Valparaiso's Emhardt, Milwaukee's Straub Collect Horizon League Tennis Weekly Honors

INDIANAPOLIS – Valparaiso freshman Charlie Emhardt (Carmel, Ind.) is the Horizon League men’s tennis Player of the Week, while Milwaukee freshman Alysa Straub (Burr Ridge, Ill.) is the Horizon League women’s tennis Player of the Week for the week of Sept. 30 – Oct. 6.

Charlie Emhardt defended his home court at the Valparaiso Fall Invitational as he won the flight C singles and flight A doubles with teammate Dave Bacalla. The freshmen duo pulled off a victory against Chicago State’s Sergiu Muresan and Mario Noboa in the championship, winning 8-5.

Emhardt made quick work in his singles matches over the weekend with victories against Olivet Nazarene’s Riley St. Clair (6-1, 6-0), Huntington’s Derek Hinen (6-0, 6-2) and Cardinal Stritch’s Donnersson Penna (6-3, 6-1) in the flight C semifinal. The fast play resumed in the championship with a 6-1, 6-2 winning performance over teammate Brian Hickey.

The Crusaders continue play at the ITA Midwest Regionals in Columbus, Ohio with the four-day event beginning Thursday, Oct. 17.

Alysa Straub was undefeated at the Panther/Warhawk Invitational in both singles and doubles play. With teammate Hayley Marshall, the duo won their doubles flight with victories over tandems from Whitewater (8-1), Northern Illinois (8-5) and Grand Valley State (8-5) in the championship match.

Straub remained dominant in her singles flight defeating Grand Valley State’s Leah Dancz (6-1, 6-0) and Whitewater’s Erika Williams (6-1, 6-0). In the championship, she won with a straight-set victory (6-1, 6-1) over Arantza De La Torre of Northern Illinois.

The Panthers take the court next at the ITA Regionals Oct. 10-15 in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Top Men’s Tennis Players of the Week:
Ali Shabib, Cleveland State (Jr.) – Finished weekend with a team-best 3-1 singles record and went undefeated in doubles play with Joe VanMeter.

Top Women’s Tennis Players of the Week:
Kathryn Sharples, UIC (Sr.) – Went 2-0 with straight-set victories in singles against CeCe Witten of Kentucky and Helen Rabot of Wisconsin. Defeated duo from NC State alongside teammate Jana Knoppe.

Men’s Tennis Player of the Week:
Sept 16: Howard Scott, Green Bay
Sept 30: Charlie Emhardt, Valparaiso

Women’s Tennis Player of the Week:
Sept. 16: Victoria Bensimon, Cleveland State
Sept. 23: Ellen Folkers, Cleveland State
Sept. 30: Alysa Straub, Milwaukee