Valparaiso’s women’s team moved back to the .500 mark on the season after surrendering just six games total on Saturday morning in a 7-0 shutout victory over Western Illinois at the Homewood-Flossmoor Racquet Club in Flossmoor, Ill.

The Crusaders jumped out to a quick start against the Leathernecks (0-5), sweeping all three doubles contests.  Megan Barthels (Grand Rapids, Mich./Catholic Central H.S.) and Kristin Zakiewicz (Bristol, Ind./Northridge H.S.) shut out Jessica Callahan and Ashley Rettger 8-0 at the top of the lineup.  Stephanie York (Elkhart, Ind./Jimtown H.S.) and Kaitlyn Hamel (Lakewood, Colo./Green Mountain H.S.) were 8-1 victors over Megan Pazdernick and Juliette Schwartz at the second spot while Aubree Zdanovec (Appleton, Wis./East H.S.) and Michele Fredlake (South Bend, Ind./Saint Joseph’s H.S.) defeated Jessica Theobald and Jade Romero by the same score.

In singles play, four of the matches were 6-0, 6-0 Valpo wins.  Hamel downed Callahan at two while York was a shutout winner against Pazdernick at third singles.  At five, Zakiewicz cruised by Schwartz while Lauren Kammerer (Valparaiso, Ind./Valparaiso H.S.) also won 6-0, 6-0 against Romero at the sixth spot.  Bartels was a 6-1, 6-2 victor over Rettger at the top of the lineup while Fredlake won her team-leading fourth match of the year, 6-0, 6-1 against Theobald at number four singles.

Valparaiso (3-3) will return to action next Friday evening in a match that was just recently added to the schedule.  The Crusaders will travel to Kalamazoo, Mich. to face the Broncos of Western Michigan.  First serve is slated for 5 p.m. CST.