Valparaiso opened its 2007 season on Friday evening, but the Crusaders were shutout by 71st ranked DePaul 7-0 at the Lakeshore Athletic Club in Chicago, Ill.

The Blue Demons swept doubles to open the match. Valpo's top doubles team of Nic Kooyers (Holland, Mich./Holland H.S.) and Joe Venegas (Saint Charles, Ill./North H.S.) played the tightest match, being broke just once before falling 8-5 to Austin Doerner and Jose Moncada. Alex Lau (Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson Senior H.S.) and David Bukowski (Mount Prospect, Ill./Prospect H.S.) fell 8-3 at second doubles while Mike Wagner (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer H.S.) and Tom Litscher (Eau Claire, Wis./Memorial H.S.) fell by the same score at the third spot.

DePaul (3-1) swept all six singles matches in straight sets. Bukowski and Litscher played the closest singles contests, each falling 6-2, 6-2 at third and sixth singles respectively.

Valpo (0-1) will play at #56 Western Michigan on Saturday morning beginning at 10 p.m. CST in Kalamazoo, Mich.