The Valparaiso University tennis team wrapped up a solid weekend of play at the Redbird Invitational in Normal, Ill. on Sunday, an outing that was highlighted by a Flight 2 singles championship by junior Olivia Czerwonka (Kenosha, Wis. / Saint Joseph Catholic Academy). Fifth-year senior Claire Czerwonka (Kenosha, Wis. / Saint Joseph Catholic Academy) earned a milestone victory on a day where the Beacons went 5-2 in singles action.

How It Happened

• Olivia edged Mariona Perez of Saint Louis in straight sets – 6-4, 6-4 – to take the Flight 2 singles crown. She closed out a flawless 3-0 weekend in singles play.
• Claire also found success against a Billiken, beating Mya Spencer 6-1, 6-2 in a Flight 1 consolation match.
• Allison McConnell (Westland, Mich. / Churchill) also participated in a winning day of singles play for the Beacons, besting Chicago State’s Susana Andres 6-4, 6-2 to take fifth in Flight 8.
• Amanda Tabanera (Valencia, Calif. / Valencia) won by retirement over Christina Stankovic of IUPUI after holding a 3-0 lead. Tabanera took fifth in Flight 4 singles.
• Demi Jhaveri (Westlake, Ohio / Westlake) also won by retirement in her Flight 5 match, leading Katrina Drazic of Chicago State 5-4 at the time Drazic retired.
• Isabella Schoolcraft’s (Bargersville, Ind. / Center Grove) setback in Flight 9 came in a tightly-contested 7-6(5), 4-6, 9-11 match against Marquette’s Sarah Badawi.
• Mia Bertino (Lockport, Ill. / Joliet Catholic) finished as the runner-up in Flight 7, dropping a close championship match 7-6(2), 6-4 at the hands of IUPUI’s Meghan Bernard.
• In Flight 4 doubles, Jhaveri and McConnell earned fifth place with an 8-6 victory over the Chicago State pairing of Dukic/Andres.

Inside the Match

• The singles win for Claire represented a significant milestone as it marked her 100^th career victory, combining singles and doubles wins. She is up to 46 career singles triumphs, surpassing Monika Danko (2001-2005, 45) for sole possession of eighth on the program’s all-time list.  
• Olivia increased her career singles win total to 28 and moved to 4-0 this fall.
• Tabanera collected her 23^rd career singles win, while Jhaveri picked up her 18^th. McConnell secured the fifth of her young career.
• Jhaveri’s doubles win was the 18^th of her career, while McConnell nailed down her seventh career doubles success.

Up Next 

The ITA Midwest Regional will take place beginning on Friday, Sept. 24 in Urbana-Champaign, Ill. Valpo will then participate in the Rocket Invitational beginning on Oct. 1.