Valparaiso University tennis junior Olivia Czerwonka (Kenosha, Wis. / Saint Joseph Catholic Academy) took her already-storied Valpo legacy to a new level on Thursday night.

Olivia was named the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year, becoming the first Valpo student-athlete in any sport to earn the conference’s highest award since the University joined the league in 2017. In addition, Olivia became just the second player in program history to win conference Player of the Year honors, joining Kate Kollarova, who garnered back-to-back Mid-Continent Conference Player of the Year distinctions in 2001 and 2002.

Olivia also earned First Team All-MVC honors at No. 1 Singles, while her sister Claire Czerwonka (Kenosha, Wis. / Saint Joseph Catholic Academy) was named to the MVC All-Select Team. The awards were announced at the conference’s annual postseason awards banquet, which was held in Des Moines, Iowa on Thursday evening prior to the start of the MVC Tournament on Friday.

After winning the Flight 2 Singles crown at the MVC Individual Championships hosted by Valpo this past fall, Olivia made a seamless transition to the No. 1 singles spot this spring. She finished 4-1 in Missouri Valley Conference play and accumulated 21 total singles wins this season, the third-most in single-season program history.

Olivia’s season featured no shortage of outstanding victories, but her biggest win of all came on April 15 as she defeated Illinois State’s Tijana Zlatanovic in straight sets, 6-4, 6-4. That marked the first conference singles loss of Zlatanovic’s collegiate career as the win came against the defending MVC Player of the Year, the reigning MVC Singles Player of the Week and the Fall 2021 MVC Flight 1 Singles Champion. Olivia finished the regular season with 45 career singles wins, tied for the ninth most in program history.

Olivia’s success this season wasn’t limited to singles, as she also thrived alongside her sister at No. 1 doubles. The pair won the MVC Flight 1 Doubles title during the fall en route to a 19-win season, tied for the fourth most doubles wins in a single season in program history. Olivia ranks eighth on the program’s career doubles wins list with 44. Olivia, a nine-time MVC weekly award winner, was a member of the MVC All-Select Team last season.

Claire earned MVC All-Select Team status after registering 13 singles wins (3-2 in MVC) and 19 doubles wins (3-2 in MVC) this year. She and Olivia are part of a tie for fourth in program history for single-season doubles wins. Furthermore, Claire owns a program-record 71 career doubles wins and ranks fifth in program history with 57 career singles wins. The fifth-year senior possesses 12 career MVC weekly awards including eight doubles honors.

MVC Scholar-Athlete Team recognition will be announced on Friday morning.

The Czerwonka sisters have served as team captains, leading the team to its highest single-season win total both overall and in conference play since 2007. The fourth-seeded Beacons will begin the MVC Tournament on Friday at 9 a.m. vs. fifth-seeded Stony Brook in Des Moines, Iowa. Click here for a tournament preview.

2022 Missouri Valley Conference Women’s Tennis All-Conference Team

Position Name School Yr.

No. 1 Singles Olivia Czerwonka Valparaiso Jr.

No. 2 Singles Ines Stephani Drake So.

No. 3 Singles Maria Potsi Illinois State Sr.

No. 4 Singles Mille Haagensen Drake Fr.

No. 5 Singles Penelope Abreu Illinois State Sr.

No. 6 Singles Nikki Perlwitz Bradley Jr.

No. 1 Doubles Tijana Zlatanovic/Tara Damnjanovic Illinois State So./Jr.

No. 2 Doubles Maria Potsi/Penelope Abreu Illinois State Sr./Sr.

No. 3 Doubles Mille Haagensen/Darinka Stepan Drake Fr./So.

2022 Missouri Valley Conference Women’s Tennis All-Select Team

Name School Yr.

TIjana Zlatanovic Illinois State So.

Liza Petushkova Drake Sr.

Darta Dalecka UNI Fr.

Claire Czerwonka Valparaiso R-Sr.

Kirstin Hailey Bradley Fr.

Bozana Lojpur Bradley Jr.

Major Awards

Player of the Year: Olivia Czerwonka, Valparaiso

Freshman of the Year: Mille Haagensen, Drake

Coach of the Year: Kristina Lott, Drake