The Crusader men's tennis team improved to 6-4 on the spring Friday at The Courts of NWI following a pair of a shutouts over visiting Western Illinois and Eastern Illinois.

Valpo kicked off the day with a humdrum 7-0 win versus the Leathernecks. The Crusaders surrendered just nine games combined in the six singles flights, and one in doubles.

Lucas Waak (Manitowoc, Wis./Roncalli) and Chad Kissell (Latrobe, Pa./Greater Latrobe) shut out Ross Smith and Nolan Jones, 6-0, at No. 2 doubles before Brian Hickey (Western Springs, Ill./Fenwick) and Dave Bacalla (Skokie, Ill./Niles North) defeated Kerry and Christopher Nozum by the same margin at No. 3. Kyle Dunn (Fond du Lac, Wis./Fond du Lac) and Danny Oakes (Elburn, Ill./Saint Charles North) wrapped up doubles play with a 6-1 triumph at No. 1 versus Surya Sawhney/Jacob Sanders.

Singles play went by quickly with the Crusaders scoring straight-set wins at No. 1-6.

Hickey blanked Kerry Nozum 6-0, 6-0 at No. 5 before Oakes matched his teammate with a shutout at No. 6 over Christopher Nozum.

Dunn clinched the match for the Brown and Gold thanks to a 6-1, 6-0 dispatching of Jones at No. 4. Waak was victorious atop singles play by virtue of his 6-2, 6-1 defeat of Sawhney. Gardner followed that up with a 6-1, 6-0 dismissal of Sanders at No. 3. Michael Savaglio (Kenosha, Wis./Mary D. Bradford) concluded the early match with a 6-0, 6-4 win at No. 2 versus Ross Smith. 

Valpo picked back up right where it left off in the early match with a shutout of Eastern Illinois.

Dunn and Oakes defeated EIU's Grant Reiman/Jacob Wendell, 6-1, at No. 3 in the first completed doubles match. Jeffrey Schorsch (Perrysburg, Ohio/Perrysburg) and Charlie Emhardt (Carmel, Ind./Carmel) defended their #35 national ranking with a 6-1 expulsion of Rui Silva and Robert Skolik at No. 1 to grab the doubles point. Bacalla and Gardner made it a sweep after downing Ryan Henderson and Ognjen Jevtic, 6-2, at No. 2.

The Crusaders again recorded straight-set triumphs over the Panthers at each singles flight.

Emhardt rolled to a 6-0, 6-1 victory over Jevtic at No. 4. The Brown and Gold moved ahead 3-0 after Schorsch toppled Skolik, 6-3, 6-0.

Savaglio secured the match for Valpo thanks to a 6-2, 6-3 win in his match at No. 5 versus Reiman. Kissell acquired his 13th singles victory of the season with a 6-2, 6-3 romp over Silva. Waak tallied his second win of the day, handing Woodson a 6-1, 6-4 loss at No. 6. Bacalla turned the lights out after beating Henderson 6-0, 7-6 (4) at No. 2.

Valpo (6-4) will host a rare tripleheader Saturday at The Courts of NWI. Chicago State (1 pm) Olivet Nazarene (4 pm), and Grace College (7 pm) will travel to Valparaiso for non-conference matches.