The Warsaw volleyball team was on the road a lot to open this season.

The Tigers though will begin their postseason push at home next week versus a familiar sectional foe.

Warsaw will take on conference rival and perennial sectional nemesis Elkhart Memorial in an opening round match of the Class 4-A Warsaw Sectional on Oct. 20.

The pairings for the 45th annual tournament, which opens on Oct. 18, were drawn this morning by the IHSAA in Indianapolis.

The seven-team field at Warsaw is a loaded one this fall. The tournament opens with Elkhart Central (21-4) facing No. 5 and sectional favorite Penn. The Kingsmen, who play at Warsaw tomorrow night, are 25-2. Penn beat Central 3-0 early in the regular season.

The Tigers, who are 17-12 under first-year coach Rick Ashmore and have a roster with just one senior, face Memorial in the second match on Oct. 20. The Crimson Chargers, who won both sectional and regional titles in 2015, have struggled this season with a young and inexperienced team and sit at 12-15 after going 1-3 in the LaPorte Invitational on Saturday. Warsaw won 3-1 at Memorial in the league matchup back on Aug. 30.

The Crimson Chargers, who are a perennial power under coach Jacquie Rost, have sidelined Warsaw in sectional play in six of the last seven seasons. Memorial, which has won sectional titles in eight of the last nine years, was Class 4-A state runner-up in 2007 and again in 2009.

A strong Concord team, which is 23-6 and owns wins over both Warsaw and Memorial, will face Goshen in the first round. Concord will play at Plymouth Tuesday night to determine the Northern Lakes Conference champion.

Northridge drew the bye and will play in the semifinals on Oct. 22 in the Tiger Den.

Penn captured seven straight sectional crowns before losing to Memorial in the sectional final at Penn in 2015 after realignment placed the Kingsmen into the sectional with the Crimson Chargers. Penn won back-to-back Class 4-A state titles in 2010 and 2011.

Warsaw’s last sectional championship came in 2004.

Both Wawasee and Tippecanoe Valley are in the Class 3-A Fairfield Sectional. The Vikings (17-11) meet West Noble in a first-round matchup, while the Warriors (6-18) drew a bye and face defending champion NorthWood in the semifinal round. West Noble has a had a strong season and won the Whitko Invitational on Saturday.

Whitko, under the direction of first-year coach Mike Howard, travels down to the Class 2-A Central Noble Sectional. The Wildcats, who are 22-10, face Fremont in the opener there on Oct. 18.

Triton is set to defend its sectional crown at Oregon-Davis. The Trojans, who are 18-10, face North Miami in a first-round matchup on Oct. 20.

Lakeland Christian Academy (2-12) will face host Hamilton in a Class 1-A sectional opener on Oct. 18.

Sectional championship matches are scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 22. One-match regionals are Tuesday, Oct. 25 with semi states on Saturday, Oct. 29 and the four State Finals matches on Saturday, Nov. 5 at Ball State University in Muncie.

The Warsaw Sectional winner will host the Plymouth Sectional champion in regional action. The Fairfield Sectional winner will play at the Fort Wayne Dwenger Sectional winner in 3-A, with the Central Noble Sectional winner at the Bluffton Sectional champion in 2-A and the Oregon-Davis Sectional winner at the Hamilton Sectional winner in 1-A.

Sectional Pairings

Class 4-A At Warsaw
Match 1: Oct. 18: 7 p.m.: Elkhart Central vs. Penn
Match 2: Oct. 20: 6 p.m.: Goshen vs. Concord
Match 3: Oct. 20: 8 p.m.: Elkhart Memorial vs. Warsaw
Match 4: Oct. 22: 11 a.m.: Northridge vs. Match 1 winner
Match 5: Oct. 22: 12:30 p.m.: Match 2 winner vs. Match 3 winner
Match 6: Oct. 22: 7 p.m.: Championship

Class 3-A At Fairfield
Match 1: Oct. 20: 6 p.m.: Lakeland vs. Fairfield
Match 2: Oct. 20: 7:30 p.m.: West Noble vs. Tippecanoe Valley
Match 3: Oct. 22: 11 a.m.: Match 1 winner vs. Match 2 winner
Match 4: Oct. 22: 12:30 p.m.: Wawasee vs. NorthWood
Match 5: Oct. 22: 5 p.m.: Championship

Class 2-A At Central Noble
Match 1: Oct. 18: 7 p.m.: Fremont vs. Whitko
Match 2: Oct. 20: 6 p.m.: Westview vs. Prairie Heights
Match 3: Oct. 20: 7:30 p.m.: Bremen vs. Central Noble
Match 4: Oct. 22: 11 a.m.: LaVille vs. Match 1 winner
Oct. 22: 12:30 p.m.: Match 2 winner vs. Match 3 winner
Oct. 22: 7 p.m.: Championship

Class 1-A At Oregon-Davis
Match 1: Oct. 18: 6 p.m.: LaCrosse vs. Oregon-Davis
Match 2: Oct. 20: 6 p.m.: South Central vs. Argos
Match 3: Oct. 20: 7:30 p.m.: North Miami vs. Triton
Match 4: Oct 22: 10 a.m.: Culver vs. Match 1 winner
Match 5: Oct. 22: 12 p.m.: Match 2 winner vs. Match 3 winner
Match 6: Oct. 22: 6 p.m.: Championship

Class 1-A At Hamilton
Match 1: Oct. 18: 7 p.m.: Lakeland Christian Academy vs. Hamilton
Match 2: Oct. 20: 6 p.m.: Lakewood Park Christian vs. South Bend Career Academy
Match 3: Oct. 20: 7:30 p.m.: Fort Wayne Blackhawk vs. Elkhart Christian Academy
Match 4: Oct. 22: 11 a.m.: Bethany Christian vs. Match 1 winner
Match 5: Oct. 22: 1 p.m.: Match 2 winner vs. Match 3 winner
Match 6: Oct. 22: 7 p.m.: Championship