Valparaiso University Sports Update, September 6, 2016

By: Valparaiso University Last Updated: September 6, 2016

VU-Valparaiso-Mens-Golf-to-Host-Crusader-CollegiateValparaiso Men’s Golf to Host Crusader Collegiate
The Valparaiso University men’s golf team will host a tournament this week for the first time since 2009, welcoming three other programs to Sand Creek C.C. in Chesterton for the Crusader Collegiate. The 54-hole event is slated for two rounds on Tuesday, beginning at 8 a.m., with a final 18-hole round on Wednesday starting at 8:30 a.m.

“Our home tournament has been in the work for a few years and we are very excited to host at Sand Creek Country Club this year,” said Crusader head coach David Gring. “The golf course is in tremendous shape and the greens will be running fast and true. We have enjoyed working closely with the staff at Sand Creek C.C., and their staff and membership are looking forward to hosting the event over the next couple of days.”

This week’s tournament will be utilizing the Marsh and Creek nine-hole courses at Sand Creek C.C., a venue which hosts the Northern Amateur each July. All told, the course will play at a par-72 this week, spanning 6,979 yards.

The Crusaders will face off versus Bradley, Wright State and Detroit over the next two days. 31 players will be competing for the four programs, nine of those Valpo student-athletes – the Crusaders’ five team players, as well as four players playing as individuals.

“The guys on the team played well this summer and we are looking forward to our first 54-hole tournament of the year,” said Gring. “The tournament gives us the opportunity to have each member of the team participate and it allows our coaching staff to evaluate each player, as we begin our competitive season. This will be the first time that we have hosted a home event in seven years. We look forward to the competition this year and building this tournament field in years to come.”

Valpo Men’s Basketball Season Tickets Now On Sale
Coming off of a record-setting 30-win season last year and a run to the championship game of the NIT, Valparaiso University men’s basketball season tickets are now on sale for the 2016-17 season.

The home schedule this season features nine Horizon League games, including a pair of visits from teams which earned postseason tournament bids last season. The non-league slate is highlighted by a visit from Rhode Island, as well as games against in-state rivals Ball State and Indiana State. The full schedule, including game dates and times, will be released in the very near future.

Prices for season tickets for the 2016-17 campaign start as low as $169 for the general public and $139 for faculty, staff and recent alumni (graduated May 2012 or later) for reserved bleacher seating. Chairback seats are $449 apiece for the general public and $349 each for faculty, staff and recent alumni, while courtside chairbacks are $609 apiece. Contact the Valpo ticket office at 1-877-MY-VU-TIX or 219-464-5233, e-mail ValpoAthletics@valpo.edu or visit the ticket office (open M-F, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.), located in the main lobby of the ARC, for more information or to order tickets.

In addition, fans can check out the attached PDF for information not only on season tickets, but also regarding the Crusader Fund and benefits provided to Crusader Fund donors. The PDF also provides details on parking and hospitality for Valpo men's basketball home games.

Hughes, Simpson Earn PFL Weekly Awards
The Valparaiso University football team saw two players earn weekly honors from the Pioneer Football League office following the opening weekend of play, as junior Kellan Hughes (Cicero, Ind./Hamilton Heights) was tabbed the PFL Defensive Player of the Week and junior Jake Simpson (Wyandotte, Mich./Roosevelt) was named the PFL co-Special Teams Player of the Week.

Hughes enjoyed a strong defensive performance against #8 Illinois State, highlighted by a 30-yard interception return for a touchdown late in the second quarter which cut Valpo’s deficit at that point to 14 points. The interception was the fifth of Hughes’ career. The junior also finished second on the team with nine tackles, including six solo stops.

Simpson made his Crusader debut at placekicker on Saturday and made an immediate impact, connecting on a 45-yard field goal in the first quarter. He then hit from 43 yards in the fourth quarter, becoming the first Valpo kicker since 2008 to make a pair of field goals from 40+ yards in the same game. Simpson also converted his lone PAT effort, finishing his debut with seven points.

