The Valparaiso University women’s tennis team enjoyed a strong day at the Cougar Invitational hosted by Chicago State on Saturday. The match was played under a hidden duals format so there was no official team score, but Valpo won the vast majority of its singles and doubles matches against each opponent.

How It Happened

• Sophomore Claire Czerwonka (Kenosha, Wis. / Saint Joseph Catholic Academy) earned a pair of straight-set victories in singles. She stayed perfect on the young season with her 7-5, 6-4 win over Cardinal Stritch’s Lisa Keller and 6-1, 7-6(5) victory over Chicago State’s Anastasi Goncharova.
• Jelena Vujanic (Elk Grove Village, Ill. / Elk Grove) matched her fellow sophomore with a pair of victories, defeating Cardinal Stritch’s Assya Trimari 6-0, 6-0 and notching a 6-1, 6-3 win over Chicago State’s Iesha Shepherd.
• Both of Valpo’s freshmen had successful singles days in the Windy City. Olivia Paradise (Mahtomedi, Minn. / Mahtomedi) made her collegiate debut with straight set wins over Cardinal Stritch’s Kimmy Tait (6-2, 6-4) and Chicago State’s Nicole Chrissansen (6-2, 6-0). It was also a good day for freshman Isabella Schoolcraft (Bargersville, Ind. / Center Grove), who won the first two singles matches of her career – 6-4, 7-6 (11-9) over Chelsea Kelly and 6-0, 6-0 over Alyssa Larsen.
• After a pair of victories on Saturday, Randi Wind (Park Ridge, Ill. / Maine South) ran her record to 3-0 this season. Her closest match came against Chicago State’s Lizi Morgoshia, when Wind bounced back from a 6-7(4) loss in the first set to win the next two sets 6-4, 10-6.
• Meg Modesto (Chesterton, Ind. / Chesterton) is also off to a 3-0 start to her singles career after a pair of tightly-contested victories, both of which required a third set. She beat Cardinal Stritch’s Klara Smolikova (3-6, 6-4, 10-4) and Chicago State’s Kristina Pukheava (7-5, 4-6, 10-5).
• Junior Jordan Kopfer (Eagan, Minn. / Center Grove) had a positive day as well, beating Cardinal Stritch’s Anne Apfelbeck in straight sets (6-2, 6-1) before needing a third set to top Chicago State’s Maria Kuzminskaya (3-6, 6-1, 10-5).
• Valpo also had a quality day on the doubles courts, led by the team of Czerwonka and Vujanic winning both of its matches. Dao Sysouvanh (Sun Prairie, Wis. / Sun Prairie) and Schoolcraft teamed up for a pair of victories, as did Modesto and Kopfer. A variety of other doubles combinations found success as well.

Inside the Match

• Valpo is off to a strong start to the fall season with a glowing 20-2 record in singles play (.909 winning percentage) and a 9-2 mark (.818) in doubles competition.
• Vujanic and Czerwonka improved to 11-5 all-time when paired together on the doubles court. All of those pairings have come at the No. 1 doubles position. They have won five consecutive doubles matches as a pair and haven’t lost as a duo since April 7 of last season.
• Czerwonka picked up her 18^th career doubles win on Saturday, while Vujanic gained her 15^th career doubles triumph.  
• Kopfer notched her 19^th career doubles win, while Modesto picked up her 23^rd.
• Kopfer now has 14 career singles wins, while Vujanic bolstered her career total to 22. Czerwonka is up to 17 career singles wins, and Modesto stands at 23. Wind now stands at 26 career singles wins during her Valpo tenure.

Up Next

Valpo will make the trip to West Point, N.Y. for the West Point Invitational from Sept. 28-30.