Trailing 2-0 following doubles play and the first match of singles action, the Valparaiso men's tennis team rattled off five consecutive singles victories to close out a 5-2 triumph over Toledo at the Shadow Valley Tennis Club in Maumee, Ohio on Saturday afternoon.

"This was a great team win. To go on the road against a very tough team and come back after losing the doubles point required a huge performance from all of the guys, and they delivered," head coach Jim Daugherty said.

Toledo gained an early edge in doubles play via a 6-1 win from Nicky Wong/Mark Singnil over Dave Bacalla (Skokie, Ill./Niles North)/Chase Hamilton (Hinsdale, Ill./Central) at No. 2. The Crusaders' No. 3 team of Lucas Waak (Manitowoc, Wis./Roncalli)/Garrett Gardner (Poland, Ohio/Poland) temporarily evened things up following a 6-4 decision over Omar Espinosa/Roberto Meza. 

The Rockets claimed the doubles point in a narrow duel at No. 1. Garrett Cona/Stjepan Sisko outlasted Jeffrey Schorsch (Perrysburg, Ohio/Perrysburg)/Charlie Emhardt (Carmel, Ind./Carmel), 7-6 (6).

Valpo's deficit expanded to 2-0 following Bacalla's 6-1, 6-3 loss to Sisko at No. 1 singles.

But the tide turned after that.

Gardner got the Brown and Gold on the scoreboard with a 6-2, 6-2 dispatching of Cona at No. 4. Schorsch, who was playing five minutes from his hometown of Perrysburg, tied the match at 2-2 following his 6-3, 6-4 dismissal of Singnil. 

Waak gave the Crusaders their first lead after handing Espinoza a 7-5, 6-3 defeat at No. 5.

Valpo clinched the match via Kyle Dunn (Fond du Lac, Wis./Fond du Lac)'s three-set win at No. 6. He was on the winning end of a 2-6, 6-0, 6-2 hard-fought match.

Emhardt provided the icing on the cake with a marathon victory at No. 3. The sophomore went the distance with Wong before prevailing with a 6-7 (5), 7-6 (6), 10-5 victory.

The Crusaders (1-0) will host a pair of matches next weekend at the Courts of NWI.

IPFW (2-0) comes to town Saturday at 2:00 pm before IUPUI will challenge the Brown and Gold on Sunday at 2:30 pm. The Jaguars (1-4) dropped a 6-1 decision to Cleveland State last Friday in Indianapolis.