Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
INDIANAPOLIS - Merrillville's doubles team of seniors Danielle Moore and Demetra Strath were the teachers, and Warsaw sophomore Kara Kesler and freshmen Liza Weidenbenner were the pupils.
In the end, the lesson was loud and clear.
Moore and Strath defeated the Warsaw youngsters 6-0, 6-1 in Friday afternoon's quarterfinal round of the doubles state finals at Indianapolis North Central High School. They improved to 32-1. Kesler and Weidenbenner finish the season with an 11-8 record.
Kesler and Weidenbenner, who ended the regular season with a 7-7 record and who were the only doubles team made up of two underclassmen in the seven-team field, couldn't get things rolling from the get-go. The announcer couldn't even pronounce their names right and then stumbled over their record. And if that wasn't enough, they had to sit through an hour rain delay.
According to Kesler, it was simple errors that did them in.
"We didn't play as well as we have lately," said the Warsaw sophomore. "That was partly because we were nervous. And when you get nervous, you have to play a while to get it out of you."
Playing a while is what they weren't allowed to do. After play was halted for nearly an hour, it was halted again for about 15 minutes.
After the rain is when the Tiger duo appeared to play their best. They scored their only point of the afternoon in the second set, which they lost 6-1. In the first set, which they lost 6-0, they struggled with their serves and were caught off guard with some of Merrillville's quick and powerful returns.
Take away the two rain delays and the three doubles courts would've been empty in a little over an hour. On the other two doubles courts it was much of the same thing. Jasper seniors Dana Schitter and Erin Giesler (30-1) finished off senior Ashleigh Warner and sophomore Natalie Hamilton (24-4) of Kokomo 6-0, 6-1. Carly Everett and Emily Figel (30-3) of Homestead did away with Bedford North Lawrence's Mary Sanders and Lori Wronowicz (24-3) 6-0, 6-2.
Moore and Strath will do battle with Schitter and Giesler at 10 a.m. today. Everett and Figel will square off against 22-1 Jennifer Kirk and Kristen Clary of Terre Haute South at 10 a.m. as well. Consolation and championship matches are set for 2 p.m.
