The Valparaiso University women’s tennis team dropped a tight match in Friday’s home opener at Match Point Tennis Club in Griffith, Ind. The Crusaders were on the wrong end of a 4-3 score against Omaha. The doubles point proved pivotal as the two teams split the six singles courts.

How It Happened

• The Mavericks (10-8) won the doubles point by prevailing on all three courts. Savanna Crowell and Natalie Lorentz topped Randi Wind (Park Ridge, Ill. / Maine South) and Halle Roach (Libertyville, Ill. / Libertyville) 6-1 at No. 1 doubles, while Emily Behling and Marie Kapelvich defeated Jordan Kopfer (Eagan, Minn. / Eastview) and Dao Sysouvanh (Sun Prairie, Wis. / Sun Prairie) 6-3 at No. 3.
• The Crusaders (5-6) lost the top doubles match 7-6(2) as Claire Czerwonka (Kenosha, Wis. / Saint Joseph Catholic Academy) and Jelena Vujanic (Elk Grove Village, Ill. / Elk Grove) succumbed to Michelle Lo and Janelle Wilson.
• Czerwonka was a 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 winner over Lo at No. 1 singles, while Vujanic gained a 7-5, 6-4 sweep of Wilson at No. 2.
• Valpo’s other singles win came on the No. 5 court, where Wind came back to edge Cromwell 3-6, 6-2, 7-6(3).
• The match came down to No. 3 singles, where Meg Modesto (Chesterton, Ind. / Chesterton) won the opening set 6-1 before dropping Set 2 6-4 and Set 3 7-5 to Kapelevich.

Inside the Match

• Vujanic picked up her team-leading 14^th singles win of the season, upping her record to 14-3. Czerwonka increased her record to 12-6.
• Wind’s win was her sixth of the season. She has 17 singles win over the last two years after winning 11 matches last season and recording the most singles wins of any Crusader in the last decade.
• This marks the first time this season Valpo has played a 4-3 match. Valpo lost its most recent 4-3 match on Feb. 24 of last season against IUPUI.

Up Next

After one day off on Saturday, the Crusaders will be back in action on Sunday, March 25 at Match Point Tennis Club in Griffith as they host Grand Valley State. The match is slated to get going at 10 a.m. CT.