Tuesday, March 14, 2006

Valparaiso won its second straight match on its spring trip Tuesday morning as the Crusaders defeated Fairleigh Dickinson 6-1 in Kissimmee, Fla.

The Crusaders jumped in front with the doubles point as the Brown and Gold swept all three contests. Nic Kooyers (Holland, Mich./Holland H.S.) and Mike Shideler (Valparaiso, Ind./Munster H.S.) topped Dan Wynne and Juan Pablo Medina 8-4 at the top of the lineup while Mike Wagner (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer H.S.) and Dave Bukowski (Mount Prospect, Ill./Prospect H.S.) were 8-6 winners at number two doubles over Albert Nersesyan and Esteban Blanco. Joe Venegas (Saint Charles, Ill./North H.S.) and Alex Lau (Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson Senior H.S.) completed the sweep with an 8-2 triumph over Justin Seow and Chris Bowers.

Valpo then completed the victory with five singles wins against Fairleigh Dickinson (2-3). Kooyers was a 6-4, 6-0 winner at number one against Wynne while Wagner notched a 6-1, 7-5 win over Seow at third singles. Shideler earned a 6-3, 6-1 victory at the fourth spot while Bukowski topped Medina 6-3, 6-2 at fifth singles. At the bottom of the order, Dan Brunette (Carmel, Ind./Lutheran H.S. of Indianapolis) defeated Rodrigo Avila 6-0, 6-1. The Knights' lone win came at second singles as Nersesyan topped Venegas 6-1, 6-0.

Valparaiso (2-6) will look to keep its momentum going on Wednesday as the Crusaders face Binghamton beginning at 7 a.m. CST.