The Valparaiso University men’s tennis team started the spring season in style on Friday night at Match Point Tennis Club in Griffith, rolling to a 7-0 victory over Cardinal Stritch to open the dual match season in the win column. Valpo won five singles matches in straight sets, prevailed on all six singles courts and took two of the three doubles matchups.

How It Happened

• Redshirt junior Brian Pecyna (Glen Ellyn, Ill. / Homeschooled) picked up right where he left off after a successful fall season by winning at No. 4 singles in the first match to finish. He topped Niccolo Rossi 6-1, 6-0 in a nearly flawless effort.
• Junior Brandon Ancona (Belvidere, Ill. / Rockford Christian) also sustained his fall success in the spring opener. He played at the top singles spot and cruised to a 6-2, 6-0 win over Agustin Gascia.
• Another quick finish came on the No. 6 singles court, where junior Gabriel Carvajal (Pembroke Pines, Fla. / Broward Virtual School [Florida Atlantic]) carved out a 6-2, 6-2 triumph over Danillo Pejovic.
• Senior Chad Kissell (Latrobe, Pa. / Greater Latrobe) made his return to the court after sitting out the fall season with an injury. He topped Jose Chamba 6-3, 6-2 at No. 2.
• Junior Daniel Langston (Ponca City, Okla. / Ponca City) outdid Nicolas Palacio 6-3, 6-4 at No. 5, while sophomore Kweisi Kenyatte (Detroit, Mich. / East English Village Preparatory) came back for a 4-6, 6-3, 10-6 win at No. 3 in the tightest singles match.
• Pencya and Langston teamed for a 6-3 win at No. 3 doubles before Chamba and Pejovic topped Kissell and Brozovich 6-3 at No. 2. The doubles point hinged on the top spot, where Ancona and Kenyatte captured a 6-3 win for Valpo.

Inside the Match

• Kissell gained his 66^th career singles win, the most among active players. He is eighth in program history in career singles victories, needing three more to move into a tie for sixth.
• The doubles win for Kenyatte and Ancona was their 11^th as a duo this season, upping their 2018-19 mark to 11-2. Ancona has 42 career doubles wins, while Kenyatte is at 26.
• Pecyna boosted his season record to 9-3, while Ancona improved his mark to 9-2 and now has 47 career singles victories.
• Valpo has opened the spring season with a 7-0 win in two of the last three years.

Up Next

A home-heavy stretch that features five consecutive dates at Match Point Tennis Club in Griffith to begin the dual season continues on Friday, Feb. 1 as Valpo hosts Green Bay. The Phoenix will be in town for a 4 p.m. first serve. It’s a rematch of the 2015 and 2016 Horizon League finals and the first matchup between the two adversaries since Valpo joined the Missouri Valley Conference.