The Valparaiso University women’s tennis team opened up the MVC Individual Championship on Friday in Waterloo, Iowa, with senior Dao Sysouvanh (Sun Prairie, Wis. / Sun Prairie) picking up a first-round victory to lead the team. She earned a spot in the semifinal round of the sixth singles draw. In all, Valpo had four singles triumph on the day.

How It Happened

• Sysouvanh edged Drake’s Megan Webb 7-6(5), 6-2 in her first-round match. She used a set tiebreak to win the opener before rolling to the sweep in Set 2. Sysouvanh will battle Missouri State’s Alyson Piskulic in the semifinal round of the sixth singles draw.
• Numerous Valpo players competed in the tight first-round matches. In singles Flight 5, freshman Demi Jhaveri (Westlake, Ohio / Westlake) battled back after dropping the first set to win Set 2 and force a traditional third set. However, Missouri State’s Claire Martin eked out the 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 win. Jhaveri bounced back with a 6-2, 6-1 win over Madeline Doherty of UNI in the consolation portion to move on to a fifth-place match.
• Another three-set showdown in the opening round featured freshman Olivia Czerwonka (Kenosha, Wis. / Saint Joseph Catholic Academy), who started strong with a Set 1 win but lost the match in three after dropping a close second set at No. 2 singles. Stony Brook’s Mara Riberio garnered a 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 victory. On a six-set day, Olivia rebounded with a 6-3, 3-6, 10-6 victory over Emma Carr of UNI, prevailing in a third-set tiebreak to move on to a fifth-place match.
• Freshman Amanda Tabanera (Valencia, Calif. / Valencia) incurred a 6-2, 7-6(1) setback to Drake’s Maria Tatarnikova in the first round of the third singles flight, but she rebounded with a win in the consolation bracket. Tabanera topped Bradley’s Natalia Barbery 6-2, 7-6(1) to move on to the fifth-place match.
• Junior Claire Czerwonka (Kenosha, Wis. / Saint Joseph Catholic Academy) was on the wrong end of a 6-3, 6-2 decision against Bradley’s Sandra Maletin. She’ll compete in a fifth-place match against UNI’s Harri Proudfoot.  
• Sophomore Isabella Schoolcraft (Bargersville, Ind. / Center Grove) fell to Stony Brook’s Kristine Theys 6-2, 6-3 in her Flight 4 match.
• In singles Flight 7, Lia Boucek competed after recently joining the program as a walk-on. She dropped both matches.
• Claire/Schoolcraft (No. 1), Olivia/Jhaveri (No. 2) and Tabanera/Sysouvanh represented Valpo in doubles competition. All three incurred setbacks in their first matches of the weekend.

Up Next

The MVC Individual Championship will continue on Saturday in Waterloo.