The Valparaiso University women’s tennis team opened up its season Friday at the Greater Cincinnati Invitational, hosted by Northern Kentucky and Dayton at the Lindner Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio.

How It Happened

• Valpo junior Kathleen Hebble (Sellersburg, Ind./Silver Creek) represented the Crusaders in the #1 singles bracket. After falling in her first match, Hebble earned an 8-4 win over Evansville’s Andrea Pascual-Warrinaga in the first match of the consolation bracket to advance to the consolation semifinals.
• The Crusaders earned two wins apiece in the #5 and #6 singles brackets. Making her first career start for the Crusaders, freshman Jordan Kopfer (Eagan, Minn./Eastview) won her opening match 7-6 (11-9), 6-4 over Andjela Brguljan of Evansville in #5 Singles. Sophomore Randi Wind (Park Ridge, Ill./Maine South) dropped her first match in the same bracket, but won in the consolation bracket - 6-4, 6-4 – over Akron’s Carla Flores.
• Sophomore Halle Roach (Libertyville, Ill./Libertyville) opened #6 singles play with an opening-round win, picking up 6-2 and 6-1 set victories over Dayton’s Claire Herdina. Senior Morgan Paras (Indianapolis, Ind./Bishop Chatard) opened the same bracket with a 6-2, 6-1 win over Belmont’s Jenna Krakau.

Inside the Match

• Kopfer was one of two Crusaders to begin her Valpo career on Friday, as highly ranked three-star recruit Dao Sysouvanh (Sun Prairie, Wis./Sun Prairie) was placed in the #2 singles bracket to open her career. Sysouvanh won the first set of her opener before eventually falling in three sets.
• All nine members of the Crusader roster are competing this weekend through seven singles draws and three doubles brackets.

Next Up

The Crusaders continue action from Mason, Ohio as team double pairs of Wind/Sysouvanh, Hebble/Paige Heuer and Paras/Roach hit the courts tomorrow for Valpo. Consolation and back-draw singles action continues as well on Saturday.