The Valparaiso University women’s tennis program secured its first weekly award from the Missouri Valley Conference this season on Tuesday as Olivia Czerwonka (Kenosha, Wis. / Saint Joseph Catholic Academy) was tabbed the league’s Singles Player of the Week for her role in Saturday’s 4-3 victory over Ohio Valley Conference preseason co-favorite SIUE at The Courts of Northwest Indiana.

Czerwonka set the tone in the victory by earning an important win at No. 1 singles. Her triumph was the first singles match to finish and helped the Beacons turn the tide after dropping the doubles point. She won in straight sets (6-4, 6-2) over Margaux Guibal Britt, a freshman who was ranked No. 1 in the state of Tennessee and as high as No. 74 nationally. Guibal Britt is so talented that she was ranked fourth on the list of OVC Players to Watch this season as only a freshman and beat out reigning OVC Player of the Year Jill Lambrechts for the top spot in SIUE’s singles lineup.

Czerwonka improved to 9-2 overall and 5-0 in dual matches this season while picking up her 55th career singles win, a total that ranks sixth in program history and is two away from her sister Claire for a spot in the top five. This marked Czerwonka’s 10^th career MVC weekly award.

The Beacons have added a match against Purdue Northwest to the schedule that will take place on Wednesday at 1 p.m. in Park Forest, Ill.