The Valparaiso University men’s tennis team combined to win seven of its nine singles matches on Friday, the opening day of the Rocket Invitational in Toledo. Daniel Langston (Ponca City, Okla. / Ponca City) accounted for two of the Valpo victories.

How It Happened

• Langston enjoyed an unbeaten day of singles action, rolling to a 6-1, 6-4 win over Aaron Umen of Case Western Reserve before topping Eastern Illinois’ Juan Carlos Garrido 6-2, 6-1.
• Senior Gabriel Carvajal (Pembroke Pines, Fla. / Broward Virtual School [Florida Atlantic]) captured a victory in his lone singles match of the day, topping Logan Charbonneau 7-5, 7-6(0).
• Brian Pecyna (Glen Ellyn, Ill. / Homeschooled) was victorious in his only singles match, coming up with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Cameron Slabbert of Eastern Illinois.
• Freshman Andrej Kalenic (Belgrade, Serbia / Kreativno Pero) emerged victorious in his singles showdown, besting Earl Hsieh in a three-set thriller 6-2, 3-6, 10-6.
• Senior Brandon Ancona (Belvidere, Ill. / Rockford Christian) won his match 6-2, 6-4 over Matthew Chen of Case Western Reserve. 
• Freshman Philipp Leithold (Esslingen, Germany / Theodor-Huess Gynasium) also went 1-1 in singles action. His win came over Thomas Wallace of Eastern Illinois 6-4, 6-3.
• In doubles play, Valpo picked up a win in a three-set doubles match as Pecyna and Carvajal came back from dropping the opening set to pick up a 4-6, 7-6(4), 10-7 win over a Case Western Reserve pair. Valpo played two doubles matches on Friday, dropping the other.

Up Next

Valpo will be back in action at 9 a.m. on Saturday for the continuation of the tournament.