The back end of the Valparaiso University men’s tennis lineup shined on Wednesday in DeLand, Fla. as Gabriel Carvajal (Pembroke Pines, Fla. / Broward Virtual School [Florida Atlantic]) and Daniel Langston (Ponca City, Okla. / Ponca City) picked up triumphs for the Crusaders, who dropped the match to host Stetson 5-2.

How It Happened

• The Crusaders (2-9) lost the doubles point after defeats at No. 2 and No. 3. The No. 2 doubles match was the first to finish, with Stetson’s Malik Bhatnagar and Agnus Bradshaw recording a 6-1 win over Brandon Ancona (Belvidere, Ill. / Rockford Christian) and Chad Kissell (Latrobe, Pa. / Greater Latrobe).
• The Hatters (9-2) secured the doubles point with a 6-3 win by Loic Blanco and Antoine Sanchez at No. 3 against Brian Pecyna (Glen Ellyn, Ill. / Homeschooled) and Franklin Brozovich (Fort Gratiot, Mich. / Port Huron Northern).
• For the second consecutive day, Valpo’s Garrett Gardner (Poland, Ohio / Poland) and Kweisi Kenyatte (Detroit, Mich. / East English Village Preparatory) saw their No. 1 doubles match go unfinished. They held a 4-3 lead over Colter DeCoste and Coilin MacNamara when play was halted.
• The first singles match to finish was at No. 1, where Kissell was on the wrong end of a 6-0, 6-2 showdown with Blanco. The next to reach completion was No. 4 singles, as Gardner fell to Angus Bradshaw 6-3, 6-2.
• Stetson clinched the team win when Kenyatte succumbed to Malik Bhatnagar 7-6(4), 6-1 at No. 2, but all three remaining matches featured close showdowns. Langston accounted for Valpo’s first team win in the match at No. 6, taking Set 1 6-4 before bouncing back from a 6-1 loss in the second set with a 6-1 victory in the third.
• Carvajal recorded his victory in straight sets, edging William Shkrob 7-6, 6-3.
• The final match to reach its completion was at No. 3, where Ancona dropped a thriller with Antoine Sanchez 6-3, 3-6, 7-5.

Up Next

The Crusaders will have one day off in the Sunshine State after three consecutive match days on Thursday before returning to the courts on Friday at 10 a.m. CT at Eastern Florida State College in Melbourne, Fla.