Kick Off the Season: Valparaiso University Hosts ITA Midwest Regional Tennis Tournament!

The Valparaiso University tennis team kicked off its journey at the 2025 ITA Midwest Regional on Thursday, held at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign.

Three players from the team competed in the singles qualifying rounds. Unfortunately, sophomore Andrea Delgado, junior Jolene Fernandes, and sophomore Lacey Tanner faced tough opponents from Northern Illinois, Marquette, and DePaul, and all were eliminated. Tanner had a close match, almost winning a set, but lost a nail-biter in a tiebreaker 9-7.

On a brighter note, senior Moira Silva secured her spot in the main singles draw, which will start on Friday.

Doubles matches are also set to begin on Friday. Tanner and Silva will take on SIUE, Delgado and her partner will face Western Michigan, and Fernandes and Steven will battle against Wisconsin.

As the tournament progresses, it will be interesting to see how the teams adapt and respond under pressure. Recent trends in collegiate athletics show that teams with strong mental resilience often outperform their competitors. According to a study by the NCAA, about 70% of college athletes believe mental training is as crucial as physical training.

The ITA Midwest Regional continues at the Atkins Tennis Center on Friday, featuring more exciting matches in both singles and doubles formats.



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