The Valparaiso University tennis program has announced its team captains for the 2025-2026 season in advance of the squad's opening weekend.
 
Senior Moira Silva (Houston, Texas / Westside) and sophomore Brynn Steven (Wichita, Kan. / Bishop Carroll) have earned captain status.  
 
Silva, the 2022 Missouri Valley Conference Flight 2 Singles Champion, posted a glowing 19-7 singles record while playing exclusively at the No. 1 position last season. She earned four weekly awards from the league office, garnering MVC Singles Player of the Week and MVC Doubles Player of the Week laurels twice each. Silva enters her senior season ranked tied for seventh in program history with 52 career singles wins and 10^th in the record book with 42 career doubles victories.
 
"Moira is a role model," head coach Bob Modesto said. "Her work ethic is up there at the top. She is phenomenal. She exemplifies leading by example. If you do and follow what she does, you're going to be a winner in the game of life and in the game of tennis."
 
Steven picked up six singles wins and six doubles wins last season. She started the campaign with four straight singles triumphs including one over Illinois State in the opening round of the Redbird Fall Invitational. She took fifth in Flight 4 Singles at the MVC Individual Championships and third in Flight 3 Doubles at Illinois State's Redbird Invitational.
 
"Brynn is just an exceptional human being," Modesto said. "In life, we always want to surround ourselves with people who are going to make us better. Brynn Steven is one of those people."
 
The team features four returning players, two transfers and three freshmen this season. The Beacons begin the fall docket with a pair of home matches at the Valpo Tennis Complex on Saturday, hosting Holy Cross (Ind.) at 8 a.m. before welcoming Huntington (Ind.) at 1 p.m.
 
"In my tenure, I would say we're most excited about this season," Modesto said. "Last year, we felt optimistic and had a couple setbacks. This year, we're even more optimistic. We are looking to do great things. I believe everybody is on the same page. I've not had a team in my tenure work as hard as this team. I think that really bodes well for where we've set our sights."