Lady Pilgrims top Warsaw in NLC opener
WARSAW — After a perfect start to the high school girls tennis season against stiff non-conference competition, the Plymouth team opened Northern Lakes Conference play Tuesday at Warsaw.
Not surprisingly, this rivalry match came down to the last court with the Lady Pilgrims coming away with the 3-2 win over the Lady Tigers under clear, but cold conditions.
“Warsaw has a strong team. They always do,” said Plymouth head coach Brad Haeck. “So getting the win, it was a great night.”
Plymouth’s Cassidy Riddle and Morgan Langfeldt made quick work on the No. 2 doubles court to gets things going, winning 6-0, 6-2. Langfeldt, a junior, was very effective at the net, while the sophomore Riddle always seemed to find the open court against the Warsaw pair made up of a senior and a junior.
“They started well and did a nice job,” Haeck said. “Cassidy communicates so well. That had a lot to do with their success. They forced errors and played solid.”
Warsaw had freshmen in the Nos. 1 and 2 singles positions. Lefty Addie Lind played beyond her years and even though PHS senior Aubrey Vervynckt battled like she always does, the WHS prodigy evened the team score at 1-1 with a straight-set win at the top spot. Plymouth’s Bella Kain humbled the other Warsaw underclassman though, hard-hitting Abby Nichols, 6-2, 6-2, to give Plymouth a 2-1 lead.
“She does a nice job being a wall,” said Haeck of the junior Kain. “She makes her opponent hit two or three extra shots and that leads to forced errors. She also got into (Nichols’) head a little bit too. (Nichols) maybe felt like she had to go for more winners than she wanted to.”
At No. 3 singles, Plymouth sophomore Annie Plothow lost to steady Warsaw senior Regan Brower in straight sets to set up the deciding match.
With the score tied 2-all, the clinching point came down to No 1 doubles. Plymouth juniors Taylor Delp and Ellie Jones turned a 2-1 first-set deficit into a 6-3 win before Warsaw’s all-senior pair of Marie Frazzetta and Megan Mishler sent it to a third set with a 6-1 second-set win.
“We played a little bit timid for a while,” said Delp of the second set surprise. “We wanted to hit to their backhands and we started doing that more (in the final set).”
“We didn’t feel any pressure,” added Jones about heading to a third set with the momentum on Warsaw’s side.
In the final set, Plymouth led 3-1 before getting broke by the Lady Tigers. But from there, the Lady Pilgrim duo played some of their best tennis and won the next three games to close it out.
“We wanted to stay on the gas and not let up,” said Jones of the final flurry.
“That was really exciting.”
“We just blocked everything else out,” added Delp. “It was just me and Ellie out there. We stayed focused.”
“That was a competitive match all the way through,” Haeck said of the No. 2 doubles match. “Warsaw was very consistent. When we struggled, we didn’t play as aggressive as we usually do. We were on our heels a little bit and complacent. But our girls are athletic and they find a way. They made them hit extra shots and put the pressure on them. That was the difference.”
Plymouth returns to the home courts today to face another NLC opponent, Northwood. Action begins at 5 p.m. at the Mary Beth Hunter Tennis Complex in Centennial Park.
• PLYMOUTH 3, WARSAW 2
At Warsaw
SINGLES: 1. Addie Lind (W) def. Aubrey Vervynckt 6-1, 6-3; 2. Bella Kain (P) def. Abby Nicholas (W) 6-2, 6-2; 3. Regan Brower (W) def. Annie Plothow 6-3, 6-2 DOUBLES: 1. Taylor Delp-ellie Jones (P) def. Marie Frazzettamegan Mishler 6-3, 1-6, 6-2; 2. Cassidy Riddle-morgan Langfeldt (P) def. Kennedy Wiedeman-avery Landwerlen 6-0, 6-2 Records: Plymouth 5-0 (1-0 NLC), Warsaw 0-2 (0-1 NLC)