Two of the top contenders for Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year will face off on Friday morning as the Valparaiso University tennis team hosts UIC in the 2025 season finale. The match will take place at 9:30 a.m. at The Courts of Northwest Indiana. 
 
Junior Moira Silva (Houston, Texas / Houston Tennis Academy) enters the match with a 19-6 overall record and 6-1 conference mark. She has won nine of her last 11 matches including four straight.
 
On Friday, Silva will battle Mayu Ushio, who won the No. 1 Singles draw at the MVC Individual Championships this past fall. Ushio is 5-0 in conference matches this season. If Silva wins, she will have the inside track on capturing the MVC Player of the Year honor.
 
"The match comes down to the mental aspect of the game more than anything else," Valpo head coach Bob Modesto said. "Both players are good, so the mental part of the game is going to be a big factor. There's pressure on both sides, so it really comes down to who handles the mental part of it best. Moira is physically ready for the match. It will come down to handling the nerves and playing the deuce points well. You want to rely on your preparation. Moira buys into the concept of playing tennis three times per day. Some will only practice once per day, but playing tennis three times per day makes all the difference in the world when it comes to winning."
 
Silva, who shared the Missouri Valley Conference Singles Player of the Week honor with Ushio this past week after both recorded wins over Illinois State and Bradley, has made an impressive turnaround after going 1-7 in conference matches last season. She is up to sixth in program history in single-season singles victories and tied for seventh in program history in career singles successes.
 
"Last year she was 1-7 but had a win over one of the best players in the conference," Modesto said. "This year, she turns it around and goes 6-1 with an opportunity to go 7-1. It's a great testament to her commitment. She's put in the work and done the things you need to do, and we're hoping to see that in the results tomorrow."
 
Due to one player departing the team at the semester break and another suffering a season-ending injury prior to the start of conference play, Valpo has been playing with five healthy players this spring, defaulting at No. 6 Singles and No. 3 Doubles in each match and the majority of the lineup is playing up one to two spots from their original positions. Sophomore Lillian Kelly (Fullerton, Calif. / Fullerton Union) is a contender for all-conference honors at the No. 5 position with a 5-2 mark. Sophomore Jolene Fernandes (Calgary, Alberta, Canada), freshman Brynn Steven (Wichita, Kan. / Bishop Carroll) and freshman Lacey Tanner (Fort Pierce, Fla. / Florida Virtual School) round out the young group of Beacons who have battled through the shorthanded season.
 
"You could say that the season wasn't what we would have liked, but it wasn't because of a lack of effort," Modesto said. "Our players have gone out and left their hearts out on the court at every position. The results may not show it, but I'm very proud of this team and proud of what we've accomplished. I expect tomorrow to be no different, they're going to leave it all out on the court."