Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
DUNLAP -ÊDespite the fact that Warsaw's girls tennis team picked up a 4-1 win over Elkhart Central in the Concord Regional Tuesday evening, Tiger coach Rick Orban knew the girls did not start the match at the top of their game.
"Honestly, I think the girls were a bit overconfident," said Orban. "Before tonight's match they were really quiet, which is unusual for them. They are usually laughing and joking around. I figured it was either that they were really focused and ready to go to work, or for some reason they were nervous. And that surprised me, too."
But the Tigers fought through those nerves to pick up the regional semifinal win and advance to tonight's championship match against DeKalb.
No. 2 singles player Kaitlyn Macdonald picked up Warsaw's first point of the night, defeating Elkhart Central's Tracy Seaver 6-1, 6-0.
"Kaitlyn played as well as she has all season long," said Orban. "She played very well."
The second Tiger team point of the night came at the No. 1 doubles spot. Kristi Haddad and Ashley Harrison teamed up to beat Laura Lewandowski and Allison Rodino 6-2, 6-1.
"Our No. 1 doubles team played a good match tonight," said Orban. "They played very solid and are at the top of their game right now. They play smart. They play aggressive. And they play power. They are just a fun team to watch."
The Blue Blazers picked up their only team point of the match in the third match to finish. Elkhart Central's No. 3 singles player Mallory Welch topped Warsaw's Jessica Sadler 6-4, 6-0 to make the team score 2-1 in Warsaw's favor.
"Jessica is playing varsity for the first time this year," said Orban. "I think she was a bit nervous."
Warsaw's winning point came at the No. 1 singles position where Jessica Davis faced off against Elkhart Central's Madeline Bond. Davis was down 4-0 in the first set before making a comeback. Davis came all the way back in the set to win 7-5. She then cruised through the second set, defeating Bond 6-0.
"When Jessica was down, I told her to stay patient," said Orban. "She had a lot of unforced errors early. I made her take a deep breath and slow down. She was the better player and all she had to do was execute. Once she did that, it was smooth sailing."
In the longest match of the evening, Warsaw's No. 2 doubles pair of Brandy Allen and Jillian Harrison took on Elkhart Central's Lauren Freve and Amy Owens. Freve and Owens won the first set 6-4, but then the Warsaw duo kicked into gear.
Allen and Harrison fought back to take a 4-1 lead and then win the second set 6-2.
In the deciding set of the match, Harrison and Allen took a 2-1 lead early. They increased that advantage to 4-1 before the Blue Blazers made the score 4-3. Warsaw went on to take the match 6-4.
"Our No. 2 doubles team came out really flat," said Orban. "It's funny, they do that a lot. But I think they learned their lesson tonight."
Warsaw's win earned a spot in the Concord Regional Championship. The Tigers will face off against DeKalb at 5 p.m. tonight in Dunlap.
CONCORD REGIONAL
WARSAW 4, ELKHART CENTRAL 1
Singles
No. 1 -ÊJessica Davis (War) def. Madeline Bond (EC) 7-5, 6-0
No. 2 -ÊKaitlyn Macdonald (War) def. Tracy Seaver (EC) 6-1, 6-0
No. 3 - Mallory Welch (EC) def. Jessica Sadler (War) 4-6, 0-6
Doubles
No. 1 -ÊKristi Haddad/Ashley Harrison (War) def. Laura Lewandowski/Allison Rodino (EC) 6-2, 6-1
No. 2 - Brandy Allen/Jillian Harrison (War) def. Lauren Freve/Amy Owens (EC) 4-6, 6-2, 6-4
Other Match:
DEKALB 5, FAIRFIELD 0
