Sunday, April 10, 2005

Valparaiso University won its second straight Mid-Continent Conference regular season title and finished conference play with a perfect 8-0 mark for the second straight year on Sunday morning as the Crusaders defeated Centenary 6-1 at Chesterton High School.

The victory was Valpo's tenth straight overall this season and the Crusaders' 22nd conference win in a row dating back to the 2003 campaign. Valpo finished this year's conference slate outscoring opponents 52-4.

The Crusaders opened up taking the doubles point. Whitney Chada (Downers Grove, Ill./North H.S.) and Kate Evangelist (Glen Ellyn, Ill./Glenbard West H.S.) made quick work of things at third doubles with an 8-1 triumph. Rachel Janssen (Fort Wayne, Ind./Dwenger H.S.) and Jill Dierberg (Saint Louis, Mo./Lutheran South H.S.) then clinched the opening point with an 8-4 win at the second spot. Monika Danko (Northfield, Ill./New Trier H.S.) and Christina Scala (Glenview, Ill./Glenbrook South H.S.) had their first doubles match stopped at 5-5.

Evangelist and Scala put the Brown and Gold on the brink of clinching the title with 6-0, 6-0 victories at fifth and third singles respectively. Centenary (3-11, 1-2 Mid-Con) delayed Valpo's celebration momentarily with a 6-1, 6-3 win at first singles, but Dierberg clinched the title with her 6-2, 6-4 win at second singles. Chada then posted the same score in her fourth singles win and Charmaine Stanislaw (Libertyville, Ill./Libertyville H.S.) capped off the match with another 6-0, 6-0 triumph.

Valparaiso (13-4, 8-0 Mid-Con) will close out the regular season on Tuesday afternoon at home on Brown Courts with a non-conference match against Detroit. First serve is set for 1 p.m. The Crusaders will then host the Mid-Continent Conference Tournament on Brown Courts April 22-23.