Valparaiso University Sports Update, September 12, 2016

By: Valparaiso University Last Updated: September 12, 2016

VU-Valpo-Women-Hit-the-Course-In-South-Carolina-SundayValpo Women Hit the Course In South Carolina Sunday
The Valparaiso University women’s golf team kicked off the Golfweek Program Challenge at Caledonia G.C. in Myrtle Beach, S.C. on Sunday, finishing the day in a tie for 13th position.

How It Happened

  • Three Crusaders tied for the team’s low round of the day. Freshman Kayla Krueger (Spring Lake, Mich./Spring Lake), sophomore Kylie Shoemake (Schererville, Ind./Lake Central) and junior Katie Willenbrink (Mishawaka, Ind./Penn) all posted rounds of 78, finishing the day in a tie for 41st position.
  • Senior Angie Kim (Schaumburg, Ill./Fremd) recorded a first-round 82 on Sunday, while freshman Tiffany Curtis (Crown Point, Ind./Crown Point) rounded out the Valpo quintet with an opening-round 86.
  • The Crusaders posted a team score of 316 in the opening round, tied with Elon for 13th place out of the 16 competing teams. Valpo is just eight shots back of eighth place after one round of the three-round event.

Inside the Round

  • Playing her second career round, Krueger was five shots better than her opening round at the Chi-Town Classic. Shoemake also tied her career-best round, as the sophomore also shot a 78 last year as a freshman at the Horizon League Championship.
  • Krueger recorded a team-best three birdies over the par-71 circuit, while Shoemake and Willenbrink registered multiple birdies as well.
  • Two of Krueger’s three birdies came on par-5s on Sunday, as she finished the day tied for the tournament lead for scoring average of par-5 holes at 4.50.
  • The Crusaders have competed at the Golfweek Program Challenge each of the last four seasons. The program’s individual 54-hole scoring record was set at the event by Michelle Kleckner in 2013.

Next Up
Valpo plays the second round of the three-round tournament on Monday, as Curtis will tee off on hole 10 at 8 a.m. CT.

Crusaders Open Golfweek Program Challenge
Sunday Led once again by the play of junior Zach Cutler (O’Fallon, Mo./Timberland), the Valparaiso University men’s golf team opened the three-day Golfweek Program Challenge from True Blue G.C. in Pawley’s Island, S.C. on Sunday.

How It Happened

  • With a pair of second-place finishes already under his belt this season, Cutler shot a two-under round of 70 on Sunday to open tournament play. He finds himself five shots off the lead, in a tie for 20th place, after the opening 18 holes.
  • Senior Peter Webb (Madison, Wis./James Madison Memorial) was the second-lowest Crusader on Sunday, carding a round of 74, while junior Michael Doherty (Lisle, Ill./Naperville North) was one shot back of Webb after an opening-round 75.
  • Freshman Ross Lazar (Okemos, Mich./Okemos) posted an 82 for the first 18 holes, while sophomore Mitchell Wittmann (Kaukauna, Wis./Kaukauna) rounded out the Crusader squad with an 84 on Sunday.
  • As a team, Valpo shot a round of 301 in the first round of the three-circuit event, just 11 shots back of 10th place in the 16-team field. Campbell leads the team standings after day one after a first-round total of 272.

Inside the Round

  • Cutler recorded a team-best five birdies in the opening round, including birdies on two of the course’s five par-5s.
  • Cutler and Wittmann both tallied birdies on a pair of par-3 holes on Sunday.
  • This is the fourth consecutive year that the Crusaders have played at the Golfweek Program Challenge early in the season. Both the individual and team single-round and 54-hole tournament records were set at True Blue G.C. in 2014.

Next Up
The Crusaders open up the second round at 8 a.m. CT on Monday morning, as Wittmann tees off on the tenth hole.

Crusaders Fight Back, Succumb to WMU in Overtime
Two late second-half goals from redshirt freshman Ava Porlier (Downers Grove, Ill./South) erased a two-goal deficit as the Valparaiso University women’s soccer team forced extra time Sunday afternoon at regionally-ranked Western Michigan, but the Broncos struck with a 94th minute goal to send the Crusaders to a 3-2 defeat.

How It Happened

  • WMU struck early with a Liz Abro goal in the 11th minute to go ahead 1-0. Less than two minutes into the second half, the Broncos found the back of the net again, as Mackenzie Barber stuck one in from close range to double their lead.
  • In the 79th minute, the Crusaders cut the deficit in half. Redshirt freshman Natalia Kontul (Solon, Ohio/Solon) took a corner kick and found her classmate Porlier, who headed it home to make it a 2-1 game.
  • Less than five minutes later, Porlier played the role of hero to force extra time, knocking an effort off a feed from Cory Griffith (Lemont, Ill./Providence Catholic) into the lower-right corner of the goal in the 84th minute to tie the game at 2-2 and force extra time.
  • But the Broncos found the golden goal in extra time, as Mackenzie Barber knocked a rebound over the goal line in the 94th minute to close out the WMU win.

