Senior Kyle Wettschurack will be a key man for defending champion Warsaw in the NLC Tennis Tournament starting Wednesday at Plymouth (File photos by Mike Deak)

WARSAW – Rick Orban said he would start the conversation with his team Monday night.

The Warsaw boys tennis coach planned to try and instill a dose of confidence back into his team heading into the Northern Lakes Conference Tournament starting Wednesday.

It will take actions though and not just words for the talented Tigers to repeat as league tourney champions this week.

Orban planned to share words of wisdom with his team following a 3-2 NLC home loss to rival Concord in the final match of the regular season. That loss left the defending league champion Tigers tied with the Minutemen at 6-1 atop the NLC standings. The setback also snapped a 13-match NLC winning streak for the Tigers dating back to a loss to Concord in 2011. The Minutemen won both the conference regular season and tourney titles in 2011.

“It’s up to me to motivate them,” said Orban after the loss Monday night. “Can we prove it at the NLC tourney that we are the best team in the conference?.”

“I believe in this team and expect us to win the NLC Tourney. I think as the defending champs we are still the team to beat. The big thing though is will our kids embrace that.”

Warsaw, which went 7-0 in the NLC and then won the league tourney in 2012, will be challenged by both Concord again and Plymouth in the eight-team event. The Pilgrims stood at 5-1 in the NLC after beating Northridge 4-1 Monday. Plymouth moved to 6-1 to tie Warsaw and Concord atop the league standings with a 4-1 NLC win at Goshen Tuesday night in a makeup match.

The Tigers beat Plymouth by a 3-2 final back on Sept. 5, while the Pilgrims edged Concord 3-2. Warsaw sits at 9-5 overall on the season, while Concord is 11-4 and Plymouth 11-2, including a 3-2 loss to No. 19 South Bend St. Joseph this past Saturday in the LaPorte Invitational.

Orban has shuffled his lineup all season long looking for the right combinations. The Tigers also lost Caleb Ray to a wrist injury suffered in a match versus Culver Academies on Sept. 4.

The NLC Tourney begins Wednesday at Plymouth. It continues Thursday back at Plymouth and concludes Saturday at Goshen Middle School starting at 9 a.m.

Orban says a quick start, focus and aggressiveness are all key for his team.

“We need to start strong in matches, make sure we are moving our feet and play with energy,” Orban said. “We can’t just sit back. We have to bring it.”

The Warsaw lineup Monday had the trio of Sam Rice and seniors  Kyle Wettschurack and Evan Miller at the three singles spots respectively. Seniors Will Petro and Nikos Schlitt were at No. 1 doubles with Nic Jansen and Justin Stout at No. 2.

Wawasee collected its first NLC win of the season Monday at NorthWood. The Warriors improved to 7-7 overall and 1-5 in league play by edging past the Panthers 3-2.  Wawasee then topped winless Elkhart Memorial 4-1 in NLC play Tuesday night to go to 8-7 overall and finish 2-5 in league action.

The Warrior lineup Monday had Kyler Love at No. 1 singles with Todd Hauser at No. 2 and Cal Heinisch at No. 3. The doubles teams were Chase Myers and Dylan Houser at No. 1 and Jake Hutchinson and Doug Hapner at No. 2.

The final regular-season standings in the NLC have Warsaw,  Concord and Plymouth all at 6-1, followed by Northridge (3-4), Goshen (3-4), NorthWood (2-5), Wawasee (2-5) and Memorial (0-7).

Wawasee senior Dylan Houser will compete at No. 1 doubles in the league tourney.