Valparaiso just missed its first victory of the 2010 spring season on Tuesday afternoon, dropping a 5-4 match to Eckerd in Saint Petersburg, Fla., the Crusaders’ first match on its spring trip.

Using the Division II scoring system while playing on the road, Valpo split its six doubles contests, but the Tritons won two of the three doubles contests which proved to be decisive.

Jackie O’Reilly (Green Bay, Wis./DePere H.S.) and Stephanie York (Elkhart, Ind./Jimtown H.S.) picked up Valpo’s doubles win at number three, defeating Sonnet Ludwig and Christine Hammerschmidt 8-3.  Manon Ironside and Stephanie Jenks won by the same score against Abby Wright (Sarasota, Fla./Pendleton H.S.) and Katie Bilyeu (Terre Haute, Ind./South Vigo H.S.).  Eckerd (1-4) also won at number one doubles, 8-0, as Emmy Laing and Amanda Teets downed Brittany O’Reilly (Green Bay, Wis./Southwest H.S.) and Camill Burden (Richmond, Ind./Richmond H.S.).

“We played really tough today,” head coach Traci Young said.  “We had lots of three-set matches in singles.”

Brittany O’Reilly won one of the three-set contests at number two, defeating Jenks 4-6, 6-4, 10-4 for her first collegiate victory.  Her sister Jackie O’Reilly added a 6-2, 6-4 win at number five against Hammerschmidt while Christine Antrobus (Fort Wayne, Ind./Homestead H.S.) downed Ludwig 0-6, 6-0, 6-1.

Laing topped Wright 6-2, 6-2 at the top spot while Teets beat Bilyeu 6-1, 6-0 at third singles for Eckerd.  Ironside also defeated York 1-6, 6-2, 6-2 at number four.

Valparaiso (0-3) will take on North Dakota on Thursday in Orlando, Fla. with first serve slated for 10:30 a.m. CST.