The Valparaiso University men’s tennis team’s 16-match winning streak screeched to a halt on Saturday at Middle Tennessee’s Adams Tennis Complex in Murfreesboro, Tenn. The Crusaders (17-2) suffered their first defeat since falling 4-3 to Wisconsin in the second match of the season. The Blue Raiders climbed to 8-12 on the year with a 4-2 triumph over the Crusaders.

How It Happened

• The Blue Raiders did something few opponents have been able to accomplish against the Crusaders this season – they took the doubles point. Jeffrey Schorsch (Perrysburg, Ohio / Perrysburg) and Dave Bacalla (Skokie, Ill. / Niles North) suffered a 6-3 loss to Tom Moonen and Gonzalo Morell at No. 1, then Nicolas Buitrago and Max Rauch got the better of Kyle Dunn (Fund du Lac, Wis. / Fond du Lac) and Garrett Gardner (Poland, Ohio / Poland) 6-2 at No. 3.
• The No. 2 doubles match went unfinished. Charlie Emhardt (Carmel, Ind. / Carmel) and Chad Kissell (Latrobe, Pa. / Greater Latrobe) owned a 5-4 edge on Gian Issa and Miguel Negre at the time play was halted.
• Schorsch was the first singles player to finish, taking care of Middle Tennessee’s No. 1 singles player Morell 6-2, 6-4.
• Nigre got the best of Emhardt 6-3, 6-3 at No. 3 singles, allowing the Blue Raiders to regain a 2-1 edge in the match.
• The remaining four singles matches all went to three sets. The Crusaders had won the first set on each of those courts. At No. 5, Dunn suffered a 2-6, 6-1, 6-3 loss to Issa that put Middle Tennessee on the brink of the win.
• Brandon Ancona (Belvidere, Ill. / Rockford Christian) fended off Middle Tennessee’s Buitrago 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 at No. 6 singles to extend the match.  
• Middle Tennessee capped the victory at No. 2 singles, as Moonen knocked off Kissell 2-6, 6-4, 6-4.
• The two teams played a clinch-clinch match, so the remaining singles showdown went unfinished. Bacalla took the first set from Luis Morillo Diaz 7-5, then lost the second 6-4 and faced a 5-4 deficit in the decisive set at the time play was halted.

Inside the Match

• The Crusaders bounced back from the doubles loss by taking five of the first six singles sets, but couldn’t close the bulk of those matches.
• Schorsch extended his singles winning streak to 15 and hasn’t lost a set all spring. He has 105 career singles wins. Schorsch now owns sole possession of the team lead with 21 wins. He’s 21-5 overall and 15-0 in dual matches.
• Ancona upped his record to 19-8 with his win and improved to 12-3 in dual competition.

Next Up

The Crusaders will face a tough challenge on Sunday as they battle nationally-ranked South Alabama. The Jaguars (19-5) check in at No. 47 in the latest ITA Rankings. The match will get underway at 10 a.m. CT.