For the second consecutive day, the Valparaiso University men’s tennis team played a competitive match against a talented opponent, but once again the squad came up just shy with a 4-3 defeat, this time to Western Michigan at the Courts of Northwest Indiana in Valpo. The Broncos won 18 matches and went undefeated in the Mid-American Conference a year ago, reaching the NCAA Tournament.

How It Happened

• Western Michigan (5-2) took the No. 3 doubles match 6-1, but both other doubles contests came down to the wire. The Broncos prevailed 7-5 at No. 2 and 6-4 at No. 1, winning a close doubles point.
• Franklin Brozovich (Fort Gratiot, Mich. / Port Huron Northern) quickly leveled the score by taking his No. 6 singles match in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3 over Arjun Honnappa. Western Michigan secured a win in straight sets at No. 3 to go back up 2-1 in the match, but all four remaining matches went to the third set.
• Jannik Opitz topped Brandon Ancona (Belvidere, Ill. / Rockford Christian) 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 at No. 1 singles to put Western Michigan on the brink of victory at 3-1, then Zac Faveri closed out the win for the Broncos by finishing off a 6-2, 5-7, 6-1 triumph over Philipp Leithold (Essingen, Germany / Theodor-Huess Gynasium) at No. 5.
• Valpo prevailed in the remaining singles matches, with Brian Pecyna (Glen Ellyn, Ill. / Homeschooled) and Daniel Langston (Ponca City, Okla. / Ponca City) picking up victories. Pecyna’s win came 7-6(4), 2-6, 6-1 at No. 2, while Gabriel Carvajal (Pembroke Pines, Fla. / Broward Virtual School [Florida Atlantic]) won a pair of set tiebreaks to capture a 7-6, 0-6, 7-6 win over Jack Randall at No. 4.
• This marked the second straight match where Valpo split the six singles matches but lost a decisive doubles point.

Inside the Match

• Brozovich gained his third singles win of the season and first in dual-match play, while Pecyna and Carvajal picked up wins number eight and 10 respectively.
• Carvajal’s 10 singles victories represent the team lead.
• Pecyna is the only player on the team to finish the weekend 2-0 in dual match action.
• This marked the second straight season Valpo lost to Western Michigan 4-3.

Up Next

Valpo (0-2) will hit the road on Friday, Jan. 31 for a matchup with Chicago State in Homewood, Ill. that will begin at noon. The team will be back home to welcome Northern Illinois to the Courts of NWI on Saturday, Feb. 1.