Valparaiso's Bacalla and Youngstown State's Burak Collect Weekly Honors

INDIANAPOLIS -- Valparaiso sophomore Dave Bacalla (Skokie, Ill.) is the Men’s Tennis Player of the Week while Youngstown State senior Marta Burak (Lviv, Ukraine) is the Women’s Tennis Player of the Week for the week of March 24-30. This is the second weekly honor that Burak has received this season.

Valparaiso went 2-0 over the weekend starting off with a win over Wright State on Saturday and victory against Dayton on Sunday. Facing the Raiders, the Crusaders notched the doubles point to kick off the match before winning five of the six singles matches to tab a 6-1 win. On Sunday, the team grabbed a close 4-2 victory versus the Flyers after tabbing the doubles point and three of the five completed singles matches.

Bacalla posted a flawless record over the two matches at No. 1 and No. 2 singles as well as No. 2 doubles with teammate Chase Hamilton. In the conference matchup, Bacalla won in three-sets facing Wright State’s Dan Gilbert at No. 2 singles after losing the first 3-6. The sophomore won the second set 7-5 and clinched the win in the third 6-3. At No. 2 doubles with Hamilton, the duo won 6-4 over the Raiders’ Gilbert and Simon Cote’. Up against Dayton the following day, Bacalla competed at the No. 1 singles spot and won in three sets 6-1, 4-6, 6-2. He moved to a 20-0 doubles record in the same match with a 6-1 No. 2 doubles win while paired up once again with Hamilton.

Youngstown State’s women’s team took on two Horizon League opponents at home over the weekend. The Penguins squared off with Oakland on Saturday and won the match 5-2 after losing the doubles point early in the contest. On Sunday, Youngstown State hosted Detroit and tabbed a 5-2 win. The team earned the doubles point then went on to take four of the six singles matches against the Titans.

Burak picked up two wins at No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles over the two days of conference matches. The senior faced Oakland’s Cam Sabourin and won in straight-sets 6-1, 6-0. With teammate Julianna Heino in doubles, the pair grabbed the sole Youngstown State doubles win for the day with a 6-2 victory over Sabourin and Camille Hemond-Hill. Burak won her singles match in straight-sets again the next day with a 6-4, 6-1 win over Detroit’s Sasha Nionova. Teamed up with Heino, the duo grabbed their doubles match victory 6-3 against the Titans’ Anna Davydova and Irina Slizoskaya.

Youngstown State hosts Cleveland State on Friday, April 3 for a 6:00 p.m. ET start while Valparaiso welcomes Green Bay on Saturday, April 4. Each squad currently holds undefeated marks in conference play.

Top Men’s Tennis Players of the Week:
Manuel Bellutti, Cleveland State (Sr.): Went 3-0 in singles play at No. 3 over the weekend and 2-1 at No. 2 doubles facing Detroit, Case Western and Oberlin.
Remi Chancerel, Youngstown State (Fr.): Improved to 3-0 in conference play with a No. 1 singles victory against Detroit while also winning at No. 2 doubles with Silviu Mistreanu.
Simon Cote’, Wright State (Fr.): Won at No. 6 singles facing Valparaiso, No. 1 doubles versus UIC and No. 4 singles against Vincennes.
Patryk Koscielski, Detroit (So.): Split his matches at No. 1 singles and No. 2 doubles against Cleveland State and Youngstown State on the road.
Howard Scott, Green Bay (Jr.): Went 2-0 at No. 3 singles against No. 29 Drake and 1-0 in doubles at No. 2.
Louis Theodor, UIC (Sr.): Won at No. 3 singles in straight-sets versus Wright State and at No. 2 doubles against Indianapolis.

Top Women’s Tennis Players of the Week:
Jackie Altansarnai, UIC (Jr.): Clinched the win over Wright State for the Flames with a straight-set 6-4, 6-1 victory at No. 2 singles while also winning at No. 2 doubles in the match.
Anna Davydova, Detroit (So.): Won both of her matches at No. 4 singles versus Cleveland State and Youngstown State over the weekend.
Karoline Haller, Wright State (Fr.): Won at No. 4 singles against Valparaiso, UIC and IUSE in straight-sets.
Mathilde Orange, Cleveland State (Jr.): Went 2-0 at No. 3 singles and 1-1 at No. 2 doubles versus Detroit and Oakland.

Men’s Tennis Players of the Week
Sept. 9: Remi Chancerel, Youngstown State
Sept. 16: Charlie Emhardt, Valparaiso
Sept. 23: Michael Tenzer, Green Bay
Oct. 7: Michael Savaglio, Valparaiso
Oct. 14: Michael Tenzer, Green Bay
Jan. 13: Joe VanMeter, Cleveland State
Jan. 20: Garrett Gardner, Valparaiso
Jan. 27: Jeffrey Schorsch, Valparaiso
Feb. 3: Hugo Morth, Youngstown State
Feb. 10: Michael Tenzer, Green Bay
Feb. 17: Michael Tenzer, Green Bay
Feb. 24: Howard Scott, Green Bay
March 2: Leopold Gomez Islinger, Green Bay; Jeffrey Schorsch, Valparaiso
March 8: Rafael Orantes, Detroit
March 15: Manuel Bellutti, Cleveland State
March 22: Dave Bacalla, Valparaiso

Women’s Tennis Players of the Week
Sept. 9: Chelsea Bailey, Milwaukee
Sept. 16: Paige Heuer, Valparaiso
Sept. 23: Lauren Golick, Cleveland State
Sept. 30: Alysa Straub, Milwaukee
Oct. 7: Victoria Bensimon, Cleveland State
Oct. 14: Dominika Lackova, Youngstown State
Jan. 13: Dominika Lackova, Youngstown State
Jan. 20: Irina Slizovskaya, Detroit
Jan. 27: Marta Burak, Youngstown State
Feb. 3: Victoria Bensimon, Cleveland State
Feb. 10: Kathleen Hebble, Valparaiso
Feb. 17 Keti Mebuke, UIC
Feb. 24: Irina Slizovskaya, Detroit
March 2: Anna Davydova, Detroit
March 8: Jackie Altansarnai, UIC
March 15: Sasha Nionova, Detroit
March 22: Marta Burak, Youngstown State