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The Valparaiso University tennis team opened up a new season in winning fashion, downing Huntington (Ind.) 6-1 on Saturday afternoon outdoors at The Courts of Northwest Indiana. The weather cleared up in time to play the afternoon match after Valpo’s originally scheduled morning match against Holy Cross (Ind.) was postponed due to storms.
 
How It Happened


The Beacons captured the doubles point, winning on the second and third courts. The No. 3 doubles team of freshman Alexandra Popa (Glenview, Ill. / Glenbrook South) and sophomore Andrea Delgado (Richmond, Texas / Foster [Dallas Baptist]) blitzed Ashley Bucur and Coby Sander 6-1, while Lacey Tanner (Fort Pierce, Fla. / Florida Virtual School) and sophomore Brynn Steven (Wichita, Kan. / Bishop Carroll) teamed up for a 6-4 victory at the No. 2 spot to secure the doubles point. The top tandem succumbed to Huntington 7-5.
Senior Madi Rogers (Clearwater, Fla. / Florida Virtual [Bradley]) had no trouble in singles in her Beacon debut, as she was the first off the court with a 6-1, 6-2 victory over Sander at No. 6.
Silva took her first set 6-3 at No. 1 Singles, before rapping off six straight games to take the second set at love, 6-0.
Delgado was victorious in both singles and doubles on her first day as a Beacon, winning her No. 5 singles match while dropping only one game in each set, beating Bucur 6-1, 6-1.
Tanner pulled away from Addison Mast in the opening set of the No. 2 Singles match 6-1 before holding her off to take the second 7-5.
Popa started her collegiate career in style, winning a competitive match that needed a tiebreak in the second set, beating Yariange Bello 6-3, 7-6(6) at No. 4.
The Foresters won the No. 3 Singles match on a third-set tiebreak 10-8 after the first two sets were both decided by tight 6-4 scores, one going each way.

Inside the Match


Three players made their Valpo debuts on Saturday, and all three picked up singles wins. Popa, Delgado and Rogers all cruised to straight-set successes during their first day sporting the brown and gold.
Silva was dominant at No. 1 Singles, moving into sole possession of seventh in program history with 53 career singles wins.
The Beacons started the season with a win for the fifth straight year.

Up Next
Valpo (1-0) will continue the fall season at the Purdue Northwest Invite in Hammond, Ind. next weekend on Sept. 20-21.  
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