Men’s Soccer Opens Home Campaign With Victory
Led by a two-goal performance from senior Isaiah Madrid (Albuquerque, N.M./Eldorado [FGCU]), the Valparaiso University men’s soccer team opened the 2016 home campaign at Brown Field with a 3-1 victory on Sunday over visiting Western Illinois.

How It Happened

  • WIU controlled the early part of the game, firing off three shot attempts in the opening five minutes, but it would be the Crusaders who struck first. Madrid lined up a free kick from straight on, about 25 yards out, and took it direct at goal himself. His effort took a deflection off a WIU defender and easily found the back of the net to give Valpo the advantage.
  • The Leathernecks equalized early in the second half. Daniel Collins sent a long through ball in from around midfield, where Jacob Bevan looked to run onto it. Crusader goalkeeper Nico Campbell (Kingston, Jamaica/St. George’s College) came out of the box to try to clear before Bevan got there, but the WIU forward arrived first and chipped around Campbell inside the right post to make it 1-1 in the 51st minute.
  • Valpo struck back less than seven minutes later, however, and again it was off the foot of Madrid. Freshman Steffen Pulinx (Genk, Belgium/Onze-Lieve-Vrouwlyceum Genk) sent a cross in from the right that bounced off a WIU player to Madrid at the top-left corner of the box. The senior rifled a shot that crossed the line for his second of the game, putting Valpo ahead 2-1.
  • Another free kick provided the Crusaders insurance late in the game. In the 82nd minute, senior Nelson Landaverde (Santa Ana, El Salvador/Springdale (Ark.) H.S. [Neosho County C.C.]) stood over a free kick just outside the top-right corner of the box and sent it inside the near post untouched to cap the scoring.

Inside the Game

  • Madrid now has a team-best three goals on the season. Sunday marked the second multi-goal effort of his career, both of which have come in wins over the Leathernecks the last two seasons.
  • In his second season as a Crusader, Landaverde tallied his first career goal and first career point. Meanwhile, Pulinx picked up his first career assist for Valpo just three games into his freshman season.
  • Campbell needed to make just one save to earn the win in goal for the Crusaders. WIU starting goalkeeper Tim Trilk gave up a goal on the only shot he faced before Tim Hansen entered in the 16th minute. Hansen stopped four shots and took the loss.
  • WIU held a 6-3 advantage in shots in the first half, but Valpo out-shot the Leathernecks by a 9-2 margin after intermission. The two sides combined for just three corners, two of which went Valpo’s way.

Thoughts From Head Coach Mike Avery
“The early part of any season is about dealing with 'firsts': your first win, first loss, first goal scored, first goal against, first road game, first home game, and so on. We face these firsts, the good and the bad, and look to grow from them. It wasn't our best performance - and a lot of that has to do with Western Illinois - but it was nice to get our first win and first home game out of the way.”

“Some nice finishes from Isaiah Madrid and Nelson Landaverde will let us sleep a bit better tonight, and we now have a week to train to get ready for another first - our Horizon League opening game against Detroit. Detroit is always a good challenge for us, and we will have to be at our best to get a result here on Saturday.”

Next Up
The Crusaders (1-1-1) conclude a brief two-match homestand Saturday afternoon at Brown Field as they open Horizon League play versus Detroit. Live stats will be available via ValpoAthletics.com.

Women’s Soccer Falls In Battle With Kansas
A 65th minute goal from freshman Adi Johnson (Rockford, Ill./Rockford Christian) cut a two-goal deficit in half for the Valparaiso University women’s soccer team Sunday morning, but the Crusaders could not find the equalizer, as Kansas came away with a 2-1 victory in both teams’ finale from Lincoln, Neb.

