The Valpo women's tennis team walked away from the first day of the UIC Invite with five victories on the day.

Paige Heuer (Munster, Ind./Munster) and Kathleen Hebble (Silversburg, Ind./Silver Creek) started the day off right with a 6-3 win over Milwaukee's Labina Petrovska and Alysa Straub in Flight A doubles. The Crusader duo will square off against Bowling Green's Drew Fillis/Paula Comella Aguilo on Saturday in the semifinals.

Meg Modesto (Chesterton, Ind./Chesterton) and Cary Milanes (Miami, Fla./Miami Palmetto) fell 6-0 in the bottom half of Flight A doubles in their match against NIU's Cristina Alvarez/Adey Osabuohien. 

In Flight B action, the freshmen tandem of Randi Wind (Park Ridge, Ill./Maine South) and Halle Roach (Libertyville, Ill./Libertyville) battled UIC's Bianca Zuzu and Melika LeBlanc to a tiebreaker, but eventually lost 7-6 (3). Elsewhere, Milwaukee's Masha Lobanova and Dana Shannon downed Erin Staal (Grand Haven, Mich./Grand Haven)/Morgan Paras (Indianapolis, Ind./Bishop Chatard), 6-0.

In singles play, Wind rebounded from an opening round loss to NIU's Michelle Erasmus with a decisive 6-2, 6-3 victory over Bowling Green's Leeah Floyd.

Heuer also shook off a quarterfinals defeat with a straight-set win against a Falcon. The junior beat Drew Fillis, 6-3, 6-1.

Hebble was victorious in her first-round match as she outlasted UIC's Jackie Altansarnai, 1-6, 6-4, 10-6. 

Modesto finished 1-1 on the day after she overcame a quarterfinal letdown. The freshman No. 1 player responded with a 6-3, 2-6, 11-9 thrilling win over Horizon League foe Labina Petrovska of Milwaukee. 

Play concludes tomorrow at the Flames Outdoor Tennis Courts at 9:30 am CT.