Valparaiso downs Portage to win 16th straight boys tennis sectional

PORTAGE | Fickle weather is an early-fall norm in Northwest Indiana.

So are Valparaiso boys tennis sectional titles.

The Vikings withstood gusty north winds and chilly temperatures to turn aside much-improved Portage in Friday's championship, 5-0, and capture the hardware for the 16th consecutive time.

"It's a great tradition," No. 1 singles player Ben Kalisch said. "It's a lot of fun to be a part of it and it's nice to keep it going."

Kalisch and No. 2 Marty Pochop got the Vikings (16-2) up 2-0 quickly with 6-1, 6-0 victories over Patrick Derr and John Fannin, respectively.

"It's a mental battle as much as it is anything about tennis," Kalisch said. "You just have to keep the ball in play and do what it takes to win."

Pochop exploited a significant height advantage to take care of Fannin.

"I've got a big wingspan, so I tried to get to the net," Pochop said. "I could handle anything he hit at me. A few shots, a gust of wind would come and I had to change my grip. With the wind, you want to hit it with a lot of spin and get to the net.

"Against the wind, you're trying to hit it flat, drive through the ball as much as possible."

Valpo secured the outcome at one doubles, where John Olejniczak and Quinn Donnell closed out Jeff McElfresh and Tyler Soberg, 6-3, 6-4.

"They had pretty strong serves," Olejniczak said. "We wanted to get  to the net and it worked out well. The wind was a pretty big factor and it was getting colder and colder, but once you realize it's not so bad, you just have to focus and make your adjustments, and things went the way we wanted."

At No. 3 singles, Adam Crookston roared back to down Zachary Smith 4-6, 6-4, 6-0. Tyler Costas and Peter Williams outlasted Shub Multani and Zac Lundy 6-1, 5-7, 6-1 at No. 2 doubles.

"The last time we played (Portage), I thought it was our best match all year, so I expected it to be closer," Valpo coach Tim Shideler said. "I told the kids every time is special, so enjoy the moment.

"I'm fortunate to have great kids who work hard in the offseason and are coachable during matches. Any time you win a sectional, it's a good day."

Despite the identical 5-0 score, Portage coach Gary Hayes saw plenty of progress from the Indians (12-6), who didn't get a set off the Vikings in the previous match.

"Our kids just improved. I saw it coming a couple weeks ago," Hayes said. "A point here and there at one doubles, and it could all shift. Even though they got beat solidly, I was really proud of my one and two. I loved our competitive spirit. The kids really believed they could win, and that's all you can ask."