Valparaiso wrapped up the 2009 regular season on Sunday morning, dropping a 7-0 match to Cleveland State at River Oaks Racquet Club in Cleveland, Ohio.

The Vikings, the Horizon League regular season champion, started by winning all three doubles contests.  Ryan Hamning and Phil Orno defeated Alex Lau (Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson Senior H.S.) and Tom Litscher (Eau Claire, Wis./Memorial H.S.) 8-2 at number one doubles while Robert Fox and Steven Wipprecht topped Kyle Stump (Plymouth, Ind./Plymouth H.S.) and Phidias Fortune (San Antonio, Texas/Madison H.S.) by the same score at the third spot.  Rob West and Yannick Goossens defeated Kevin DeHerrera (Littleton, Colo./Chatfield H.S.) and Adam Whitmer (Shipshewana, Ind./Westview H.S.) 8-6 at second doubles.

Cleveland State (17-5, 7-0 Horizon) added wins at all six singles spots, five coming in straight sets.  Whitmer won the first set for Valpo at three before falling in a second set tie-break and eventually dropping a super tie-break for the third set against West 2-6, 7-6 (4), 10-3.  Orno defeated Lau 6-2, 6-4 at the top of the order while Hamning topped Litscher 7-6 (4), 6-1 at number two singles. DeHerrera fell 6-2, 6-2 to Goossens at fourth singles while Stump dropped a 6-2, 6-3 match at the third spot.  Wipprecht downed Fortune 6-4, 6-3 at the bottom of the order.

“He had some good matches and played some good sets against a very good Cleveland State team,” head coach Jim Daugherty said.  “This gives us some momentum going in to the conference tournament next weekend. 

Valparaiso (6-11, 3-4) finishes the regular season in a tie for fourth place in the Horizon League and will head to the tournament next weekend in Indianapolis, Ind.  Pairings will be released early in the week.