The inaugural Crusader Indoor Invitational opened Friday afternoon at the Courts of NWI in Valparaiso. The Valpo men's tennis team went a collective 2-0 in doubles and 3-2 in singles in the event comprised of eleven teams and 59 individuals.

Michael Savaglio (Kenosha, Wis./Mary D. Bradford) coasted to a 6-1, 6-2 win over Western Illinois' Ben Yeacker in Flight B singles play. The senior will take on Youngstown State's Matthew Kritzinger in the quarterfinals Saturday at 4:00 pm. 

Fellow senior Brian Hickey (Western Springs, Ill./Fenwick) persevered for a 6-1, 0-6, 10-6 victory versus Tyler Cannon of Olivet Nazarene in Flight C. He, too, will face a Penguin in Saturday's quarterfinal action. Hickey and Bassem El Mekawi will begin at 4:00 pm.

Danny Oakes (Elburn, Ill./Saint Charles North) was a first-round winner in Flight D singles play after knocking off Cardinal Stritch's George Watson, 6-4, 6-2. Oakes fell in a tight quarterfinal match, however, 6-3, 2-6, 10-7 to Olivet Nazarene's Srdja Nikolic. The senior will square off against WIU's Brady Smith on Saturday.

Lucas Waak (Manitowoc, Wis./Roncalli) fell 6-1, 6-4 to Northwestern Ohio's Iustin Baciu in Flight A singles play.

The Crusaders enjoyed another robust day in doubles action.

Oakes and Waak met little resistance in their opening round Flight A doubles match against Purdue's Matt Bouggy/Renan Hanayama, dispatching the Boilermaker duo, 6-1. Their win sets up a 12:30 pm quarterfinal showdown against Olivet Nazarene's Rodolfo Sanchez/Juan Lopez Morales on Saturday.

Savaglio and Hickey recorded a 6-4 triumph over Cardinal Stritch's Jimmy Le and George Watson. The Crusader pair will compete in a quarterfinal tilt Saturday at 1:30 pm.

Day two of the Crusader Indoor Invitational is set to get underway at 12:30 pm Saturday at the Courts of NWI.