How It Happened

  • Kansas took the lead in the 18th minute on a chip shot from in close by Katie McClure, her second goal of the season.
  • The Jayhawks made it a 2-0 game in the 54th minute when Grace Hagan headed home her second goal of the year.
  • Johnson cut the Kansas lead in half with an individual effort nearing the midway point of the second half. The freshman took a shot from the left-hand side of the box and found the top left corner of the goal, beating Jayhawks goalkeeper Maddie Dobyns.
  • Valpo went up a player late in the match following a red card against Kansas in the 89th minute, but was unable to take advantage to tie the game in the short time remaining.

Inside the Game

  • Johnson opened her account with the Crusaders in the sixth game of her career, becoming the first Valpo freshman to find the back of the net this season.
  • Redshirt freshman goalkeeper Tess Barrett (Tinley Park, Ill./Providence Catholic) made six saves in goal while limiting KU to just two goals.
  • Kansas out-shot Valpo 18-3 and earned nine corner kicks to the Crusaders’ one.

Thoughts From Head Coach John Marovich
“It was a tough result today, because at times we had some really good work. We improved in our patience with possession when releasing pressure. I liked how we fought to get a goal back and gave ourselves some chances with corners and set pieces in the last 15 minutes. These games provided the challenges which we need to improve our performance.”

“The goals we conceded today were preventable, but those moments at this speed of play require a quicker decision. It caught us today, but these games will prepare our team for the upcoming league season.”

“It was great to see two young players in Ali Quillen and Adi Johnson have solid performances today. It was fitting that Adi got a goal today, as she really held our shape and was a presence in the middle of the park. These experiences are so valuable to their individual development and our team growth.”

Next Up
The Crusaders (2-4-0) return home next Friday night, hosting IPFW at Brown Field at 7:30 p.m. Live stats will be available via ValpoAthletics.com.

Crusaders Drop 2016 Opener at Illinois State
The Valparaiso University defense played what head coach Dave Cecchini called the best half he’s seen from the unit in his time with the Crusaders in the first half Saturday at #8/10 Illinois State, but a number of turnovers gave the Redbirds short fields which they converted on, and Valpo went on to fall by a 50-13 final in the 2016 season opener.

How It Happened

  • The Crusader defense surrendered just 15 yards on 11 plays on the first three Illinois State drives which started on Illinois State’s side of the 50-yard line.
  • The Redbirds cracked the scoreboard just 49 seconds into the game on an interception for a touchdown by Alejandro Rivera, but the Crusaders made it 7-3 at the end of one quarter on a 45-yard field goal late in the quarter by Jake Simpson (Wyandotte, Mich./Roosevelt).
  • Illinois State would score 17 points on its first three possessions of the second quarter to pull ahead 24-3, as the Redbirds started one drive in the red zone following a fumble recovery and then returned two punts into Crusader territory.
  • Valpo cut the Redbird advantage to 14 points with 1:54 remaining in the first half, as junior Kellan Hughes (Cicero, Ind./Hamilton Heights) picked off a pass on the 30-yard line and took it to the house for his first career touchdown.
  • But Illinois State responded with a three-play, 64-yard drive to respond immediately, and then following an interception, added a field goal at the stroke of halftime to make it 34-10 at the break.
  • The Redbirds scored nine points in the third quarter and added another touchdown in the fourth quarter before Simpson converted on a 43-yard field goal late in the fourth to close the scoring.

