Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
SYRACUSE -ÊAfter Warsaw defeated Whitko 5-0 and Wawasee defeated Tippecanoe Valley 5-0 in the morning matches of the Wawasee Sectional Saturday morning, The Tigers and Warriors were ready for a rematch.
Earlier in the season, Warsaw edged Wawasee 3-2, and after the match Warrior coach Cindy Peterson said, "The kids would like to play this Warsaw team again."
Before Saturday's sectional championship match, Warsaw coach Rick Orban held up that article as his team sat on the bus.
"I used that article as a motivator," said Orban. "I think it worked. We came out and played much better this time."
The Tigers picked up a 4-1 win over the Warriors to advance to the Northridge Regional tonight in Middlebury.
"Last time we played Wawasee, it was close all the way," said Orban. "That match could have easily gone either way. Today we came out to win."
In the first match of the day, the Tigers blanked Whitko.
"We used the match against Whitko to get in a rhythm for the day," said Orban. "The girls played well in the first match and continued to play well through the rest of the day."
Against Wawasee, Warsaw continued to play well.
At the No. 1 singles match, Warsaw's Jessica Davis faced off against Wawasee's Carly Murphy. Davis won the match 6-1, 6-2.
"Jessica did a phenomenal job," said Orban. "Carly Murphy is an exceptionally good player, and she played a very good match today."
Wawasee got its only point of the match at the No. 2 singles position. Warrior senior Kate Murphy downed Tiger Ashley Harrison 6-1, 6-2.
"Kate Murphy played an incredible match," said Orban. "Ashley had her hands full, Kate played a nearly flawless match. I think she only had six unforced errors, a nearly perfect game."
At the No. 3 spot, Warsaw's Kaitlyn Macdonald picked up a 6-2, 6-2 win over Kendra Ganz.
"Kaitlyn is probably one of the top three No. 3 singles players in the state," said Orban. "She dominated today in the sectional."
In the closest match of the afternoon, Warsaw's Kristi Haddad and Jessica Hollar teamed up against Wawasee's Ashley Ganz and Alison Kropf in the No. 2 doubles match. The duo from Wawasee won the first set 6-4, but the Tiger pair made a comeback to win the second set 6-3.
In the tiebreaking set, Haddad and Hollar picked up a 6-0 victory to win the match for Warsaw.
"The team from Wawasee beat them earlier in the season," said Orban. "Kristi and Jessica really showed guts today. To come back from losing the first set to tie the match and then win the last set 6-0, that was impressive."
In the No. 2 doubles match, senior Tracy Yoder and freshman Jillian Harrison teamed up against Wawasee's Cara Windle and Krista VanLue. The Tiger twosome picked up a 6-1, 6-4 win in the match.
"Our senior and our freshman, you gotta love 'em," said Orban. "They played well. Tracy is our senior, our captain, and she refuses to lose."
The Tigers take on Fairfield tonight in the first match of the Northridge Regional. Concord meets DeKalb in the other regional semifinal match.
WAWASEE GIRLS TENNIS SECTIONAL
WARSAW 5, WHITKO 0
Singles
No. 1 -ÊJessica Davis (War) def. Brooke Workman 6-0, 6-0
No. 2 -ÊAshley Harrison (War) def. Emily Crist 6-2, 6-0
No. 3 -ÊKaitlyn Macdonald (War) def. Tiffany atton 6-0, 6-0
Doubles
No. 1 -ÊKristi Haddad/Jessica Hollar (War) def. Brandy Bayles/Jennifer Wendel 6-1, 6-1
No. 2 -ÊTracy Yoder/Jillian Harrison (War) def. Amanda Busz/Stephanie Haines 6-3, 6-2
WAWASEE 5, TIPPECANOE VALLEY 0
Singles
No. 1 -ÊCarly Murphy (Waw) def. Kelly Sanders 6-0, 6-1
No. 2 -ÊKate Murphy (Waw) def. Lindda Weller 6-0, 6-1
No. 3 -ÊKendra Ganz (Waw) def. Chris Swanson 6-0, 6-0
Doubles
No. 1 -ÊAshley Ganz/Alison Kropf (Waw) def. Carli Anglin/Karissa Fields 6-2, 6-3
No. 2 -ÊCara Windle/Krista VanLue (Waw) def. Autumn Beasley/Becky Wright 6-0, 6-0
CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
WARSAW 4, WAWASEE 1
Singles
No. 1 -ÊJessica Davis (War) def. Carly Murphy 6-1, 6-2
No. 2 -ÊKate Murphy (Waw) def. Ashley Harrison 6-1, 6-2
No. 3 - Kaitlyn Macdonald (War) def. Ashley Ganz 6-2, 6-2
Doubles
No. 1 -ÊKristi Haddad/Jessica Hollar (War) def. Ashley Ganz/Alison Kropf 4-6, 6-3, 6-0
No. 2 -ÊTracy Yoder/Jillian Harrison (War) def. Cara Windle/Krista VanLue 6-1, 6-4
