The Akron women's tennis team defeated Valparaiso, 7-0, Saturday evening at the Butler Bubble in Indianapolis. 

Senior Megan Barthels (Grand Rapids, Mich./Catholic Central) gritted out a pair of tiebreakers at No. 5 singles before eventually falling to Maria Bessmertnaya 6-3, 6-7 (4), 10-5.

Barthels and sophomore Paige Heuer (Munster, Ind./Munster) dropped a 6-2 decision to Ariadna Blinova/Kati Mdzinarishvili at No. 2 doubles.

The Zips claimed the doubles point after Bessmertnaya and Sophia Geier doubled up Cary Milanes (Miami, Fla./Miami Palmetto)/Michele Fredlake (South Bend, Ind./Saint Joseph's), 6-3. 

Senior Kaitlyn Hamel (Lakewood, Colo./Green Mountain) and freshman Kathleen Hebble (Sellersburg, Ind./Silver Creek) gave AU's Karolina Maksimava/Martina Zerbola all they could handle before taking a 6-4 defeat.

Akron's Geier put the Zips on top 2-0 by virtue of a 6-0, 6-0 victory over Heuer at No. 4 singles. Maksimava followed with a 6-0, 6-2 triumph at No. 2 over Hebble.

Hamel suffered a hard-fought 6-3, 6-1 loss at No. 1 singles to Madison Cohen. Milanes competed against Zerbola at No. 3 singles before falling 6-1, 6-4. 

Fredlake rounded up singles action as she fell short 6-3, 6-0 to Mdzinarishvili at No. 6 singles.

Valpo will have a couple weeks off to prepare for its next match. The Brown and Gold will travel to Peoria, Illinois to face Bradley on Saturday, February 7th at 9:00 am CT.