Inside the Game

  • WMU was the second regionally-ranked foe the Crusaders have faced this season, following Saint Louis – both games have ended in one –goal losses for Valpo.
  • Porlier is the third different Crusader to register a brace this year, joining Griffith and senior April Cronin. Porlier’s two goals accounted for the first two goals of her career.
  • Kontul’s helper on the Crusaders’ first goal marked her first career point.
  • Sunday was the second time this season Valpo has forced overtime with a late second-half goal – the Crusaders also tied their fixture at Loyola in the 84th minute before going on the defeat the Ramblers.

Thoughts From Head Coach John Marovich
“This was yet another game against a regionally ranked opponent on the road. WMU has a talented team, and already owns a 2-0 win over a Big Ten opponent this year.”

“We played a system today which would give us numbers in the midfield to help regain possession. But unfortunately, early on, we didn’t connect after winning possession to allow us to release pressure. However, as the half went on, we were able to find our possession and move the ball into attacking situations.”

“The second half was better at finding the right combinations in the attacking third, giving Tahelah Noel a couple of good looks at goal. It’s always great to see the players make the small adjustments out of halftime.”

“I liked our team’s continued fight and pressing late. Ava was able to find the first goal with her head off a corner, and then took a solid first-time finish off a great cross for the second goal to level the game. We gave ourselves a couple of looks late, but couldn’t finish it off.”

Next Up
The Crusaders (3-5-0) open Horizon League play Friday evening, Sept. 16, at Cleveland State with a 6 p.m. CT kickoff. The game can be seen live on ESPN3, WatchESPN and the ESPN app, with links for the live video and live stats available via ValpoAthletics.com.

Avery Earns 400th Career Victory as Volleyball Splits Saturday
Valparaiso University volleyball head coach Carin Avery earned the 400th victory of her coaching career Saturday afternoon as the Crusaders defeated South Dakota State 3-0 (25-13, 25-18, 25-15) in the Popcorn Classic at the Courts of NWI. Valpo fell in its tournament finale to Duquesne, 3-1 (25-16, 25-18, 20-25, 25-17). The Crusaders were represented on the All-Tournament Team by senior libero Morganne Longoria (Burlington, Wis./Burlington).

How It Happened – South Dakota State

  • The Crusaders hit at a blistering .423 clip in the first set and were never challenged in taking the opener.
  • Three kills from sophomore Katherine Carlson (Lake Orion, Mich./Notre Dame Prep) keyed an 8-1 mid-set run which extended a one-point lead to eight points in the second set as the Crusaders went ahead two sets to none.
  • Leading early on in the third set 8-7, Valpo put together an 10-1 run – including a pair of blocks and four other SDSU attack errors – to take control and go on to the sweep, giving Avery her 400th career win.

How It Happened – Duquesne

  • The Dukes took the lead early in each of the first two sets and pulled away around the midway point of each frame in claiming the 2-0 advantage.
  • Five different Crusaders picked up kills during an early 6-1 spurt in the third set to extend their lead to 10-4 – Valpo led by as many as eight points at multiple points during the set, and despite Duquesne scoring four straight late, received a solo block from sophomore Lizzie Zaleski (Oak Lawn, Ill./Marist) to move the match to a fourth set.
  • Valpo held an early 7-6 advantage in the fourth set, but the Dukes scored eight of the next nine points and never trailed again in closing out a perfect weekend.

Inside the Game

  • Avery is one of just 51 active Division I head coaches with at least 400 career victories. Only Avery and UNI’s Bobbi Petersen currently own 400 or more career wins and are in their 17th season or fewer as a collegiate head coach.
  • Longoria earned All-Tournament Team accolades for the second straight week after picking up 77 digs over the Crusaders’ four matches, averaging 5.50 digs/set. After tallying 29 digs Friday versus Central Michigan, Longoria picked up 28 Saturday night against Duquesne. The senior also committed just one serve reception error on 65 attempts.
  • It was a balanced offensive attack for the Crusaders in the win over SDSU, as Valpo hit .311 and committed just four total attack errors. Carlson led the way with 11 kills on .357 hitting and also set a career best with four blocks versus the Jackrabbits. The sophomore would match her career high with 20 digs Saturday night versus Duquesne.
  • Senior Jamie Lacheta (Warsaw, Ind./Warsaw) tallied eight kills on just 23 swings without a hitting error in the win over SDSU.
  • Junior Taylor Graboski (Upper Sandusky, Ohio/Upper Sandusky) and senior Rachel Bruinsma (New Era, Mich./Western Michigan Christian) each recorded five blocks in the victory over the Jackrabbits, leading a 12-block team effort in the sweep.

