After the joy of a dramatic 4-3 victory on Saturday, the Valparaiso University tennis team was on the other side of a 4-3 cliffhanger on Sunday as Western Illinois eked out a victory at The Courts of Northwest Indiana. Senior Moira Silva (Houston, Texas / Westside) polished off a 2-0 weekend at the No. 1 Singles spot, while sophomore Andrea Delgado (Richmond, Texas / Foster [Dallas Baptist]) did the same at fifth singles.
 
How It Happened

• The No. 2 doubles team of Silva and Brynn Steven (Wichita, Kan. / Bishop Carroll) sprinted out to a 4-0 lead in their match, winning each of the first four games including a pair of breaks. The other two doubles matches were on serve early, until the Beacons went up a break on both courts.
• The Leathernecks eventually battled back in the No. 2 match, picking up a break sandwiched around two holds to make it 4-3. Valpo held and then secured a break to take the match 6-3 and put the Beacons up 1-0 in doubles.
• In the No. 1 match featuring Alexandra Popa (Glenview, Ill. / Glenbrook South) and Lacey Tanner (Fort Pierce, Fla. / Florida Virtual School), the break came with Valpo up 3-2 on serve, putting the Beacons ahead 4-2 after what stood as the only break of the match. Valpo held each of its remaining two serves to win 6-3 and clinch the doubles point.
• Shortly after the No. 1 doubles combo secured its first break of the match, the No. 3 tandem of Delgado and Madi Rogers (Clearwater, Fla. / Florida Virtual [Bradley]) went up a break as well at 3-1. Valpo held to make it 4-1, before the Leathernecks took the next two games to make it closer before the match went unfinished with Valpo in front 5-3.
• No. 1 Singles was the first match to finish, as Silva dropped just two games in an impressive 6-1, 6-1 victory over Richardlyne Francois, giving Valpo a 2-0 lead in the team match.
• The Leathernecks quickly tied the team score by capturing wins in each of the next two singles matches to reach a conclusion, prevailing at No. 2 and No. 4.
• With three singles matches remaining in action and the team score level at two, the team that won on two of the three courts would take the match. The No. 5 match saw Delgado reel off each of the final five games to take Set 1 from Jessica Hess. In Set 2, Delgado stayed hot by taking each of the first three games, but Hess battled back to level the set at three games all. The two teams exchanged breaks to keep the set on serve at 4-4, but Delgado came up with a crucial break to go ahead 5-4 and set up a chance to serve for the match. She faced break point in that service game, but won points at 30-40 and deuce, outlasting Hess on a dramatic, long, back-and-forth deuce point to take the match.
• In the No. 3 Singles match, Tanner took the opening set, but WIU's Chloe Routier rallied to win the match 2-6, 6-2, 6-2. The third set went final shortly after Valpo's win at No. 5, creating a 3-3 deadlock in the team match and turning all eyes to the sixth singles court for the second straight day.
• Earlier in the No. 6 Singles match, an elongated first set saw freshman Ana Baron (Crown Point, Ind. / Crown Point) record a late break to send the set into a seven-point tiebreak at six games all. Baron served first, but WIU's Nadezhda Petkova got the point to go up a mini-break early in the breaker. Baron responded by breaking both WIU serves to go up 2-1, then Valpo split service points to stay ahead 3-2. WIU took its first service point and it was 3-3 as the players switched sides, but Valpo broke on the second service point to go up 4-3. Baron was firmly in control of the breaker after she converted on both service points to extend to 6-3, then she broke one of Western Illinois' serves to secure the first set.
• Late in the first set breaker, the Western Illinois player suffered an injury. She received medical attention after the first set, and during a long delay it appeared that she may have to retire, which would have ultimately led to Valpo winning the team match. However, she was nursed back to health and gutted out 6-1, 6-1 wins in each of the remaining sets to take the match and propel the Leathernecks to the team win.

Inside the Match

• Both Valpo matches this weekend were decided by 4-3 scores, with the Beacons on the winning side on Saturday and the wrong end on Sunday.
• Valpo won the doubles point for the first time this spring on Sunday.
• Silva capped off a 2-0 weekend at the top singles spot, improving to 9-2 this season including 7-0 in dual matches. She earned her 57^th career singles win. This elevated her into a tie for sixth in the program record book, moving even with Claire Czerwonka (2017-2022). Silva will join the all-time top 5 with her next singles win.
• Silva's win came over Francois, who was an All-Ohio Valley Conference First Team selection and the league's Freshman of the Year last season. Both of Silva's wins this weekend came over First Team All-Conference performers from a year ago.
• Silva secured her 49^th career doubles win, a total that still ranks seventh in program history and is now one away from moving into a tie for sixth.
• Delgado's singles success upped her record to 8-4 on the season including 6-1 in duals and 6-0 when playing in the fifth spot in dual matches. She won both of her matches this weekend in straight sets.

Up Next
The Beacons (5-3) will continue a stretch of home tennis by hosting Purdue Northwest on Saturday, Feb. 7 at 2 p.m. at The Courts of Northwest Indiana.