Saturday, September 22, 2012

Junior Eric Honert (Arvada, Colo./Ralston Valley) and freshman Michael Savaglio (Kenosha, Wis./Mary D. Bradford) each won singles matches on Saturday as the Valparaiso men’s tennis team competed Saturday at the Purdue Invitational in West Lafayette, Ind.

Honert downed Jan-Willem Feilzer of DePaul in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3 before falling to Iowa’s Dominic Patrick by a 7-5, 6-4 score.  Meanwhile, Savaglio defeated IPFW’s Jonathan Raa 6-1, 6-2 prior to a 6-3, 6-3 defeat against Western Michigan’s Andrew Cahn.  Both Honert and Savaglio were competing in the consolation bracket of Flight A singles.

In Flight B’s consolation bracket, a pair of Crusader freshmen took their opponents to three sets before eventually suffering defeat.  Lucas Waak (Manitowoc, Wis./Roncalli) fell to Toledo’s Roberto Meza, 1-6, 7-6, 10-5, while Michael Baiocchi (Naperville, Ill./Neuqua Valley) dropped a 3-6, 6-1, 10-6 decision to Joey Leto of Green Bay.

Flight C’s consolation bracket saw sophomore Egan Hart (Raleigh, N.C./Ravenscroft) force a third set against IPFW’s Derek Romer before falling 6-4, 3-6, 11-9.  In the same bracket, freshman Daniel Etman (Highland Park, Ill./K12 International Academy) lost to Nolan Marks of Cleveland State 6-2, 6-2, freshman Daniel Oakes (Elburn, Ill./Saint Charles North) dropped a 6-4, 7-6 match to IPFW’s Tim Saltys and freshman Brian Hickey (Western Springs, Ill./Fenwick) fell 6-1, 6-3 to Armaan Choudhary of IUPUI.

The Crusaders also had four doubles teams compete on Saturday.  Savaglio and Baiocchi dropped a narrow 8-6 decision to Francisco Stuardo and Grant Adams of Toledo, while Honert and Oakes forced an extra game before falling 9-7 to Arthur Dobradin and Evan Hawkins of the host Boilermakers.  Etman and Hickey lost 8-0 to IPFW’s Saltys and Alfonso Costas,, and Waak and Hart suffered an 8-4 defeat against Joel Modesitt and Jacob Hedderig of IUPUI.

Valparaiso returns to action next weekend as it hosts the Valparaiso Invitational at the Valpo Tennis Complex.  The two-day tournament is slated to start Friday morning.