The Valparaiso University tennis team climbed above the .500 mark both overall and in Missouri Valley Conference play by going on the road and dispatching host Missouri State 6-1 on Saturday afternoon in Springfield, Mo. The Beacons swept the doubles matches before prevailing in five of the six singles showdowns.  

How It Happened

• The No. 1 doubles match saw Claire and Olivia Czerwonka (Kenosha, Wis. / Saint Joseph Catholic Academy) roll to a 6-1 victory over Kate Miley and Sandra Lukacova. That immediately clinched the doubles point for the Beacons due to a Missouri State forfeit at third doubles, but just for good measure Valpo also prevailed on the No. 2 doubles court with Amanda Tabanera (Valencia, Calif. / Valencia) and Isabella Schoolcraft (Bargersville, Ind. / Center Grove) beating Mara Presot and Mary Houston 6-3.
• Singles play started strong for Valpo as Claire rolled past Mary Houston 6-2, 6-0 at No. 2 and was the first player off the court. Tabanera also earned a one-sided victory, beating Kate Miley 6-4, 6-1. Since Valpo won by forfeit at No. 6, Tabanera’s win clinched the team triumph.  
• The three remaining singles matches all went to a third-set tiebreak. Olivia defeated Juliette Robinson 6-0, 5-7, 10-7 at No. 1, while Mia Bertino (Lockport, Ill. / Joliet Catholic) rallied after losing the first set on a tiebreak to win the No. 5 singles match 6-7(0), 6-3, 10-4. The Beacons were on the wrong end of a third-set tiebreak at No. 4, with Presot edging Demi Jhaveri (Westlake, Ohio / Westlake) 3-6, 7-6(5), 10-7.

Inside the Match

• Each victory helps Valpo achieve its new highest win total since 2007. Now that the Beacons have cracked double digits, they are just one win away from tying the 2007 squad’s 11-victory mark for the team’s highest win total since 2006 (15).
• This marked Valpo’s first-ever win over Missouri State. The Beacons flipped a 5-2 loss from a year ago into a 6-1 victory over the Bears.
• With Saturday’s win, the Beacons have clinched their highest conference win total since 2007.
• Claire boosted her singles winning streak to five with her 57^th career singles victory. She is fifth in program history, one win away from moving into a tie for third.
• Olivia earned her 43^rd career singles triumph, 10^th in program history and two away from a tie for ninth. Tabanera earned her 40^th career singles win.
• Claire reached the 70-career win milestone in doubles play, becoming the first player in program history to achieve that feat. Olivia earned her 43^rd career doubles win – the same number as her singles career win total – and ranks ninth in program history in that area. She needs three more to join a tie for seventh.

Up Next

The Beacons (10-9, 2-1 MVC) will begin the final weekend of the regular season on Friday, April 15 at Illinois State at 1 p.m.