Coming off of the best tennis season in school history, Valparaiso opened the 2006 spring campaign with a 7-0 victory over the University of Chicago on Saturday afternoon at Matchpoint Tennis Club.

The first point may have been the hardest fought one for the Crusaders. Rachel Janssen (Fort Wayne, Ind./Dwenger H.S.) and Jenny Schwartz (Aurora, Ill./West Aurora H.S.) posted an 8-4 victory at first doubles over Ade Omodele-Lucien and Vindya Dayananda to get Valpo going. The Maroons won at third doubles to even it at one as Annie Miller and Preetha Rajamani downed Jill Dierberg (Saint Louis, Mo./Lutheran South H.S.) and Kim Sajevic (Woodbury, Minn./Woodbury H.S.) by an 8-6 score. The deciding second doubles match went nearly two hours before Whitney Chada (Downers Grove, Ill./North H.S.) and Kate Evangelist (Glen Ellyn, Ill./Glenbard West H.S.) won 8-6 over Alice Williams and Anuja Parikh to secure the doubles point for the Crusaders.

The Crusaders then went on to win all six singles matches over Chicago (0-1) to complete the sweep, including four in straight sets. Janssen needed a super tie-break in the third set for a 6-4, 2-6, 10-5 win over Dayananda at the top spot while Dierberg was a 6-0, 7-6 (3) victory over Omodele-Lucien. Chada was a straight sets victor 6-4, 6-1 over Williams at third singles while Evangelist notched a 7-5, 6-3 triumph over Parikh at the fourth spot. Sajevic cruised 6-1, 6-1 over Meredyth Richards at number five while Schwartz closed it out with a 6-4, 2-6, 10-8 win over Miller at sixth singles.

Valpo (1-0) will return to the courts on Friday evening for a 7 p.m. match against Xavier (Ohio) at Matchpoint.