The Rest of the Kernels

  • Duquesne defeated SE Missouri State in a five-set thriller Saturday morning (16-25, 25-22, 16-25, 25-23, 15-12).
  • Central Michigan closed out tournament play with a four-set win Saturday afternoon over SEMO (25-22, 24-26, 25-16, 25-21).
  • Duquesne and Central Michigan tied for the tournament’s best record, as both teams went 3-0. The Crusaders went 2-2, while both SEMO and South Dakota State were 0-3 for the weekend.
  • Co-MVPs Kathia Sanchez (Central Michigan) and Abbie Trzeciak (Duquesne) highlighted the All-Tournament Team. The pair were joined by Longoria, Krissa Gearring (SEMO), Makenzie Hennen (SDSU), Jordan Bueter (CMU) and Molly Davet (Duquesne).

Next Up
The Crusaders (6-4) face their first non-tournament matchup of the season Tuesday evening as they will travel to take on Bowling Green. The match will be broadcast live on ESPN3, WatchESPN and the ESPN app. Links for the live video and live stats will be available via ValpoAthletics.com.

Crusaders Draw With Detroit in League Opener
The Valparaiso University men’s soccer team opened Horizon League play with a 1-1 draw against Detroit at Brown Field on Saturday afternoon. The Crusaders scored their only goal in the 59th minute, on a free kick from senior Isaiah Madrid (Albuquerque, N.M./Eldorado).

How It Happened

  • Scoring opportunities were hard to come by in the first half, as the two sides combined for just six shot attempts. The visitors were able to find a goal, however, as Spiro Pliakos converted on a penalty kick in the 24th minute for a 1-0 lead.
  • Valpo landed on the scoresheet approaching the midway point of the second half, as for the second time in as many home matches, Madrid knocked home a direct free kick – this one coming from 22 yards out in the 59th minute.
  • The Crusaders kept up their attack at the goal with 15 shots from halftime on, while Detroit did not have a single shot attempt in the final 65 minutes. Senior in the spotlight Suleiman Thomas (Chicago, Ill./Lake Forest Academy) missed a good opportunity late in regulation, with his effort just creeping over the crossbar.

Inside the Game

  • Valpo controlled the game, especially in the second half as Detroit sat back behind the ball, as the Crusaders out-shot the Titans by a 19-2 margin. Valpo also attempted four corner kicks to the Titans’ two.
  • Madrid now owns team-high totals of four goals and nine points on the season.
  • This is the second straight season which the Crusaders have tied Detroit in both sides’ Horizon League opener, as the two teams battled to a scoreless draw last season in Detroit.
  • Junior Ramone Howell (Portmore, Jamaica) led the shot chart today for the Crusaders with eight shots, a new career high.

Thoughts From Head Coach Mike Avery
“It was a bit of a frustrating afternoon for us in some ways, but I am sure when the emotion of the game dies down we will find a little more clarity and realize that there were far more positives than negatives today.”

“We controlled large portions of the game, and battled back from the early penalty kick goal. Even though we weren't able to find the eventual winner, we created many great opportunities.”

“Detroit had a lot of players behind the ball, and they did a good job with their defending, so we really don't have much to complain about. We never want to drop points at home, but at least we split them and didn't lose all three, so now we have to have even greater focus on taking some road points out of this next group of away games.”

Next Up
Valpo (1-1-2, 0-0-1 Horizon) travels to Nashville, Tenn. on Saturday, Sept. 17 to take on Horizon League foe Belmont. Kickoff is slated for 2 p.m.

Crusaders fall to Sacred Heart
The Valparaiso University football team kept it close early for the second straight week, but 28 second-quarter points helped Sacred Heart pull away for a 42-14 victory over the Crusaders in Fairfield, Conn. on Saturday.

