Valparaiso University men’s tennis players had wins in the top three singles flights on Saturday at the River Forest Invitational in Chicago. In addition, the duo of Brandon Ancona (Belvidere, Ill. / Rockford Christian) and Brian Pecyna (Glen Ellyn, Ill. / Homeschooled) prevailed in the Flight 1 Doubles championship match, while senior Gabriel Carvajal (Pembroke Pines, Fla. / Broward Virtual School [Florida Atlantic]) earned the right to play for a singles championship on Sunday.

How It Happened

• Pecyna and Ancona beat Botha/Wadhwa of Green Bay 8-3 in the title match to garner a double title. They also enjoyed an 8-3 win over a Western Michigan pair in the semifinal round.
• Senior Daniel Langston (Ponca City, Okla. / Ponca City) and freshman Philipp Leithold (Esslingen, Germany / Theodor-Huess Gynasium) picked up an 8-5 win over a Northern Illinois duo in the semifinal of the No. 2 doubles draw, but fell 8-7(2) to a Western Michigan tandem in the final.
• Carvajal punched his ticket to Sunday’s championship match in the No. 3 singles draw by virtue of a tight win over NIU’s David Pata.
• Ancona (6-1, 6-2 over UIC’s William Wale) and Pecyna (6-2, 6-4 over Saint Louis’ Ignacio Tintore) both enjoyed victories in singles consolation bracket play on Saturday. Ancona will play for fifth place in the No. 1 draw on Sunday, while Pecyna will do the same at No. 2.

Inside the Matches

• Ancona’s doubles win was the 52^nd of his career, moving him to within two of climbing into Valpo’s all-time Top 10. Pecyna’s doubles triumph was the 36^th of his college years.
• Carvajal is up to 37 career singles wins, Ancona has 62 and Pecyna is at 41.
• Ancona’s career singles win total puts him ninth in program history. He needs seven more to enter a tie for seventh with two others.  

Up Next

The final round of singles will take place on Sunday in Chicago.