Inside the Game

  • Hughes’ interception return for a touchdown was his fifth career pick. The 30-yard return comes after a 2015 campaign in which the Crusaders returned 11 total interceptions for just nine yards.
  • Simpson became the first Valpo kicker to connect on a pair of 40+ yard field goals in the same game since David Hamaker hit from 40 and 43 yards versus Davidson in 2008.
  • Valpo was out-gained by Illinois State, 446-130, for the game. The Redbirds ran for 271 yards, 183 of which came in the final 30 minutes.
  • Junior Ryan Clarke (Hopatcong, N.J./Hopatcong) played quarterback for the Crusaders in the first half, while freshman Jimmy Seewald (Livonia, Mich./Divine Child) debuted under center and saw action throughout the second half.
  • Besides Seewald, a number of players saw their first career action in a Crusader uniform, including a pair of Valpo H.S. graduates in Dylan Johnson [four tackles, one for loss] and Chris Orlich [two catches, 18 yards].
  • Hughes finished with nine tackles for the Crusaders, while senior Idode Kerobo (Southfield, Mich./Eisenhower) paced Valpo with 10 tackles and added a pair of pass breakups.
  • Sophomore Alex Ng (Royal Palm Beach, Fla./Wellington Community) enjoyed a strong game punting the ball, averaging 43 yards per punt. Ng placed three punts inside the 20-yard line and posted a long of 54 yards.

Next Up
The Crusaders (0-1) will conclude their season-opening two-game road trip next Saturday as they travel to take on Sacred Heart in Fairfield, Conn. Kickoff next Saturday is slated for noon CT. The game can be heard live on WVUR (95.1 FM, Valparaiso), with links for the live audio and live stats available via ValpoAthletics.com.

Crusaders Take Down APSU To Close Out Trojan Invitational
The Valparaiso University volleyball team will come home to the ARC on a two-match winning streak, as the Crusaders closed out action at this weekend’s Trojan Invitational in Troy, Ala. with a 3-1 (25-15, 25-18, 18-25, 25-21) win Saturday afternoon over Austin Peay.

How It Happened

  • The Crusaders tallied five blocks and held the Governors to -.053 hitting in the first set, leading nearly start to finish in taking the early lead.
  • Valpo pulled away late in the second set, as after APSU closed to within 19-17, the Crusaders scored six of the final seven points to go ahead by two sets.
  • The Crusaders were unable to slow the Austin Peay offense in the third set, as the Governors hit .442 with 21 kills to force the match to a fourth frame.
  • But it was the Valpo offense which got the job done in the fourth set. The Crusaders hit .387 in the final frame and used a 5-1 spurt after being tied 11-11 to take control.

Inside the Game

  • The Crusaders totaled 14 team blocks in Saturday’s win, matching their season high and the most by the team in a single match since Oct. 17, 2014.
  • Senior Emily Campbell (Grand Rapids, Mich./Forest Hills Central) led the way with a career-high seven blocks, while sophomores Kayla Currier (Mokena, Ill./Lincoln-Way East) and Sydney Bronner (Frankenmuth, Mich./Frankenmuth) posted six blocks apiece.
  • Offensively, the Crusaders also enjoyed their strongest match of the early season, posting 53 kills against just 14 attack errors to hit a season-best .281.
  • Campbell also led all players with a season-best 18 kills. Sophomore Katherine Carlson (Lake Orion, Mich./Notre Dame Prep) added 13kills and also posted 10 digs for a double-double.
  • For the fourth consecutive match day, sophomore setter Lizzie Zaleski (Oak Lawn, Ill./Marist) set a new career best for assists, handing out 38 on Saturday. She also tallied four kills on just six swings and recorded a new career high with 13 digs as well.
  • Senior Morganne Longoria (Burlington, Wis./Burlington) led all players in the back row with 20 digs.
  • The win was the 398th in the career of head coach Carin Avery, leaving her just two shy of the 400-win milestone.

Next Up
The Crusaders (4-2) return home next weekend to host the Popcorn Classic at the ARC Sept. 9-10. Valpo welcomes SE Missouri State, Central Michigan, South Dakota State and Duquesne for the two-day, eight-match event. Live video of all Valpo matches will be available on ESPN3, WatchESPN and the ESPN app, while live stats will be available for all tournament matches.

