Rochester draws Culver Academy in sectional opener

Valley gets bye, could face Warsaw in semis

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS

Sports Editor, RTC

The Rochester girls tennis team will play host Culver Academy in the sectional quarterfinals at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, according to the IHSAA draw released Monday.

Culver Academy is the six-time defending sectional champions, and they have won 20 sectional titles in their history. They have not lost a sectional match since falling to the Lady Zs in the 2017 sectional final.

Culver Academy also lost to Rochester in the 2016 sectional semifinals. 2016 and 2017 are the only years since 2005 that Culver Academy has not won the sectional in which it was contested. (The state tournament was canceled in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.)

The Culver Academy-Rochester winner will play Knox, who received a bye in the semifinals. In the other half of the draw, Plymouth drew North Judson with the winner to face Triton.

Plymouth has won 36 sectional titles in their history, but they lost to Culver Academy 5-0 in last year’s sectional quarterfinals.

Culver Academy has indoor courts adjacent to its outdoor courts in case of rain.

Meanwhile, Tippecanoe Valley received a bye in the five-team sectional at Warsaw. The Lady Vikings, who went 16-1 during the regular season and won the inaugural Indiana Northern State Conference title, will face the winner of the Whitko-Warsaw dual in the semifinals at 4:30 p.m. Thursday.

The sectional final is set for 4:30 p.m. Friday.

Valley has never won a sectional title in girls tennis; on the other hand, Warsaw is the 23-time defending sectional champion and has not lost a sectional match since 2000.

In the other half of the draw, Columbia City will face off with Wawasee.

Valley lost to Columbia City 5-0 in last year’s sectional semifinals.