Tennis Earns Historic Win at Valparaiso, 7-0

Braves earn their first-ever MVC road sweep to secure first winning record in 26 years

Results

Match Recap: Women's Tennis | 4/6/2019 7:21:00 PM | Bobby Parker, Associate AD for Communications

VALPARAISO, IN – The 2018-19 Bradley Tennis team continues to achieve at new levels. The Braves (12-7, 1-1 MVC) earned their first-ever Missouri Valley Conference road sweep to secure the program's first winning season in 26 years, downing host Valparaiso (2-12, 0-1 MVC), 7-0, Saturday afternoon at the Valpo Tennis Complex.

With only three regular-season matches remaining, the Braves are guaranteed to finish the season with a winning record for the first time since 1992-93 (14-7). The Braves had not blanked a conference opponent away from home since a 9-0 neutral-site win against then-Gateway Conference rival UNI March 7, 1992. The 12 overall wins equals the sixth-best total in program history, most-recently achieved by the 2016-17 (12-14) squad, and are just two shy of the school record.

Bradley got off to a fast start Saturday, sweeping the three doubles matches while dropping just one game. The dominance continued in the six singles matches and the Braves quickly clinched the team victory with straight-sets wins at Nos. 1, 3 and 2 Singles. While sophomore Nina Marjanovic added a fourth straight-sets win at No. 6 Singles, junior Natalia Barbery (No. 4) and freshman Nikki Perlwitz (No. 5) completed the sweep with 3-set wins.

With her win at No. 3 Singles, senior Malini Wijesinghe moved into a tie for second place on Bradley's career singles wins list, tying Teri Chan (2003-07) with her 73rd career singles victory. Her 12th win of the year at No. 3 Singles also matched Aimee Manfredo (2014-15) for the most dual match wins in the No. 3 position in program history. Meanwhile, sophomore Sandra Maletin (No. 1) and freshman Bozana Lojpur (No. 2) both claimed their 20th singles wins of the year, becoming the sixth and seventh players in program history to win 20 singles matches in a season.

Bradley will play its final regular-season road match next Sunday when the Braves visit Valley rival Missouri State.

BRADLEY TENNIS MATCH RESULTS
Bradley 7, at Valparaiso 0
Saturday, April 6 • 2 p.m. • Valparaiso, IN • Valpo Tennis Complex

DOUBLES
No. 1 – Barbery/Maletin (BU) def. Czerwonka/Sysouvanh (VU) 6-0
No. 2 – Lojpur/Perlwitz (BU) def. Modesto/Schoolcraft (VU) 6-1
No. 3 – Haight/Wijesinghe (BU) def. Kopfer/Wind (VU) 6-0
Order of Finish: 3,1,2

SINGLES
No. 1 – Sandra Maletin (BU) def. Claire Czerwonka (VU) 6-1, 6-2
No. 2 – Bozana Lojpur (BU) def. Meg Modesto (VU) 7-5, 6-2
No. 3 – Malini Wijesinghe (BU) def. Dao Sysouvanh (VU) 6-2, 6-1
No. 4 – Natalia Barbery (BU) def. I. Schoolcraft (VU) 6-3, 0-6, 1-0 (0)
No. 5 – Nikki Perlwitz (BU) def. Randi Wind (VU) 6-1, 2-6, 6-1
No. 6 – Nina Marjanovic (BU) def. Jordan Kopfer (VU) 6-4, 6-3
Order of Finish: 1,3,2,6,4,5

Updated Records
Bradley 12-7, 1-1 MVC
Valparaiso 2-12, 0-1 MVC

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