ELKHART – Rick Orban enjoys coaching his Warsaw girls tennis team.

That fact was never more apparent than on Tuesday night.

Orban, despite being involved in a car accident earlier in the day in Fort Wayne, made the trip to Elkhart Memorial to make sure he was there to guide his talented team in Northern Lakes Conference play.

“I love this team and I enjoy coaching them,” noted Orban Tuesday night following a 5-0 win. “They are great kids and I look forward to being with them. They (his players) just stared at me when I showed up tonight. I just told them that I can’t spend a night away from them.”

Orban was involved in an accident Tuesday at 7:40 a.m. as his vehicle was rear-ended. He was taken to Lutheran Hospital and underwent tests before arriving back home in Warsaw around 3:20. He then hopped in his truck and made the hour drive north to Memorial.

The dedicated, determined and somewhat stubborn Orban, who drove himself to the match and arrived after the team bus, liked what he saw from his experienced squad. His stellar singles lineup all won in straight sets, while his pair of doubles team each posted three-set wins.

“I’m awful sore right now, but I’m glad that I did come tonight,” said Orban. “I figured that there might be a struggle for our doubles teams tonight. I know how to motivate them and what to say to them. Honestly, I’m not sure if they win tonight if I’m not there.”

The Warsaw ladies, who have been in the semistate each of the past two seasons, continued to head for an NLC title. The Tigers, led by their strong singles lineup, improved to 6-2 overall and moved to 3-0 in league play. Warsaw’s pair of losses are to No. 4 Carroll and No. 23 Fort Wayne Canterbury.

Warsaw was coming off a 5-0 loss at powerful Carroll Monday night. The No. 4 ranked Chargers won all five courts in straight sets in the non-conference clash.

“I hoped to see our girls rebound tonight from Monday and have their attitudes up and I saw that,” remarked Orban. “They came to play tonight. Liza, Ella and Alyssa were all excellent at singles and our doubles are coming along. All in all, I was real pleased with how we rebounded.”

The trio of seniors Liza Lewis and Ella Knight and sophomore Alyssa Zellers claimed wins respectively at 1,2,3 singles for the Tigers.

Lewis defeated senior Layla Jojo 6-0, 6-2, while Knight topped junior Eva Morales 6-1, 6-2 and Zellers beat freshman Callan Kubiak 6-1, 6-2.

The No. 1 doubles team of Taylor Shoaf and Amy Herendeen bested senior Hanan Hakim and sophomore Megan Huys 4-6, 6-1, 6-1. The duo of Reagan Merchant and Rachel Yeager won 6-2, 4-6, 7-5 over exchange students Filippa Klasson and Paula Almirall at No. 2 doubles play.

Warsaw, boasting a deep and veteran roster, now has NLC wins over Plymouth, Northridge and Memorial. The Tigers have to be the definite favorite to claim the conference crown.

“I think that we should win the NLC, but you have to take them one match at a time,” Orban commented. “I know that our girls have goals of winning the NLC and winning the NLC Tournament and taking that momentum on into the postseason.

“Honestly, I like where we are at mentally and physically right now. Our singles players are playing with a lot of confidence and our doubles are coming along.”

Concord, which is ranked No. 28 in the latest statewide coaches’ poll released Tuesday, is also 3-0 in NLC play after downing Plymouth 3-2 in league play Tuesday night. Warsaw, which is unranked, plays at Concord on May 2.

Memorial, which finished 8-7 last year, drops to 2-3 overall and goes to 0-2 in the NLC. The Chargers also lost a 5-0 final to Concord in league play.

Warsaw won the junior varsity match 7-0.  Winning in singles play for the JV Tigers were Libby Jenkins, Maddie Ray and Kat Josellis. Winning in doubles action were the teams of Rachel Boyle and Addison Marshall, Anna Grill and Izzy Ray, Annie Burnett and Kat Rodgers and Jaya Panicker and Gracie Lewis.

Warsaw hosts Wawasee in NLC action Thursday and then plays in the Delta Invitational on Saturday. Host Delta is ranked No. 11. Memorial hosts Mishawaka Wednesday and entertains NLC foe Plymouth on Thursday.