Wawasee’s Jazlyn Gehlhausen prepares to serve during sectional action Wednesday night at Warsaw. The Warriors topped Columbia City 3-2.

WARSAW – The Wawasee girls tennis team had a tough go of it in the three-day Northern Lakes Conference Tournament last week.

The Warriors proved to be a really resilient bunch of young ladies on Wednesday.

A youthful Wawasee team bounced back in a big way to edge past Columbia City 3-2 in the opening round of the Warsaw Sectional.

The Warriors, now 4-9, advance to face Tippecanoe Valley on Thursday in one semifinal. Host Warsaw, which has won 15 straight sectional crowns, will play Whitko in the other semifinal Thursday. Both matches are slated to begin at 4:30 p.m. at WCHS. The sectional final is slated for Friday at 4:30 p.m.

Wawasee doubled its pleasure Wednesday with a pair of wins on the doubles courts to sideline the Eagles.

The Warriors took the match when its No. 2 doubles duo of freshman Kendra Doerr and sophomore Courtney Larson prevailed in a close second set. The Wawasee team won the first set 6-2 and were up 6-5 in the second and serving for the match before the Columbia City team of senior Leah Mills and sophomore Jayma Acres staved off three match points to force a tiebreaker. Doerr and Larson calmly regrouped and dominated the tiebreaker for a 7-1 win to claim the clinching point for their team to close out the 1:38 minute match.

“Yes it made me nervous,” admitted Wawasee coach Shane Staley of his No. 2 doubles team having to go to a tiebreaker to win the second set. “But, I’m definitely happy with them and what they did in that tiebreaker. They are a young team that has not played a full season together this year and they are still learning their way and how to close out matches.

“We had a really tough time in the NLC Tournament last week. I was hoping that the girls could rebound back and come out with confidence tonight and play a lot harder. They did that. They responded and did what they needed to do for us to advance. I’m definitely pleased with that.”

Kabrea Rostochak readies for a return in No. 1 doubles play for the Warriors.

The Warriors took a quick 2-0 lead in the match with wins from freshman Meg Heinisch at No. 3 singles and the No. 1 doubles duo of senior Charity Parker and sophomore Kabrea Rostochak. Heinisch was the first off the court as she beat freshman Megan Stevenson 6-1, 6-1. Stevenson was inserted into the lineup for junior Hannah Clark at the No. 3 singles spot for the Eagles. Parker and Rostochak topped seniors Katie Weigel and Mackenzie Lane 6-0, 6-1.

“Our No. 1 doubles has been tough for us all year and have won some big matches,” said Staley. “They came out and did what they needed to tonight. We got a little break at No. 3 singles with them having to change their lineup. We took advantage of that.

“The thing is that we have been really good at doubles all season. It’s been a tough go of it at singles this year for us with really no experience there. We have two freshmen and then a player who played doubles last year.”

The Eagles got singles wins from junior Maria Sitja at No. 1 and sophomore Hannah Behm at No. 2. Sitja topped senior Jazlyn Gehlhausen 6-2 6-2 and Behm defeated freshman Peyton Rookstool 6-2, 6-3.

Wawasee, which did not face Columbia City during the regular season, faces a Valley team Thursday for a spot in the sectional finale. The Warriors also did not play the Vikings this season.

“I just want us to come back out tomorrow night and fight as hard as we can and take nothing for granted,” concluded Staley.

Freshman Meg Heinisch was a winner at No. 3 singles for Wawasee.