The Valparaiso University men’s tennis team had three players compete in the main singles draw of the ITA Midwest Regional, which was hosted by Ohio State in Columbus, Ohio this week. After singles qualifying and main draw doubles dominated the schedule of events on Thursday and Friday, the singles main draw was in full swing on Saturday.

How It Happened

• All three Valpo players who earned their way into the main draw (either via the qualifying draw or an automatic berth) fell in the opening round on Saturday. The closest of those matches came courtesy of Brandon Ancona (Belvidere, Ill. / Rockford Christian), who played a pair of tight sets with Michigan’s Connor Johnston, but dropped the match 7-5, 7-5.
• Brian Pecyna (Glen Ellyn, Ill. / Homeschooled) succumbed to Matthew Terry of Cleveland State 6-2, 6-3, while Gabriel Carvajal (Pembroke Pines, Fla. / Broward Virtual School [Florida Atlantic]) fell to 11^th-seeded Siphosothando Montsi of Illinois 6-1, 7-6.
• In consolation play, Pecyna took the opening set from Western Michigan’s Kennosulke Nouchi, but lost the match 3-6, 6-3, 10-6. Carvajal fell to Wisconsin’s Robin Parts 6-1, 6-4.
• Oscar Mendoza (Guayaquil, Ecuador / Interamerican Academy) topped Illinois State's Aleksa Lazarevic in a three-set qualifying consolation, 6-2, 6-7(4), 10-5. 
• Andrej Kalenic (Belgrade, Serbia / Kreativno Pero) battled back from dropping the opening set to win a thrilling third-set tiebreak in his qualifying consolation match. He beat Chicago State's Javier Sanchez Pradillo 4-6, 6-2, 11-9.
• Daniel Langston (Ponca City, Okla. / Ponca City) played a long Set 1 tiebreak against Notre Dame's Jonathan Small and dropped the match 6-7 (13-15), 3-6 in singles qualifying draw consolation play. 
• Franklin Brozovich (Fort Gratiot, Mich. / Port Huron Northern) played a qualifying draw consolation match against Lars Minaas of DePaul and was on the wrong end of a 6-2, 6-4 score.

Up Next

After enjoying representation at this weekend’s regional, Valpo will gear up for the spring slate, which begins on Saturday, Jan. 25 at Butler.