The Valparaiso University men’s tennis team picked up the first victory of its spring break trip to Florida on Friday morning, topping Eastern Florida State College 6-1. The Crusaders won in dominant fashion, taking the doubles point before winning on the top five singles courts.

How It Happened

• The Crusaders (3-9) lost the first doubles match to finish when Eastern Florida State College’s Michel Louis-Nills and Adriel Azucey got the best of Daniel Langston and Gabriel Carvajal 6-3 at No. 2. However, Valpo enjoyed wins at the other two doubles spots to salvage the doubles point and set a favorable tone for the match.
• The second doubles match to finish was No. 3, where Brian Pecyna and Franklin Brozovich teamed up for a 6-4 victory over Milan Savic and Fabio Galvin.
• The doubles point was decided at the top spot, which for this match featured Chad Kissell and Brandon Ancona up against Alwyn Mushonga and Andreas Wejs. The Crusader combo prevailed 6-3.
• Kissell made quick work of Azucey at No. 2 singles, winning 6-1, 6-0.
• Ancona was just as dominant at the No. 3 spot, taking down Wejs 6-0, 6-1, while Brozovich had similar success at No. 5 with his 6-1, 6-0 sweep of Savic. Brozovich’s win secured the team victory.
• Pecyna dropped his No. 6 singles match with Galvin 6-4, 1-6, 10-8, the only singles win for Eastern Florida State.
• Carvajal bested Mushonga in two tight sets at No. 4, winning 6-3, 7-6 (2). The No. 1 singles match was the last one going, and Kenyatte pulled out a win over Louis-Nills that needed three sets to be decided. Kenyatte coasted to a 6-1 triumph in the opener, but then fell 7-6(3) in the second. He rebounded with an 11-9 win in the third-set tiebreak.

Inside The Match

• The singles win for Kissell was his 13th of the season, a total that ranks second on the team. That allowed him to bolster his career total to 64, a number that sits eighth in program history.
• Kissell also ranks in the Top 10 in program history in doubles wins. He gained his 54^th on Friday, allowing him to move into a tie for eighth with Nic Kooyers (2003-2007).

Up Next

Valpo will not compete on Saturday before returning to the courts to round out the spring break trip on Sunday at 10 a.m. CT in Miami Shores, Fla.