The Valparaiso University men’s tennis team has escaped the cold temperatures and snow flurries of the Midwest and made its way to the warm sunshine of the Sunshine State for a week of tennis in Florida. The team got the spring break trip off to a hot start on Monday, downing Hampton 7-0 at the Sanlando Park Tennis Courts in Seminole County, Fla.

How It Happened

• The doubles point was tightly contested, as Daniel Langston (Ponca City, Okla. / Ponca City) and Gabriel Carvajal (Pembroke Pines, Fla. / Broward Virtual School [Florida Atlantic]) came through with a 7-6(8-6) win over Charles Hudson and Fernando Fernandes at second doubles in a match that dictated the doubles point.
• Valpo’s top duo of Brian Pecyna (Glen Ellyn, Ill. / Homeschooled) and Chad Kissell (Latrobe, Pa. / Greater Latrobe) came out on the wrong end of a match with Davy Van Geerke and Luke Thompson by a score of 6-4, while Valpo took third doubles by forfeit.
• The Pirates (0-6) had to forfeit the match at No. 6 singles, while the other five singles courts resulted in straight-set Valpo victories.
• Brandon Ancona (Belvidere, Ill. / Rockford Christian) topped Van Geerke 6-3, 6-3 at No. 1 singles, while Kweisi Kenyatte (Detroit, Mich. / East English Village Preparatory) bested Fernandes 6-2, 6-3 at No. 2.
• Langston beat Hudson 6-4, 6-2 at third singles, while Carvajal filled the fourth singles position and enjoyed a 6-4, 6-4 triumph over Thompson.
• Franklin Brozovich (Fort Gratiot, Mich. / Port Huron Northern) made an appearance at No. 5 singles and earned a one-sided 6-0, 6-1 sweep of Basil Post.

Inside the Match

• This marked the third time this season Valpo has notched a 7-0 win.
• Ancona extended his team lead in singles victories by bolstering his record to 16-4, including a 9-2 mark in dual play. He played No. 1 singles for the fifth time this season and improved to 3-2 in those matches.
• Kenyatte played as high in the lineup as he has all season, appearing at No. 2. He stayed steady by upping his glowing spring record to 8-1.
• Brozovich was victorious in his second singles match of the spring and first since Feb. 15, while Carvajal has won eight of 10 dual matches after his Monday win.
• Langston picked up a win at the No. 3 position after previously playing only fifth singles this season.
• Langston and Carvajal had been paired together in doubles only once previously this spring and had lost at No. 3, but they garnered a victory at the No. 2 position on Monday.

Up Next

The spring trip continues on Tuesday as Valpo (7-3) goes at it with Furman in a neutral site match at Sanlando Park Tennis Courts in Seminole County, Fla. That match is scheduled to begin at 11:15 a.m. CT. / 12:15 p.m. ET.