Crusaders Earn Split On First Day Of Trojan Invitational
The Valparaiso University volleyball team split a pair of matches on the first day of competition at the Trojan Invitational in Troy, Ala. on Friday. Valpo fell, 3-0, to defending WAC champion New Mexico State (25-9, 25-19, 25-21) in its first match of the tournament, but bounced back in the evening with a 3-1 (15-25, 25-21, 25-19, 25-17) victory over host Troy.

How It Happened – New Mexico State

  • The Aggies jumped out to a 17-3 lead en route to taking the opening set.
  • NMSU led for most of the second set as well. The Crusaders were within one point at 14-13, but the Aggies scored the next four points and Valpo got no closer than three points the rest of the way.
  • Valpo jumped out to a quick 8-2 lead in the third set, but NMSU came back and took a lead at 13-12. A four-point spurt from the Crusaders, which included two blocks from junior Taylor Graboski (Upper Sandusky, Ohio/Upper Sandusky), gave Valpo the lead again at 18-17 before the Aggies responded with four consecutive points of their own to take control.

How It Happened – Troy

  • The Trojans scored the first nine points of the first set and never trailed.
  • Valpo took the lead for good early in the second set with a 6-0 run, including back-to-back service aces from senior Lexie Bouza (Elgin, Ill./Burlington Central). Troy stayed close, but the Crusaders never let the Trojans string together back-to-back points after 15-14, and kills from sophomore Katherine Carlson (Lake Orion, Mich./Notre Dame Prep) accounted for the Crusaders’ last two points to even the match.
  • Valpo jumped out to a 6-0 lead to kick off the third set and didn’t allow Troy to ever tie up the set. The Trojans closed within one point twice, but a 5-1 run in the middle of the frame extended a one-point lead to 19-14 and gave the Crusaders breathing room to go ahead two sets to one.
  • A six-point spurt early in set four took a 5-4 lead to 11-4 for the Crusaders and they maintained control the rest of the way, as Troy got no closer than four points the rest of the way.

Inside the Game

  • Senior Emily Campbell’s (Grand Rapids, Mich./Forest Hills Central) first kill of the match versus Troy moved her past Lauren Moulton (1,195 kills) for fifth in program history in career kills.
  • Senior Morganne Longoria (Burlington, Wis./Burlington) picked up a match-best 24 digs against New Mexico State – the second-best effort of her career in a three-set match.
  • Graboski paced the Crusaders with 11 kills in the win over Troy, while Carlson added 10 kills as well.
  • For the third straight match day, sophomore Lizzie Zaleski (Oak Lawn, Ill./Marist) matched or set a career high for assists, as she tied her output from last Saturday with 30 assists in the win over Troy.
  • Sophomore Sydney Bronner (Frankenmuth, Mich./Frankenmuth) came up one shy of her career best, tallying a match-high six blocks against Troy.
  • After hitting a -.057 (five kills, seven errors) as a team in the opening set versus the Trojans, the Crusaders bounced back to hit at a .263 clip over the final three frames.
  • Freshman Alana Brown (Napa, Calif./Vintage), the lone rookie on this year’s Crusader squad, made her Valpo debut on Friday, seeing action in both matches as a serving specialist.

Next Up
The Crusaders (3-2) close out action at the Trojan Invitational on Saturday as they face Austin Peay at 11:30 a.m. Live video and stats are available via ValpoAthletics.com.

Crusaders Kick Off Season Friday
The Valparaiso University cross country teams opened their respective seasons Friday evening with the 28th Annual Crusader Open, as the Crusaders had four runners from each team cross the finish line in the top-ten. Notre Dame took home the team title in both the men’s and women’s races.

