Friday, April 04, 2003

The Valparaiso women's tennis team split a pair of matches on Friday in Rochester, Mich. to open their Mid-Continent Conference schedule. The Crusaders dropped their opener 4-0 to IUPUI before defeating UMKC by the same 4-0 score in the afternoon.

In the morning match, the Jaguars opened with three wins in doubles for the first point. IUPUI then won first, second, and fourth singles to clinch the match.

Against the Kangaroos, the doubles matches were not played because Valpo earned four wins in singles action. Christina Scala (Glenview, Ill./Glenbrook South H.S.) and Jill Dierberg (St. Louis, Mo./Lutheran South H.S.) each blanked opponents 6-0, 6-0 at third and fourth singles respectively. Patricia Arakaki (Campo Grande, Brazil/LaPorte H.S., Ind.) was a 6-1, 6-0 winner at fifth singles, while freshmen Charmane Stanislaw (Libertyville, Ill./Libertyville H.S.) posted her first Mid-Con victory, 6-0, 6-2 at sixth singles.

The Crusaders will return to action on Saturday at Oakland when they face Western Illinois in a 10 a.m. match.