Three singles players notched victories, but the Valparaiso University tennis team fell 4-3 to Missouri State in Saturday's Missouri Valley Conference opener at The Courts of Northwest Indiana. The shorthanded Beacons battled as two players prevailed in singles despite playing up a position from their usual spot in the lineup.
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How It Happened
- Valpo defaulted at No. 3 Doubles, and the Bears took both doubles matches that were played.
- At No. 1 Singles, junior Moira Silva (Houston, Texas / Houston Tennis Academy) cruised to a 6-3, 6-1 win over Tuana Gunal.
- Valpo's other two singles wins came in come-from-behind fashion, as freshman Lacey Tanner (Fort Pierce, Fla. / Florida Virtual school) and sophomore Lillian Kelly (Fullerton, Calif. / Fullerton Union) both lost their first sets, but battled back to win their matches.
- After dropping the first set on a tiebreak 7-6(2), Tanner reversed her fortunes by beating Raluca Puscas in the remaining sets 6-1, 7-5 at No. 4.
- Kelly lost the opening set 6-3, but then battled back to take the next two sets 6-4, 6-1 at No. 5 against Romy Pols.
- The Beacons won three of the five singles matches that were played, but the Brown & Gold defaulted at No. 6, so the Bears took the match.
Inside the Match
- This was the second time in the last three matches that Valpo fell by the slimmest of margins at 4-3. Valpo played 10 matches decided by a score of 4-3 last season. This marked the second straight year Missouri State defeated Valpo by a 4-3 score.
- Silva picked up her 14th singles win this season and the 47th of her career, two away from cracking the program's all-time top 10. This was her fourth win in her last five matches.
- Tanner grabbed her eighth win of the season, while Kelly picked up her third.
Up Next
Valpo (3-9, 0-1 MVC) will hit the road for a pair of matches next week, visiting Belmont on Saturday at 10 a.m. in Nashville.
