Warsaw senior Lexie Day blocks a Penn shot Tuesday night. The Tigers lost 3-0 to the Class 4-A No. 4 ranked Kingsmen.

MISHAWAKA – Monday night matches have not been kind to the Warsaw volleyball team this season.

Penn made sure that trend continued too.

The powerful Kingsmen were all business in downing the visiting Tigers 3-0 in a non-conference matchup Monday night.

Penn, ranked No. 4 in Class 4-A, rolled to a 25-16, 25-14, 25-20 victory.

The Kingsmen improve to 15-1 on the season, while Warsaw drops to 11-5.

Kacy Bragg sets the ball for the Tigers.

Warsaw, which had won its last four matches, simply had no answers for Penn for the second straight year. The Kingsmen won at Warsaw 25-14, 25-9, 25-14 in 2016.

“We’ve played our two worst matches of the season on Mondays,” said Warsaw coach Rick Ashmore. “I don’t think that is a coincidence. We didn’t practice well on Friday and then our girls worked a tournament Saturday.

“But, we were not ready to play tonight. Penn wanted it more. We didn’t do the things that we had talked about before the match. Hopefully this is a good learning experience. We have to come ready to play.”

Warsaw’s only other Monday night match this season was a 3-0 loss at home to Homestead back on Aug. 21.

Warsaw got off to a good start in the opening set. The Tigers led 4-1 and 6-4 early before the Kingsmen found their groove.

Penn, led by junior middle blocker Alyssa Torres, took control quickly and dominated the first game.

The Kingsmen, who return eight letter winners from last years’ 31-3 team, did not relent in the second set. The second game was tied at 9-9  before the hosts went on a 7-1 run to take command.

Warsaw dug a huge hole in the final set at 17-7 before showing fight at the end. The Tigers got back within 24-20 on a kill by Lexie Day. Torres made sure that the Tiger rally would get no closer as she smashed a huge kill to end the 66-minute match.

Warsaw and Penn, which both played in the Warsaw Sectional a year ago, are now in different Class 4-A sectionals come postseason time next month.

“Penn beat us badly last year and we came back from that,” noted Ashmore. “We will be fine. We just have to get back to practice on Wednesday and work on some things.”

Kennedy Lauck readies at the net.

Senior Day led the Warsaw offense with six ills. Freshman Kennedy Lauck, along with junior Kacy Bragg and senior Hanna Leach each had four kills. Freshman Betty Barnett added two kills.

Junior libero Erin Peugh had 22 digs and freshman Kennedy Lauck two blocks for Warsaw.

The Kingsmen, who were upset in the sectional a year ago by Elkhart Central, got big play at the net from Torres and senior Courtney North and fantastic defense from outstanding senior libero Rachel Hickey.

Torres, a 5-10 junior, led the Penn offense with 12 kills. Italia Fields, a 5-11 senior outside hitter,r had 10 kills. Senior libero Hickey had 18 digs and three service aces for the Kingsmen.

Penn won the junior varsity match 25-18, 25-21. Gwyn Bellamy had 10 kills for the Warsaw JV. McKenna Hawblitzel had 16 digs and Kylie Prater 14 for the Tigers.

Penn topped Warsaw in the freshman match 25-22, 23-25, 15-8. Tessa Wood had nine kills for the Tigers. Kendra Love had 17 assists and Wood, Allison Hartman, Sydney Morel and Izzy Hamill each had two aces. Morel had 10 digs, while Rylee Kaufman had nine and Emma Spencer four.

Warsaw plays at Columbia City Tuesday night and then hosts conference foe Plymouth Thursday evening. The Tigers are 3-0 in league play.

Penn plays at South Bend Clay Tuesday night and then in the Lafayette Jeff Tournament on Saturday.

Lexie Day blasts a kill for the Tigers.

Katie Swanson (No. 3) celebrates for the Tigers.