The Valparaiso University tennis team has revealed its 2024 spring slate, which will get underway when the Beacons host Cleveland State on Saturday, Jan. 20 at The Courts of Northwest Indiana.

The matchup with the Vikings will mark the first of seven nonconference home dates, a list that also includes Bellarmine (Feb. 2), St. Thomas (Feb. 4), Butler (Feb. 17), Eastern Michigan (Feb. 18), Northern Illinois (Feb. 24) and Omaha (March 16). Valpo will pay visits to SIUE (Jan. 27), Lindenwood (Jan. 28) and Chicago State (Feb. 7) before heading to Texas for the team’s annual spring break trip, which features matches against Sam Houston State (March 11) and UTEP (March 12).

The Missouri Valley Conference docket gets underway as Valpo hosts Drake on March 23. Other home league matches include Belmont (April 6), UNI (April 7) and Murray State (April 20). This year’s road destinations in Valley play include Bradley (March 29), Illinois State (March 30), Missouri State (April 14) and UIC (April 21). The MVC Tournament will begin on April 26.

“We’re coming off a high after our performance at the ITA Regional,” head coach Bob Modesto said. “Lillian Kelly and Mia Bertino were up in a doubles match against Ohio State. Whenever you play a power-five opponent and you’re leading against them, that bodes well for your performance. We are looking for good things from both of them this spring.”

The program has announced that Olivia Czerwonka (Kenosha, Wis. / Saint Joseph Catholic Academy) will once again serve as team captain. Czerwonka is already the program recordholder in career singles wins with 74 and enters the spring season three doubles wins from tying and four from surpassing her sister Claire’s program record of 72.

“Olivia won the first set against a player from Wisconsin at the ITA Regional,” Modesto said. “We all know how good Oliva is and that she’s a former MVC Player of the Year. She continues to get better and is a great leader to have on the team. She leads by example.”

The group of returning players features Czerwonka, senior Mia Bertino (Lockport, Ill. / Joliet Catholic), sophomore Moira Silva (Houston, Texas / Houston Tennis Academy) and sophomore Elizabeth Sobieski (Muskego, Wis. / Muskego). Freshmen Jolene Fernandes (Calgary, Alberta, Canada) and Lillian Kelly (Fullerton, Calif. / Fullerton Union) as well as sophomore transfer Sydney Stone (Brisbane, Australia / Tyler JC) made their Valpo debuts this fall. Silva won the MVC Flight 2 Singles title as a freshman in Fall 2022.

“In my 20 years of coaching, I’ve had very few players with the work ethic of Moira Silva,” Modesto said. “Our other players have followed her example. Work ethic is what makes us a strong team. We look forward to great things from everyone this spring. We’re fired up and feel we can contend for the Missouri Valley Conference title.”