt & Colette Smith (W) def. Arrianah Jacobs & Rosalie Navarro (R) 6-0, 6-0; 2. Rachel Boyle & Rachel Herendeen (W) def. Grace Daake & Clair Dunwoody (R) 6-2, 6-0.
PLYMOUTH 5, MANCHESTER 0
Singles: No. 1 – Lanae Singleton (P) def. Karly Eichenauer (M) 6-2, 6-2; No. 2 – Erin Hunter (P) def. Kelsey Eichenauer (M) 3-6, 7-5 (7-4), 6-0; No. 3 – Ashley Harrell (P) def. Leiah Brandenburg (M) 6-1, 6-1.
Doubles: No. 1 – Kendall Dreibelbis & McKenzie Scheetz (P) def. Lauren Metzger & Bethany Collett (M) 6-0, 6-1; No. 2 – Cortni Cook & Leah Smith (P) def. Kendra Auler & Lydia Little (M) 6-1, 6-0.
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