Valparaiso started action at the Jeanette Lee Invitational, hosted by St. Paul's College in Richmond, Va., with a perfect 6-0 record in Saturday's competition.

The Crusaders found themselves pitted against six Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association programs, and handled most of them easily on Saturday.  Valpo opened with an 845-669 victory over Virginia State, and followed with an 898-807 win over Elizabeth City State.  Then the Crusaders' tightest match of the day pitted them against Bowie State, but it was still Valpo coming out on top with a 976-930 victory.

Valpo cruised to easy wins in each of the day's final three matches to close play Saturday.  The Crusaders downed Livingstone, 808-559, and then earned a 951-633 victory over St. Augustine's.  The Valpo bowlers ended the day with their best cumulative effort, cracking the 1,000 mark in a 1006-614 win over Shaw.  Junior Amanda Cortese (Hoffman Estates, Ill./Hoffman Estates [Central Missouri]) led the way for the Crusaders in the first day of action, posting a 202 average over the six-game block.

Valparaiso (25-19) closes the two-day tournament in Richmond on Sunday morning, beginning at 7 a.m. CST.