Camille Kerlin will look to help her Warsaw tennis team win another sectional title this week (File photos by Mike Deak)

WARSAW – Warsaw girls tennis coach Rick Orban feels his team is the one to beat in the sectional.

Why shouldn’t he?

It’s hard to argue when the Tigers have won 13 straight sectional championships.

Warsaw will look to make it 14 straight starting Thursday.

The host Tigers drew the bye Monday night and will face Tippecanoe Valley in a semifinal match of its own five-team sectional.

The Warsaw Sectional opens Wednesday with Wawasee facing Columbia City. The winner of that match will play Whitko in one semifinal Thursday with Warsaw taking on the Vikings in the other.

The title tilt at Warsaw is set for Friday.

The Tigers did not play Tippecanoe Valley or Whitko during the regular season. They did beat Columbia City 3-2 in their season opener and topped NLC foe Wawasee 5-0.

Orban, whose team went 5-8 during the regular season, is coming off a strong effort in the NLC Tournament held indoors last Wednesday, Thursday and Friday due to the poor weather.

“It’s always nice to have the bye and I’m pleased with that,” said Orban Monday night after the sectional draw. “We had a good practice Monday and now we will be able to practice on Wednesday too.

“I think we are the sectional favorites. I’m thrilled with the way we are playing right now. We played our best tennis all season in the NLC Tournament.

“I’m looking forward to the sectional. I’m confident. We beat Columbia City 3-2 in the first match of the year. I’m sure they are confident too.”

Warsaw boasts a veteran lineup with seniors Jacqueline Sasso, Sarah Boyle and Rachel Alexander at the three singles positions respectively. Alexander was runner-up at No. 3 singles in the NLC Tournament, helping her team tie for fifth place in the final team standings. Boyle was third at No. 2 singles in the league tourney.

Wawasee, which has battled through injuries all year, beat Whitko 4-1 Monday night to close the regular season at 3-9.

Warsaw has won 23 girls tennis sectional titles overall. Wawasee has two sectional crowns, the last coming in 2000. Columbia City has won two, the last in 1981. Whitko and Valley have never won a sectional championship.

The Warsaw Sectional champion advances to the Culver Academies Regional May 27 to face the winner of the Peru Sectional in a semifinal match. The other semifinal will pit the Bremen Sectional winner versus the Culver Academies Sectional champion. The regional final is on May 28.

Warsaw lost 3-2 to Plymouth in a regional semifinal in 2013. The Pilgrims then lost to host Culver Academies in the regional final a year ago.

Triton will face conference foe John Glenn Thursday in a semifinal match of the Bremen Sectional. The Trojans. led by Kaelyn Mason at No. 1 singles, have put together a strong season.

Plymouth has won 13 straight sectional championships.

Sectional Pairings

At Warsaw
Wednesday: 4:30 p.m.: Columbia City vs. Wawasee
Thursday: 4:30 p.m.: Warsaw vs. Tippecanoe Valley
Thursday: 4:30 p.m.: Whitko vs. Columbia City-Wawasee winner
Friday: 4:30 p.m.: Championship

At Bremen
Wednesday: 4:30 p.m.: Bremen vs. Plymouth
Thursday: 4:30 p.m.: John Glenn vs. Triton
Thursday: 4:30 p.m.: LaVille vs. Bremen-Plymouth winner
Friday: 4:30 p.m.: Championship

At Goshen (at Goshen Middle School)
Wednesday: 4:30 p.m.: Goshen vs. Bethany Christian
Thursday: 4:30 p.m.: Fairfield vs. Jimtown
Thursday: 4:30 p.m.: NorthWood vs. Goshen-Bethany winner
Friday: 4:30 p.m.: Championship

Katy Ashpole has been at the top of the Wawasee singles lineup this season.