Saturday, February 15, 2003

Despite competing with just five players, the Valparaiso women's tennis team ran its win streak to seven straight on Saturday afternoon, defeating Wisconsin-Green Bay 5-2 at Matchpoint Racquet Club. The Crusaders scheduled evening match against Evansville was cancelled due to weather-related travel problems for the Purple Aces.

The Crusaders, playing without Christina Scala (Glenview, Ill./Glenbrook South H.S.) who missed the match with illness, opened up by winning the doubles point from the Phoenix. Mara Sonkin (Wheaton, Ill./Warrenville South H.S.) and Patricia Arakaki (Campo Grande, Brazil/LaPorte H.S., Ind.) moved up to first doubles and recorded an 8-6 victory. Freshmen Jill Dierberg (St. Louis, Mo./Lutheran South H.S.) and Charmane Stanislaw (Libertyville, Ill./Libertyville H.S.) finished off the point with an 8-6 win of their own at second doubles. Wisconsin-Green Bay won third doubles by default.

Valpo then took four singles matches to record the victory. Sonkin won her eighth straight at first singles with a 6-2, 7-6 triumph, while Monika Danko (Northfield, Ill./New Trier H.S.) posted a 6-2, 6-4 win at the second spot. The Phoenix registered a win at third singles as Dierberg fell 6-3, 7-6 after moving up a spot in place of Scala. With the rest of the line-up bumped up as well, Arakaki coasted to a 6-1, 6-0 win at fourth singles, while Stanislaw won 6-2, 6-3 at the fifth spot. UWGB won sixth singles by default for their second point.

Valpo (2-0 spring season) will be idle for the next two weeks before returning to action on March 9 when the Crusaders travel to Shreveport, La. to face Centenary. The match is slated to begin at 10 a.m. CST.