How It Happened

  • Freshman quarterback Jimmy Seewald (Livonia, Mich. / Divine Child) threw the first touchdown pass of his collegiate career, connecting with sophomore Jean Rene (Delray Beach, Fla. / Wellington Community) for 36 yards to tie the game at seven with 7:56 left in the first quarter.
  • That touchdown erased a 7-0 hole that was created when Sacred Heart struck first on a 16-yard run by RJ Noel with 10:06 left in the first. But the Pioneers regained the lead on a six-play, 70-yard drive that ended with a 1-yard run by Jordan Meachum with 13:56 left in the second quarter.
  • Sacred Heart expanded the lead to 35-7 with 28 unanswered points.
  • The Crusaders found the end zone with 2:07 left in the first half when Seewald heaved a 5-yard pass to sophomore Griffin Norberg (Sunrsie, Fla. / Western). It was Norberg’s first touchdown catch of the season and the third of his Valpo career.
  • A 6-yard touchdown run by Sacred Heart’s Jay Croom with 12:01 left in the third quarter made it 42-14. Neither team scored for the game’s duration.

Inside the Game

  • The Seewald-to-Rene connection was Valpo’s first offensive touchdown of the season. It was the sixth touchdown catch of Rene’s Crusader career.
  • Seewald became the first true freshman to throw a touchdown pass for Valpo since Ben Lehman on Oct. 29, 2011.
  • The scoring pass to Rene was Seewald’s first play of the game as he took over for Ryan Clarke, who was injured on the previous play. Seewald finished 14-of-29 for 137 yards.
  • Rene made three catches for 64 yards, while Ryan Moore (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. / Westminster Academy) had four grabs for 61 yards.
  • Reigning Pioneer Football League Defensive Player of the Week Kellan Hughes (Cicero, Ind. / Hamilton Heights) made his second interception of the season and sixth in the last two years. The Hughes pick set up the Seewald-to-Norberg touchdown pass.
  • Sophomore Alex Ng (Royal Palm Beach, Fla. / Wellington Community) averaged 44.9 yards per punt on nine opportunities. His longest punt sailed 59 yards.
  • Drew Snouffer (Columbus, Ohio / Upper Arlington) had a career-high 13 tackles to lead the Crusaders. Nick Turner (Gurnee, Ill. / Warren Township), who was making his season debut, also reached a career watermark by chipping in 11 tackles.
  • The Pioneers limited the Crusaders to 11 rushing yards and outgained Valpo 491-221 in total offense.

Thoughts from Head Coach Dave Cecchini
“Sacred Heart did a good job of spreading it out and forcing us to play the field. Their speed advantage and quickness on the edge hurt us. Sacred Heart’s scheme is great and they’ve got a veteran quarterback who can run it. That’s awfully tough to beat.”

Next Up
The Crusaders (0-2) will kick off the home portion of the season next Saturday as they host Trinity International (1-1). The game is slated to begin at 1 p.m. and can be seen live on ESPN3, WatchESPN and the ESPN app, and heard live on WVUR (95.1 FM, Valparaiso). Links for the live video and audio, as well as live stats, will be available via ValpoAthletics.com.

Crusaders Blank Fort Wayne Friday Night
The Valparaiso University women’s soccer team defeated the Fort Wayne Mastodons, 2-0, in a rain-filled evening on Brown Field Friday night. Valpo scored twice in the first half and limited the visitors to only six shots on the contest, all occurring in the second half.

How It Happened

  • The Crusaders opened their scoring tonight with a 26th minute goal from senior April Cronin (Glenview, Ill./Glenview South), her fourth goal on the season, as she found the back of the net from 10 yards out. Cronin had a couple close encounters before the goal, having two shots nearly go in within three minutes of each other.
  • Freshman Ali Quillen (Beavercreek, Ohio/Beavercreek) tallied her first goal of her career during the 33rd minute with a shot off of a corner from sophomore Cory Griffith (Lemont, Ill. / Providence Catholic).
  • Freshman Tess Barrett (Tinley Park, Ill./ Providence Catholic) led the Crusaders in goal tonight, saving one shot to earn the first shutout of her career. The Mastodons attempted six shots in the second half, and the Crusader defense helped Barrett hold the clean sheet, recording a team save in the 83rd minute.

Inside the Game

  • Valpo had 11 shots in the first half, while capturing two goals. The visitors did not attempt a single shot during that time span.
  • Cronin’s goal was the 21st of her Valpo career, moving her into a tie for second in program history with Emily King. She also now has 49 career points, just three shy of second position in that category.
  • For the second straight game, a Crusader freshman recorded her first career goal, as Adi Johnson did so last time out.

Thoughts from Head Coach John Marovich
“I thought the first 45 minutes were good – we found our shape in the attack and the ability to win the second ball, open up the game and keep possession.”

“The central midfield players did a good job moving the ball around and driving on defenders and slipping into the seam, which gave April a good look and she was able to finish it off for the opening goal.”

