The Valparaiso University women’s tennis team picked up three wins in singles and three more in doubles action on Saturday to close out the UIC Fall Invitational in Chicago. Each of Valpo’s double’s teams went 1-1 on the day. Freshman Demi Jhaveri (Westlake, Ohio / Westlake) highlighted three Valpo singles wins by topping a second-team all-conference performer from last season.

How It Happened

• The all-freshman doubles duo of Olivia Czerwonka (Kenosha, Wis. / Saint Joseph Catholic Academy) and Jhaveri teamed up to top a Chicago State pair 6-3. They later succumbed to a UIC tandem in their second match of the day.
• Junior Claire Czerwonka (Kenosha, Wis. / Saint Joseph Catholic Academy) and sophomore Isabella Schoolcraft (Bargersville, Ind. / Center Grove) dropped a close 6-4 match to Chicago State early in the day before coming back with a 6-3 win over a different Cougar pairing.
• Senior Dao Sysouvanh (Sun Prairie, Wis. / Sun Prairie) and freshman Amanda Tabanera (Valencia, Calif. / Valencia) garnered a 6-3 win over Chicago State, bouncing back from a defeat to a UIC doubles team earlier in the day.
• Jhaveri picked up a significant win in singles action, coming from a set down to top UIC’s Karyna Bihel 3-6, 6-1, 10-7.
• Sysouvanh eked out a victory over Chicago State’s Dukic in a match that required a neck-and-neck third set tiebreak to determine a victor. Sysouvanh’s win came 7-5, 3-6, 11-9.
• Claire Czerwonka owned Valpo’s third singles win of the day, beating Kristina Pukhaeva of Chicago State 6-0, 6-4.

Inside the Match

• The victory for Jhaveri was a notable one for the Valpo rookie. Bihel, who started her collegiate career in the Big Ten at Minnesota, was a Horizon League all-second team performer last season.
• Claire Czerwonka enjoyed the 32^nd singles win of her career, the most among active players. The standard to reach the program record book in career singles wins is 38.
• Claire is already part of the program’s Top 10 in doubles wins with 34. She took over 10^th this weekend and is two away from joining Kate Kollarova (2002-2002) in a tie for ninth.
• Sysouvanh is up to 21 career singles wins.
• Valpo totaled 12 wins in the UIC Invitational, eight coming in singles play.

Up Next

Valpo fans will have a chance to catch the team in action on Homecoming Weekend as the squad hosts Huntington University in the second of two fall dual matches at the Valpo Tennis Complex. The action will get going at 11 a.m. on Saturday morning.