SYRACUSE – Clearly the favorite on paper, Warsaw's girls tennis team flexed its muscle on the court Wednesday. The Lady Tigers, the only team in the Wawasee Sectional with a winning record, wasted little time in advancing to tonight's championship match as they beat Kosciusko County opponent Tippecanoe Valley 5-0. Warsaw, in search of its 11th-straight sectional title and 21st overall, improved to 9-5 on the season and will face Wawasee at 5 p.m. The host Lady Warriors, trying to win their first sectional crown since 2000, improved their season record to 5-10 with a 4-1 win over Churubusco (4-11). "We're on a roll," said Warsaw coach Rick Orban. "We're playing really good tennis right now." Valley (2-13) won just two games against Warsaw, as Alli Tucker beat Meredith Stoops 6-1, 6-1 in the No. 1 singles match. "When you see a team's record is 2-12, you expect to win," said Orban. "But you don't want to play to your opponent's level, you want to play at your level. And I thought the girls were focused tonight. They came out and played their game." Tucker beat Stoops in just under 45 minutes, while the other four matches that were all 6-0, 6-0 took little more than a half hour. "I'm proud of the girls tonight, they competed," said Valley coach Matt Mobley. "I told the girls to play one point at a time and try and compete with them. We have to be more consistent and get more confidence, then we'll get some more wins. Kids want to get the wins first." In No. 2 singles action, Sarah Hartle beat Kendra Roberts; Elise Smith defeated Staci Groom in the No. 3 singles match; Lindsay Sciarra and Carlye Bishopp beat Danielle Bussard and Amanda Simpson in the No. 1 doubles slot; and Marley Smith and Olivia Wallin beat Alexis Swihart and Maryra Jurado at No. 2 doubles. In Wawasee's win over Churubusco, only the No. 3 singles match went to a third set, as the Lady Warriors' Charlotte Searfoss beat Shannon Kuznar 4-6, 6-3, 6-0. Churubusco's lone win came at No. 1 singles, where Morgan Young defeated Kalyn McDaniel 7-5, 6-1. In No. 2 singles action, Wawasee's Katie Allen beat Marla Martinez 6-0, 7-5. In doubles action, the Lady Warriors' Haley Windle and Lauren Erb won 6-3, 6-1 in the No. 1 spot, while teammates Morgan Geer and Mia Hauser were 6-0, 6-0 winners at No. 2. In the regular season matchup between Warsaw and Wawasee, the Lady Tigers won 5-0.
