Behind a trio of robust efforts from Jeffrey Schorsch (Perrysburg, Ohio/Perrysburg), Dave Bacalla (Skokie, Ill./Niles North), and Charlie Emhardt (Carmel, Ind./Carmel), the Valpo men's tennis team is in a position to claim singles titles in any of Flights A-C in Saturday's finale of the Vredevelt Invitational in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The Crusaders also went 3-1 in the first four matches of doubles play. 

The 55th-ranked tandem of Schorsch and Emhardt opened the day with a 6-4 win in Flight A doubles over Horizon League foes William Malm and Joe VanMeter of Cleveland State. Schorsch/Emhardt will square off against Michigan State's Mac Roy/Michael Dube in tomorrow's semifinal round.

Bacalla and Danny Oakes (Elburn, Ill./Saint Charles North) tripled up Xavier's Zach Mueck/Jeremy Schneider, 6-2, in Flight A doubles action. Western Michigan's Jefta Kecic and Stephen Payne await Bacalla and Oakes in a 9:00 am ET match Saturday.

Chad Kissell (Latrobe, Pa./Greater Latrobe) and Kyle Dunn (Fond du Lac, Wis./Fond du Lac) carried the torch for Valpo in Flight B doubles play. The pair outlasted Green Bay's Florian Kraenzler and Joey Leto, 7-6 (2). Kissell and Dunn will face WMU's Maik Steiner/Matt Hamilton Saturday morning for a berth in the final.

The Phoenix exacted revenge on Valpo in Flight C doubles as Leo Gomez Islinger and Matej Kostadinov edged Michael Savaglio (Kenosha, Wis./Mary D. Bradford) and Lucas Waak (Manitowoc, Wis./Roncalli), 6-4.  

In singles play, Schorsch steamrolled his way to Saturday's final in Flight A with straight set wins versus CSU's VanMeter (6-4, 6-1) and Michigan State's Roy, 6-0, 6-1. The junior is slated to take on Western Michigan's Kecic at 10:30 am ET/9:30 am CT.

Bacalla labored a bit longer for his date in the final of Flight B. He handed Illinois State's Andreas Boers a 7-6 (2), 6-2 defeat in the quarters before going the distance with Michigan State's Jasper Koenen in the semifinals. Bacalla emerged with a 6-4, 6-7 (3), 10-4 dramatic win. WMU's Hamilton will challenge Bacalla in tomorrow morning's final.

Hamilton defeated Kissell in the semis by a score of 7-5, 6-4. Kissell advanced to that meeting with Hamilton following a 6-1, 6-4 thumping of Xavier's Schneider.

Kissell will quarrel with Koenen in a third-place match Saturday.

Emhardt made his way to the final of Flight C after downing Iowa's Jonas Larsen, 6-3, 4-6, 10-7, in the morning and dismissing Xavier's Arthur Stefani, 6-2, 6-4, in the afternoon. Emhardt and Illinois State's Christopher Greve will compete for the final Saturday morning.

Dunn dropped his first match in Flight D, 7-5, 3-0 (ret.) to Iowa's Nils Hallestrand.

Savaglio made quick work of Green Bay's Miles McDowall in their first round match, 6-2, 6-0. The senior fell in a third-set heartbreaker in the semifinals, though, 3-6, 6-4, 10-6 , to Michigan State's Ivan Rakic. In the bottom half of the Flight E bracket, Garrett Gardner (Poland, Ohio/Poland) fell 7-5, 4-6, 10-7 versus Iowa's Tony Leto. He'll take on McDowall in the Consolation final. Meanwhile, Savaglio and Leto will tangle in the third-place match.

Waak went the distance in both of his matches in Flight F on Friday. He persevered for a 2-6, 6-1, 12-10 thrilling triumph over Xavier's Jack Dykema in the opening round, but could not get past Illinois State's Rolando Torrellas in the semis. The Redbird claimed a 6-1, 3-6, 10-8 marathon over Waak. The Crusader senior will take on Green Bay's Kostadinov in a third-place tilt.

Brian Hickey (Western Springs, Ill./Fenwick) was on the wrong end of a 6-3, 6-3 match versus Green Bay's Jan Leithner in Flight G. Western Michigan's Matej Svjetlicic went on to defeat Hickey 6-2, 6-2, in a consolation showdown.

Svjetlicic also beat Oakes, 6-2, 7-5, in a crowded Flight G. Oakes later dropped a 7-5, 6-2 match versus Western Michigan's Stephen Payne.  

The Vredevelt Invitational wraps up Saturday at the Sorensen Courts in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Check back with ValpoAthletics.com for the latest results.