The Valparaiso University women’s tennis team started the first Missouri Valley Conference Championships of the season on Saturday, beginning the MVC Individual Championships in Normal, Ill. Jelena Vujanic (Elk Grove Village, Ill. / Elk Grove) highlighted the day for the Crusaders, picking up a singles victory.

How It Happened

• Vujanic matched up with Evansville’s Chieko Yamada in Round 1 of Flight 2 Singles, and prevailed 6-4, 6-3.
• Freshman Claire Czerwonka (Kenosha, Wis. / Saint Joseph Catholic Academy) fell to Evansville’s Diana Tkachenko 6-3, 6-4 in the first round of Flight 1 singles.
• In the No. 3 singles flight, Dao Sysouvanh (Sun Prairie, Wis. / Sun Prairie) suffered a 6-2, 7-6(4) setback at the hands of Illinois State’s Jana Kustkova.
• Junior Meg Modesto (Chesterton, Ind. / Chesterton) opened up her portion of the MVC Individuals with a 7-5, 6-1 loss to Stony Brook’s Elizabeth Pam in the No. 4 singles bracket.
• In Flight 5 Singles, sophomore Jordan Kopfer (Eagan, Minn. / Eastview) dropped a match with Drake’s Elizabeta Petushkova 6-2, 6-0.
• Junior Randi Wind (Park Ridge, Ill. / Maine South) faced off with Illinois State’s Laura Fitzgerald in the opening round of Flight 6 singles and fell 6-4, 6-3.
• Junior Halle Roach (Libertyville, Ill. / Libertyville) and senior Erin Staal (Grand Haven, Mich. / Grand Haven) both participated in Flight 7 Singles. Roach fell 6-2, 7-6(1) to Missouri State’s Abbey Belote, while Staal lost 6-0, 6-2 against Evansville’s Marie Kapelevich.
• Wind and Vujanic teamed up in Flight 1 doubles, succumbing to Drake’s Tess Herder and Summer Brills 8-5.
• The Crusaders were represented by Sysouvanh and Czerwonka in the No. 2 doubles bracket. They fell to Stony Brook’s Elizabeth Tsvetkov and Nolwenn Cardoso 8-3.
• In Flight 3 Singles, Modesto and Kopfer got the best of Evansville’s Nicoli Pereira and Andrea Pascual-Larrinaga 8-6.

Inside the Match

• Vujanic nabbed the fifth win of her freshman campaign against no losses.
• Modesto and Kopfer played doubles together for the third time this season and improved to 2-1 as a pair.

Up Next

The Missouri Valley Conference Individual Championships will continue on Sunday and Monday in Normal, Ill. All players will be in action, either in semifinals or in consolation play.