Valpo relinquished a number of leads in a frustrating 4-3 loss to #68 Purdue at the Schwartz Tennis Center in West Lafayette, Indiana on Saturday. 

After dropping the opening doubles match at No. 2, the Crusaders held a 5-4 edge at both of the remaining flights. However, Dominik Sochurek and Ricky Medinilla forced a tiebreaker at No. 1 in their match versus #35 Jeffrey Schorsch (Perrysburg, Ohio/Perrysburg)/Charlie Emhardt (Carmel, Ind./Carmel). That duel unfortunately went unsettled as Mateus Silva and Arthur Dobradin rallied for a 7-6 (5) win at No. 3 over Chad Kissell (Latrobe, Pa./Greater Latrobe)/Kyle Dunn (Fond du Lac, Wis./Fond du Lac) to clinch the doubles point.

Valpo showed no signs of a letdown as Garrett Gardner (Poland, Ohio/Poland) and Emhardt recorded quick straight-set wins at No. 5 and 4 singles, respectively. Gardner defeated Dobradin, 6-2, 6-1, while Emhardt upended Sochurek, 6-2, 6-4. 

Purdue's Gergely Madarasz brought the score to a 2-2 deadlock after defeating Schorsch, 6-4, 6-4, at No. 1. 

Dave Bacalla (Skokie, Ill./Niles North) made a valiant comeback attempt at No. 2 singles, but fell 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, to Benjamin Ugarte.

Trailing 3-2, Kissell appeared to be on the verge of putting away Medinilla at No. 3, but the Boilermaker junior rallied for a 1-6, 6-3, 7-6 (6) victory to secure the match.

The setback became that much more devastating after Dunn defeated Mateus Silva, 7-6 (7), 3-6, 10-7 at No. 6. 

The 4-3 loss represented the second in as many days to a ranked opponent. 

Valpo (5-3) will return to Northwest Indiana to prepare for a busy weekend. The Crusaders will host Western Illinois (12 pm) and Eastern Illinois (3 pm) on Friday before welcoming Chicago State (1 pm), Olivet Nazarene (4 pm), and Grace College (7 pm) to the Courts of NWI on Saturday.