Saturday, January 28, 2006

Valparaiso dropped its 2006 season opener on Saturday afternoon 7-0 to Butler in Indianapolis, Ind.

Butler (2-2) opened the match taking the doubles point. Brandon Gill and Parker Ross downed Nic Kooyers (Holland, Mich./Holland H.S.) and Mike Shideler (Valparaiso, Ind./Munster H.S.) 8-4 at the top spot while Tony Aker and Eric Brietenbach defeated Joe Venegas (Saint Charles, Ill./North H.S.) and Mike Wagner (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer H.S.) 8-1 at second doubles. In the third position, the Bulldogs' Evan West and Scott Newmark were 8-5 victors over Dave Bukowski (Mount Prospect, Ill./Prospect H.S.) and Blain Keller (Muncie, Ind./Delta H.S.) 8-5.

In singles play, Butler swept all six matches in straight sets. Gill defeated Kooyers 6-4, 6-2 at number one while at the second spot James Low was a 6-1, 6-2 victor over Shideler. Andy Bartish won 6-1, 6-1 over Venegas at third singles while Ross defeated Bukowski 6-1, 6-2 at number four. West was a 6-3, 6-0 winner at fifth singles while Valpo's Alexander Lau (Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson Senior H.S.) kept it close against Newmark before falling 7-5, 6-4 at the sixth spot.

Valpo (0-1) will return to action on Sunday morning as the Crusaders face Purdue in West Lafayette. First serve is slated for 10 a.m. CST.