The Valparaiso University tennis team enjoyed a pair of homecoming victories on Saturday at the Valpo Tennis Complex, sweeping Purdue Northwest 7-0 before downing Indiana Wesleyan 6-1. Indiana Wesleyan entered the match at 10-0 this season and went 29-5 last year.

How It Happened – PNW

• Valpo started the match on the right foot by capturing the doubles point, but it didn’t come without tight battles in two of the three doubles showdowns. Sydney Stone (Brisbane, Australia / Tyler JC) and Elizabeth Sobieski (Muskego, Wis. / Muskego) cruised to a 6-1 win in the No. 2 doubles match, but the remaining two matches were cliffhangers.
• The Beacons clinched the doubles point when Jolene Fernandes (Calgary, Alberta / Canada) and Lillian Kelly (Fullerton, Calif. / Fullerton Union) wrapped up a 7-5 win at No. 3, then Moira Silva (Houston, Texas / Houston Tennis Academy) and Olivia Czerwonka (Kenosha, Wis. / Saint Joseph Catholic) closed out a 7-6(2) win at No. 3.
• At No. 6 singles, Fernandes won by retirement due to a PNW injury during the match to help Valpo increase the match lead to 2-0.
• Stone cruised to a 6-2, 6-1 win over Alma Rioja Vazquez at No. 4 singles to make it 3-0, then the Beacons clinched the match when Czerwonka polished off a 6-2, 6-2 triumph over Oona Kitscher at the top singles spot.
• Valpo added on three more singles victories, including a 6-2, 6-3 win for Silva over Sienna Lopez at No. 2.
• After winning a close first set 7-5 at No. 5, Sobieski didn’t drop a game in her Set 2 win over Tsuen.
• The final match to finish came at No. 3, where Mia Bertino (Lockport, Ill. / Joliet Catholic) closed out the 7-0 team win with a 6-2, 7-5 triumph.

How It Happened – Indiana Wesleyan

• Valpo picked up 6-2 wins in both doubles matches, with the Czerwonka/Silva tandem topping Munoz/Antezana and Sobieski/Stone defeating Barger/Parr. The final doubles match went unfinished.
• Czerwonka was the first singles player off the court, dispatching Sofia Munoz 6-1, 6-1 at No. 1.
• Sobieski lost just one game in her 6-0, 6-1 triumph over Snider at No. 5.
• Stone defeated Maria Way 6-2, 6-0 at No. 4, before Fernandes capped off her win over Katie Parr by that same score of 6-2, 6-0 at No. 6.
• Silva outdid France Antezana 6-3, 6-2 at No. 2, before Indiana Wesleyan picked up a win at No. 3 singles in the final match to finish.

Inside the Matches

• Czerwonka added two more wins to her career doubles and singles totals, finishing the day with a program-record 69 career singles wins and 67 career doubles wins. She is now just five wins behind her sister Claire for the program’s doubles wins record.
• Silva is up to 22 doubles wins as only a sophomore, and her singles win total is up to 25.
• Fernandes is off to a strong start to her Valpo career, as she owns a 6-0 singles record this season.
• Sobieski has started her sophomore year in unblemished fashion at 5-0 in singles activity.

Up Next

The Beacons will participate in the Illinois State Invite starting on Friday, Sept. 29.