Valparaiso wrapped up its spring trip in Aguadilla, P.R. on Thursday, dropping a pair of matches.  The Crusaders fell to both Connecticut and Bryant by 7-0 scores.

In the morning match against Connecticut (3-5), the Huskies opened winning the doubles point.  Kristin Zakiewicz (Crystal Lake, Ill./Northridge [Ind.] H.S.) and Katie Bilyeu (Terre Haute, Ind./South Vigo H.S.) battled at the top spot but fell 8-2 to Jennifer Learmonth and Abby McKeon.  Jackie O’Reilly (Green Bay, Wis./DePere H.S.) and Stephanie York (Elkhart, Ind./Jimtown H.S.) dropped an 8-1 match to Katie Moritz and Lucy Nutting at second doubles while Brittany O’Reilly (Green Bay, Wis./Southwest H.S.) and Aubree Zdanovec (Appleton, Wis./East H.S.) suffered an 8-0 setback at the third spot to Marie Gargiulo and Lauren Wilmarth.

The Crusaders played solid matches against its Big East foe, but fell in straight sets at all six spots.  Learmonth downed Brittany O’Reilly 6-0,6-0 at the top while Wilmarth was  6-1, 6-3 winner against Jackie O’Reilly at the second spot.  Zakiewicz was defeated 6-2, 6-2 at number three against McKeon before Gargiulo topped York 6-2, 7-5 at number four singles.  Julia Allen topped Bilyeu 6-4, 6-3 at the fifth spot while Sarah Griffin defeated Zdanovec 6-2, 6-0 at six singles. 

Valpo had its best doubles results of the trip against Bryant (5-6), but still lost the opening point.  Zakiewicz and Bilyeu fell 8-2 to Lucy Bird and Claudia Hidalgo at number one while Brittany O’Reilly and Zdanovec fell 8-4 at third doubles against Irma Rodriguez Lockwood and Valeria Couto Cuervo.  Second doubles was stopped when rain interrupted play and was not resumed because the point was decided with Stephanie Smyers and May Vickers leading Jackie O’Reilly and York 6-3.

As play moved to singles action, the Bulldogs won each match in straight sets.  Hidalgo downed Brittany O’Reilly 6-0, 6-0 at the top while Bird defeated Jackie O’Reilly by the same score at the second spot.  Smyers was a 6-2, 6-4 winner over Zakiewicz while Vickers topped York 6-1, 6-2.  Couto Cuervo beat Bilyeu 6-0, 6-1 at fifth singles while Katharine Francazio was a 6-0, 6-0 winner over Zdanovec at sixth singles.

Valparaiso (0-7) will return to action next Friday, March 18 to open Horizon League play hosting Milwaukee.  First serve is set for 5 p.m. at Homewood-Flossmoor.