The Eastern women’s tennis team opened up its season with a win.

Eastern defeated Valparaiso, 6-1, on Sunday in Champaign.

The Panthers (1-0) won five of the six singles matches and won all three doubles matches.

Senior Sandra Sasidharan defeated Jenny Schwartz, 6-0, 6-2, at No. 1 singles. Junior Natalie Martin defeated Kim Sajevic, 6-0, 6-4, at No. 2 singles. Sophomore Hayley Homburg defeated Molly Keifer, 6-3, 6-0, at No. 3 singles. Freshman Cara Huck defeated Lindsey Gustafson, 6-1, 6-2, at No. 4 singles, and senior Stephanie Harmazy defeated Julie Wingstrom, 6-2, 6-0, at No. 5 singles.

The Crusaders’ (0-1) lone win was at No. 6 singles. Christine Antrobus defeated sophomore Carrie Lawson, 6-4, 6-3.

Martin and Homburg won 8-2 at No. 1 doubles. Sasidharan and Huck won 8-0 at No. 2 doubles, and Harmazy and Larson won 8-4 at No. 2 doubles.

The women’s tennis team will return to the courts against Northern Illinois at 1 p.m. on Feb. 9 in Rockford.

Kevin Murphy can be reached at 581-7944 or at kjmurphy@eiu.edu.