Saturday, September 24, 2005

Valparaiso University played as mini-teams at the Bradley Invitational on Friday and Saturday.

Schools had teams of three players in either the A or B draws that competed in a best of three match against another school. The same format was used in doubles play.

Valpo's doubles team went 1-2 on the tournament. The Crusaders fell 2-1 to both Toledo and Southern Illinois while downing UMKC 3-0. Against the Rockets, Nic Kooyers (Holland, Mich./Holland H.S.) and Mike Shideler (Valparaiso, Ind./Muster H.S.) were the lone Crusader winners, posting an 8-5 victory. Against UMKC, Kooyers and Shideler were 8-3 winners, while Dave Bukowski (Mount Prospect, Ill./Prospect H.S.) and Mike Wagner (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer H.S.) also won by the same score. Joe Venegas (Saint Charles, Ill./North H.S.) and Blain Keller (Muncie, Ind./Delta H.S.) notched an 8-4 win. Valpo's lone point against Southern Illinois came by default.

In the flight A singles competition, Valpo defeated Illinois-Chicago 3-0 but fell by the same score to Southern Illinois. Kooyers was a 6-4, 6-4 winner against the Flames while Venegas posted a 6-1, 6-4 victory. Shideler notched a 6-4, 7-6 (5) triumph. On the final day, the team fell 2-1 to DePaul. Shideler posted the only win, 7-5, 6-3.

The B Flight saw Valpo beat a mixed team 3-0 but fall to Western Illinois 2-1. Wagner downed an opponent from Illinois-Chicago 6-3, 7-5 while Bukowski notched a win over UMKC 6-0, 6-1. Alex Lau (Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson Senior H.S.) beat fellow teammate Keller 7-5, 6-2. Lau also posted the lone win against Western Illinois 4-6, 6-0, 10-7. The final day, the team beat Chicago State 3-0. Wagner won 6-4, 6-4 while Bukowski and Lau needed three sets for their 6-4, 1-6, 10-7 and 3-6, 6-3, 10-6 wins respectively.

Valpo will next head to the Windy City Invitational September 30-October 2 in Chicago.