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The Warsaw girls tennis team had experience on some courts and inexperience on others. Luckily, it had more of the former than the latter.
Returning seniors Sarah Boyle and Jacqueline Sasso to their Nos. 1 and 2 singles positions from a year ago, the Warsaw Lady Tigers (1-0) also have senior Rachel Alexander at No. 3 singles, and that trio picked up the three points the team needed to down Columbia City 3-2 Thursday night at Tiger Courts.
"Our singles spots are solid," veteran Warsaw coach Rick Orban said. "With Boyle, Sasso and Alexander - they're experienced, they're seniors. I expect them to win."
And win they did - with ease.
Sasso and Alexander were each 6-1, 6-1 victors, while Boyle lost one more game than her teammates, but still breezed 6-1, 6-2.
Those three points were the first three of night and gave the Lady Tigers the team win, matching their regular season win total from 2013.
While the singles players were finished, the inexperienced doubles teams were battling.
In a 3-2 loss at Manchester the previous night, Columbia City's wins in that one were on the doubles courts, where its strength lies.
"Basically, we had some nerves tonight," Orban said of his two doubles teams. "It's the first time they've really played together in a match. There were some really good things that happened, and Columbia City really loaded up their doubles."
At No. 1 doubles, Columbia City senior Sydney Ford and junior Macie Hinen defeated Warsaw senior Abbi Baum and junior Camille Kerlin 6-4, 6-1.
On the No. 2 doubles court, the newly formed duo of senior Anna Hall and freshman Athena Schlitt dropped the opening set 6-0 and fell behind 4-3 in the second before rallying to force a third set with a 7-5 win.
In the third, Columbia City juniors Cassie Bosselman and Bayley Smith were up 3-0, before the Lady Tigers fought back, tying the set at 4-4.
However, the Lady Eagles won the final two points, taking that match 6-4.
Despite the loss, Orban was excited with the way the No. 2 duo fought.
"To lose the first set 6-0, then come back and force it to a 6-4 (score) in the third - I'm pretty pleased with that," he said. "That shows some mental toughness."
Of all the doubles players, Kerlin returns with the most experience, but Orban would like to see her and Baum use some more of their strength to hit more winners.
"They didn't show the power that they've got and we'll definitely work on that," he said. "They're both powerful players and they need to utilize that."
The duo will get a chance to show some more power when some pretty powerful teams come to town for Saturday's Tiger Invitational.
Among the invitees to the tournament are No. 8 Munster, No. 21 Penn and No. 27 Fishers, as well as Merrillville, South Bend Adams and Elkhart Memorial.
"It's really about getting the competition, so the girls get to hit against that kind of power," Orban said. "It's actually going to help us, because it's easier to hit power against power, more than it is to hit power against no power. It should benefit us, so we'll see."
WARSAW 3, COLUMBIA CITY 2
SINGLES: No. 1 - Sarah Boyle (W) def. Rachel Flauding 6-1, 6-2; No. 2 - Jacqueline Sasso (W) def. Aubrey Wright 6-1, 6-1; No. 3 - Rachel Alexander (W) def. Katie Doerhmann 6-1, 6-1.
DOUBLES: No. 1 - Macie Hinen/Sydney Ford (CC) def. Abbi Baum/Camille Kerlin 6-4, 6-1; No. 2 - Cassie Bosselman/Bayley Smith (CC) def. Anna Hall/Athena Schlitt 6-0, 5-7, 6-4.
Records: Warsaw 1-0, CC 0-2.
JV- Warsaw 8, CC 2
JV Singles: No. 1 - Sydney Hartman (W) def. Maddy Minnick (CC) 8-1; No. 2 - Shelby Roberts (W) def. Meghan Fahl (CC) 8-0; No. 3 - Rosie Fleming (W) def. Mackenzie Lane (CC) 8-0.
JV Doubles: No. 1 - Mallory Bartel/Mattie Doran (W) def Hannah Clark/Katie Weigel (CC) 8-1; No. 2 - Greer Smith/Jenn Katris (W) def. Kathryn Newsom/Laura Peterson (CC) 8-1; No. 3 - Danielle Straits/Sydney Peugh (W) def. Balee Glass/Madison Muchow (CC) 8-2; No. 4 - Abby Smith/Bonnie Wong (W) def. Leah Mills/Maura Garza (CC) 8-1; No. 5 - Sherry Wong/Brooklyn Rummer (W) def Kayla Sinner/Ploy Kieatmontri (CC) 8-1; No. 6 - Maddy Minnick/Meghan Fahl (CC) def. Madison Mutchler/Chelsey Farling (W) 6-2; No. 7 - Hannah Clark/Katie Weigel (CC) def. Corinna Good/Krista Metzger 6-2.