“The back five had a really nice night, keeping a clean sheet. It was especially nice to see tonight where things can get a little hectic due to the weather and we kept our composure. I was really impressed with how we played tonight and the fact we didn’t let the weather affect us at all. Up and down the roster, our attitude was really great this evening.”

Next Up
Valpo (3-4-0) travels to Kalamazoo, Mich. this Sunday to take on Western Michigan at noon CT.

Volleyball Splits On Opening Day of Popcorn Classic
The Valparaiso University volleyball team split two matches on the first of two days of action in the Popcorn Classic on Friday. The Crusaders swept SE Missouri State (25-19, 25-19, 25-19) in the early afternoon at the ARC, but fell Friday night at the Courts of NWI to Central Michigan in four sets (25-22, 20-25, 25-17, 25-13).

How It Happened – SE Missouri State

  • The Crusaders jumped out to a 7-1 lead versus SEMO in the opening set, but the Redhawks rallied to regain the lead at 11-10. The two squads were tied at 14-all before an 8-1 run – including two kills each from sophomores Katherine Carlson (Lake Orion, Mich./Notre Dame Prep) and Sydney Bronner (Frankenmuth, Mich./Frankenmuth) – put Valpo in control.
  • Valpo trailed 18-16 approaching the late stages of the second set, but flipped the script on SEMO to close out with a 9-1 run to take the second frame. The Crusaders had five blocks in the second set and closed with four consecutive kills, including three straight by junior Taylor Graboski (Upper Sandusky, Ohio/Upper Sandusky).
  • Another big mid-set run gave Valpo the edge in the third set, as trailing 15-13, the Crusaders scored eight of the next nine points – featuring three kills by sophomore Kayla Currier (Mokena, Ill./Lincoln-Way East) – and SEMO got no closer than three points the rest of the way.

How It Happened – Central Michigan

  • The Chippewas hit .388 with 22 kills in the opening set as Valpo never led – the Crusaders pulled within two points on a couple occasions late, but could get no closer.
  • Back-to-back service aces from junior Allison Ketcham (Mishawaka, Ind./Marian) pushed Valpo’s lead early in the second set to 11-5 and the Crusaders never surrendered the lead, closing the set with three consecutive points to even the match.
  • A 6-0 run for CMU extended a three-point lead to nine points at 15-6 midway through the third set and the Crusaders couldn’t put together a run of their own to respond.
  • For the second straight set, CMU posted a 6-0 run around the midway point, going ahead 15-9. The Chippewas closed the match scoring eight of the final nine points.

Inside the Game

  • Sophomore Lizzie Zaleski (Oak Lawn, Ill./Marist) finished with two more double-doubles on Friday, posting 33 assists and 13 digs versus SEMO and 10 digs and a career-high tying 38 assists against Central Michigan. Her 13 digs in the opener led all Crusaders.
  • Graboski and Carlson tied for team-high honors in the win over the Redhawks with 10 kills apiece, Graboski doing so while hitting at a .308 clip. The junior added 10 more kills in the nightcap as well.
  • Senior Jamie Lacheta (Warsaw, Ind./Warsaw) set a new career high with a team-best 12 kills against Central Michigan.
  • Senior Morganne Longoria (Burlington, Wis./Burlington) came up just one dig shy of her career best, recording 29 digs versus CMU. The 29 digs also marked the best effort of her career in a four-set match.

Elsewhere

  • Central Michigan swept South Dakota State in the first match of the tournament (25-10, 25-19, 25-17).
  • Duquesne claimed a three-set victory in the early evening over South Dakota State (25-21, 25-16, 25-18).

Next Up
The Crusaders (5-3) conclude their hosting of the Popcorn Classic on Saturday. All four tournament matches will be played at the Courts of NWI with live stats available for all four matches. Valpo will face South Dakota State at 12:30 p.m. and Duquesne at 7 p.m.

Porlier Earns Player of the Week Honors>br /> Valparaiso University women’s soccer freshman forward Ava Porlier (Downers Grove, Ill./South) has been named the Horizon League Offensive Player of the Week following her two-goal performance on Sunday at Western Michigan.

Porlier helped the Crusaders rally from a 2-0 deficit and force extra time against the regionally-ranked Broncos. In the 79th minute, the freshman got up and headed home a corner kick to cut WMU’s lead in half with her first career goal. Less than five minutes later, Porlier stuck a first-time finish into the back of the net to even up the game and eventually send it to overtime.

Porlier is the third different Valpo player to score at least two goals in a match this season, and the second to earn Offensive Player of the Week honors from the league office after doing so. Porlier and the rest of the Crusaders return to action with the Horizon League opener Friday night at Cleveland State.