How it Happened

  • Senior Max Morello (Plano, Ill./Plano) finished first for the Crusaders and sixth overall, besting his time last year at the Crusader Open by two seconds with a time of 20:13.6
  • Sophomore Alexander Bruno (Bloomington, Ill./University) nixed 15 seconds off his 6K time from last season, crossing the line in 20:24.1 to help him to a ninth-place finish. Bruno’s older brother, senior Adam Bruno (Bloomington, Ill./University) was the second-fastest Crusader, placing seventh with a time of 20:14.2.
  • The top finisher on the women’s side, junior Kim Heiny (Burnettesville, Ind./Twin Lakes), trimmed over a minute off her time from a year ago to capture a sixth-place finish.
  • Senior Liz Owen (Freedom, Wis./Freedom) finished second on the team for Valpo with a time of 19:59.8, collecting an eighth-place finish for the evening.
  • Notre Dame claimed both team titles, downing the Crusaders 15-43 on the men’s side and 15-44 on the women’s side.

Inside the Race

  • The men’s squad had six freshman runners compete in their first collegiate meet tonight.
  • The Crusader women had six freshman run in their first meet as well, with Kyla Ohst (Naperville, Ill./ Metea Valley) finishing tenth to lead the first-years.
  • Tonight was the beginning of head coach Mike Straubel’s 30th season as leader of the Crusaders.

Thoughts from Head Coach Mike Straubel
“The Crusader Open is a tradition, it’s good for the team, and prepares them for much larger races.”

“(This race) is primarily a learning experience for the team. We’re only 75 percent at this time, which is according to plan.”

“We have a two-week period between meets and need to recover a bit. We also need to hit it hard at practice, push hard and continue moving forwards towards the conference championship.”

Next Up
The Crusader squads will split in two weekends for a pair of meets on Saturday, Sept. 17. Some runners will head out west to the USD Invite, hosted by San Diego, while others will stay closer to home and run at the Gil Dodds Invitational in Warrenville, Ill.

Crusaders Drop One-Goal Decision to SLU
The Valparaiso University women’s soccer team battled gamely with a regionally-ranked Saint Louis side Friday afternoon in Lincoln, Neb., but a 37th minute goal was enough to give the Billikens a 1-0 victory over the Crusaders.

How it Happened

  • Saint Louis controlled the first half, out-shooting the Crusaders 10-1 and earning seven corner kicks, but good work by redshirt freshman Tess Barrett (Tinley Park, Ill./Providence Catholic) – making her first career start in goal – helped limit SLU to just one first-half goal.
  • The Billikens’ lone goal came in the 37th minute. Tori Marshall sent a ball into the box which Evie Lavelle headed in for her first goal of the season to give SLU the 1-0 lead.
  • Valpo played toe-to-toe with SLU over the final 45 minutes, out-shooting the Billikens 4-3 and putting three shots on goal, but was unable to find the equalizer.

Inside the Game

  • Barrett stopped six shots in the loss – through two appearances, she has saved nine out of the 10 shots on goal against her.
  • Efforts on goal in the second half were recorded by senior April Cronin (Glenview, Ill./Glenbrook South), senior Robin Wenzel (Woodstock, Ill./Marian Central Catholic) and redshirt freshman Ava Porlier (Downers Grove, Ill./South).
  • Wenzel made her season debut on Friday, playing 29 minutes off the bench after not appearing in the first two weekends of action. Also making her first appearance of the season was junior Sydney Gountounas (Tinley Park, Ill./Andrew), who saw 31 minutes of playing time.
  • The Billikens ended the game with advantages of 13-5 in shots, 7-3 in shots on goal and 8-1 in corner kicks.

Thoughts From Head Coach John Marovich
“Tess Barrett had a really nice performance today. She commanded the box well and was clean with her hands on crosses and shots.”

“We had a hard time creating a rhythm to our possession today, which resulted in more defending. However, when we connected, we were able to get into the attacking third and get service in, but lacked the final touch.”

“Saint Louis has a quality side which showed us areas that we need to be faster in our decision-making process. But we also saw today that, even against a quality team, when we string passes together, we create dangerous situations.201D

Next Up
The Crusaders (2-3-0) will conclude play in Lincoln with a Sunday morning contest versus Kansas. Kickoff is slated for 10 a.m., with live stats available via ValpoAthletics.com.