The Valpo men's tennis team made it seven straight home victories Saturday afternoon with a grueling, triple-header sweep of Chicago State, Olivet Nazarene, and Grace College at the Courts of NWI. 

The Crusaders rolled over a short-handed Chicago State club in the opening match. #35 Jeffrey Schorsch (Perrysburg, Ohio/Perrysburg) and Charlie Emhardt (Carmel, Ind./Carmel) extended their winning streak to six matches with a 6-1 defeat of Felix Savard/Gabriel Niculescu at No. 1. Lucas Waak (Manitowoc, Wis./Roncalli) and Garrett Gardner (Poland, Ohio/Poland) doubled up Christian Gonzalez and Rohan Wattley, 6-3, at No. 2. 

Kyle Dunn (Fond du Lac, Wis./Fond du Lac) was ahead 3-2 in the opening set of his No. 4 singles match with Wattley when the Cougar succumbed to an injury. Dunn improved to 12-7 with the abbreviated win. Dave Bacalla (Skokie, Ill./Niles North) held serve with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Niculescu atop singles action.

Michael Savaglio (Kenosha, Wis./Mary D. Bradford) recorded the team win for Valpo at No. 5 thanks to the senior's 6-4, 6-1 triumph versus Martinez. Freshman Chad Kissell (Latrobe, Pa./Greater Latrobe) downed Savard, 6-4, 6-4, at No. 2 to run his singles record to 14-7. Emhardt rounded out the noon match with a 6-2, 7-5 result versus Gonzalez. Without a player to compete at No. 6 singles, Chicago State forfeited at that flight, and Valpo posted the 7-0 shutout.

Valpo didn't miss a beat in its 3:00 match versus Olivet Nazarene.

Waak and Savaglio met little resistance in their No. 3 doubles match with Navarro Veys/Alfonso Martinez. The Crusader tandem rattled off a 6-3 win to allow Bacalla and Danny Oakes (Elburn, Ill./Saint Charles North) to clinch the doubles point after their 6-3 triumph at No. 1. Dunn and Kissell added a 6-2 win versus Rodolfo Sanchez/Srdja Nikolic at No. 2.

The Crusaders burst out with five straight singles victories.

Waak upended Tyler Cannon 6-1, 6-2 at No. 5. Gardner gave the Brown and Gold a 3-0 edge after his 6-1, 6-3 expulsion of Veys at No. 4. Kissell wrapped up the match with a 6-1, 6-3 triumph over Sanchez. 

With the match decided, Emhardt beat Martinez, 6-3, 7-5, at No. 3. Schorsch sweat out a 6-4, 6-4 victory in his No. 1 singles match against Oscar Mancineiras Cornella. 

Juan Lopez Morales salvaged a point for Olivet Nazarene with a 7-6 (5), 6-2 win over Hickey at No. 6.

The Brown and Gold didn't lift their foot off the accelerator in their final match of the day.

Hickey and Dunn started things off with a 6-2 win over Adam and Caleb Yoder at No. 3 doubles. Savaglio and Oakes seized the doubles point with a 6-2 defeat of Uros Pajic/Gabe Vervynckt at No. 2. Gardner and Emhardt followed suit at No. 1 with a 6-2 dismissal of Danila Kurkulin/Ethan Grove.

Hickey and Dunn opened singles action with 6-0, 6-0 victories over Caleb and Adam Yoder, respectively.

Savaglio again clinched the victory for Valpo by virtue of his 6-1, 6-2 result versus Grove. Gardner shutout Ricardo Bedon, 6-0, 6-0, at No. 4. Waak got past Pajic 6-2, 6-0 at No. 2. Kissell put the finishing touches on a very successful day with a 6-1, 6-2 triumph over Kurkulin.

Valpo (9-4) will take ten days off while it prepares for its spring trip. The Crusaders will tour Maryland and Virginia as they are scheduled to face UMBC, George Mason, William & Mary, and Richmond in the matter of five days.