Wawasee No Match For Warsaw SpikersSYRACUSE – Warsaw juniors Nikki Parrett and Hanna Leach combined for 25 kills and 12 aces, accounting for just under half of the Lady Tiger points in a 25-13, 25-10, 25-9 sweep of Wawasee in Northern Lakes Conference volleyball action in the Hardwood Tepee Thursday. The Lady Tigers were so dominant that Wawasee led in a set just once. The Lady Warriors scored four straight points to take a 5-3 lead in the third set, but Warsaw immediately answered with eight consecutive points and Wawasee was never heard from again. Parrett and Leach were the primary beneficiaries of the Lady Tigers’ passing and sets. Wawasee didn’t have a strong hitter to put Warsaw on the defensive, and the visitors took advantage. “I was really happy with our court movement. I thought we covered really well; that’s something we’ve been working on a lot,” Warsaw head coach Rick Ashmore said. “I thought our blocking was a lot better than what it had been. We’ve been working on that, too, and it was good to see them put that in to the game. “Obviously they don’t have the hitters we do, but they did a good job of keeping the ball in play, and making us play our game.” Wawasee head coach Kayla Riportella has been putting emphasis on playing with energy and enthusiasm, and felt like the Lady Warriors did well in that department in spite of the score. “Warsaw is probably one of the top schools in the conference right now in terms of a volleyball program,” she said. “They brought that with them and lived up to that expectation. They played their game. They ran a really strong offense; honestly, they’re a very impressive opponent. “My girls did bring the energy that we were lacking against Whitko (a three-set loss on Monday) and it still wasn’t enough. We look, at this point, for any win we can get, and training with that mentality, that fight, and I think we brought that today, whether or not we walked away with a win, or a close match. We stayed positive and fought our way through with energy.” Ashmore recognized the Lady Tigers’ team effort it took to get 40 kills in the match. “We don’t get the kills if Erin (Peugh) doesn’t get the pass, and Kacy (Bragg) doesn’t get the set. Kacy’s beginning to develop into a very, very strong setter. In our match the other day against Carroll she was phenomenal, and she’s continued to grow into that position.” Now past the halfway point in the season, Ashmore wouldn’t say whether the Lady Tigers were peaking or not. Warsaw has a 13-10 overall record and is 4-1 in the conference standings, and hosts the Tiger Invitational on Saturday. LaPorte, Rochester, and Fort Wayne Snider are among the teams playing. “We’ve got a big tournament this weekend, so we’ll find out a lot then,” Ashmore said. “But we’ve been tested all season. We’ve played one of the most challenging schedules, and most of it on the road. I like where we’re headed.” Wawasee travels to the Crown Point Invitational on Saturday.
