SOUTH WHITLEY - After facing two consecutive ranked opponents, the Warsaw Lady Tigers volleyball team got a bit of a break Tuesday, but not too big of one.
Squaring off against the Whitko Lady Wildcats (2-6) in South Whitley, Warsaw (6-2) posted a three-game victory (25-20, 25-15, 25-15), but had a little trouble adjusting to the style of play."There was a different speed to the game," Warsaw coach Mike Howard said about playing Whitko after having faced (Class 3A No. 5) Mishawaka Marian and (Class 4A No. 3) Elkhart Memorial last week. "We just need to learn to play to our potential against every team."
Warsaw never trailed the entire match, and the only tie occurred at 2-2 in the opening game. But following the opening-game victory, the Tigers only got more comfortable, cruising through the last two games.
"They're an excellent, excellent team," Whitko coach Doug West said about Warsaw. "They play hard and play in system a lot."
The match was only West's eighth at Whitko following a one-year hiatus after his coaching tenure at Warsaw ended at the conclusion of the 2007 season.
Following that match, numerous Warsaw players and parents came over to visit with the former Tigers coach, who had nothing but positive things to say about his former team.
"They're a nice group of girls and they're a great team," West said. "I hope they can win their sectional and go a long way."
If Warsaw is destined to go a long way in the postseason, the Tigers will look for major contributions from front-row players Corinne Coon, Sarah Shilling, Natalie Decker and Anne Holderman.
"Whitko has a couple girls with size, but it was going to be a tough night for them to physically match up with us," Howard said about Whitko's Rachelle Kessie and Amber Blankenship, who both had two blocks. "With Corinne Coon, Sarah Shilling and Natalie Decker, we can really put about five girls out there."
In the win, Coon led the way with nine kills, including three straight to open the second game. Shilling finished with six kills, followed by Natalie Decker's four.
Along with the Warsaw attacks, Whitko also struggled against their service game, allowing the road team to post 19 aces, led by Shilling's six.
"She has a really good change-of-pace serve," Howard said about the senior, who posted four aces in a five-serve span in the third game.
Outside of his team struggling with its own serves, as well as its serve-receiving, West was pleased with what he saw from his girls.
"This is the best we've played," he said.
"Overall, I'm really pleased," he added. "I'm looking forward to seeing how we improve moving forward."
And Howard was also impressed with how his predecessor is doing.
"Doug is doing wonderful things with them," he said.
Warsaw's next match is Thursday at home against Northern Lakes Conference foe Goshen. Whitko is back in Three Rivers Conference action Thursday at home against North Miami.
