Valparaiso wins regional rematch with Michigan City

PORTAGE -- The Valparaiso girls tennis team realized it had the potential to accomplish something special this season.

The Vikings fulfilled that potential on Wednesday at the Portage Regional.

Specifically, they won their first regional title since 1994, defeating Michigan City 4-1.

"It's huge," junior No. 2 singles player Jordan Lewandowski said. "It's really exciting. We know it's going to be a rough time at semistate. But our goal at the beginning of the year was semistate, and to do that is really exciting."

Valparaiso (15-3) will play the Highland Regional winner, either Munster or Highland, in the semifinals of the LaPorte Semistate on Saturday.

Michigan City (12-5) had won back-to-back regional titles, including 4-1 over Valparaiso last season, and five in the last seven seasons. But this one belonged to the Vikings, who also had ended the Wolves' three-season Duneland Conference title streak including a 3-2 victory on May 12.

"It was really fun. I'm kind of along for the ride -- they (the players) really did it," Tim Shideler, in his first season of his second stint as Valparaiso's coach, said, particularly praising the leadership of seniors Christina Rodich, Bri Sever and Mia Kalisch.

"That was our goal at the start of the year, to win this one."

Sever and Natalie Bohn provided the Vikings with their first point, a 6-3, 6-0 victory at No. 1 doubles against Marissa Taebel and Allie Neulieb.

Lewandowski made it 2-0, defeating Brooke Foltz 6-2, 6-4. She reversed a three-set loss from the teams' first match, as the other four results held.

"I was more motivated -- the down player always has more motivation," Lewandowski said. "I wanted to get off to a good start and set the pace, and the first set gave me a lot of confidence.

"I was consistent, and prepared to play."

Kalisch secured the clinching point with a 6-3, 6-0 victory against Lena Carlson at No. 3 singles.

Michigan City won at No. 1 singles, with Lindsey Applegate taking a 6-3, 4-6, 6-0 decision against Rodich, repeating her three-set victory from the first time around.

Valparaiso then closed out the match with a 6-4, 7-6 (8-6) victory from Allison Hess and Allison Hauser at No. 2 doubles against Ashleigh Ellenwood and Lauren Palmer. The Vikings pair previously had won in three sets.

"We're the little team that could," said Michigan City coach Norm Bruemmer, whose team lost its top two players in Katee Sanderson and Stephanie Brown -- and their 40-plus wins -- from last season, and will return five of this season's seven starters, graduating Applegate and Taebel. "It's a team that really achieved well. If you told me at the start of the season we'd be in the regional final, I don't know if I would've thought it would be true. We're disappointed to lose, we wanted to win, we thought we had a chance, but we're not discouraged.

"Valpo is a nice, solid team with no weak links. We knew we'd have to play a super match to beat them. They were better than us today."

In individual sectional play, Chesterton's Elizabeth Shinn defeated Wirt's Kierstin Stewart 6-0, 6-0. Shinn, who ran the table in the DAC, will play today against LaPorte's Rachel Barenie, who suffered her only loss of the season to Shinn.

Also, Marquette's Katie Clancy and Mary Katherine Slattery topped New Prairie's Margaus Jaux and Allison Lang 6-3, 6-2.

Contact Michael Osipoff at 648-3137 or mosipoff@post-trib.com.

Portage Regional

Final

Valparaiso 4, Michigan City 1

Singles -- LindseyLewandowski (V) def. Brooke Foltz 6-2, 6-4; Mia Kalisch (V) def. Lena Carlson 6-3, 6-0

Doubles -- Bri Sever-Natalie Bohn (V) def. Marissa Taebel-Allie Neulieb 6-3, 6-0; Allison Hess-Allison Hauser (V) def. Ashleigh Ellenwood-Lauren Palmer 6-4, 7-6 (8-6)

Records: Valparaiso 15-3, Michigan City 12-5

Individual sectional

Singles: Elizabeth Shinn (Chesterton) def. Kierstin Stewart (Wirt) 6-0, 6-0

(Shinn plays LaPorte's Rachel Barenie today)

Doubles: Katie Clancy-Mary Katherine Slattery (Marquette) def. Margaus Jaux-Allison Lang (New Prairie) 6-3, 6-2