Smashing Records: New Highs in Valpo Athletics

Our Beacons are pushing their limits and making history in numerous Valpo athletic programs. Here are just a few ways that the 2023-24 school year has already made its mark:

Volleyball head coach Carin Avery has overtaken the Valpo record for the most career victories in any sport with 479 wins after her team’s victory against Miami University on September 16. Emma Hickey ’26 made volleyball history just 10 days later, reaching 1,000 career digs in her 49th career match.

Previous Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Player of the Year winner Olivia Czerwonka ’23, ’25 broke the women’s tennis program’s record for career singles win, also on September 16, with her 66th victory against DePaul University.

Caleb VanArragon ’23, ’24 had a stellar season, tying the conference record for the most career MVC Golfer of the Week honors, earning the title for the 15th time on September 21. He also took the program record for 54-hole score in relation to par, posting a 201 (-15) at the Valpo Fall Invitational.

Soccer became the first Valpo team in school history to win a MVC tournament championship, when they beat top seeded Drake 1-0 in Des Moines, Iowa on Sunday, November 5. The championship gave them an automatic bid into the NCAA tournament and a match at Notre Dame, with the Irish prevailing 2-0.

In women’s golf, the Valpo team broke the overall team score record for 54-hole tournament at the Butler Fall invitational, posting a score of 928.

Evan Walda ’24 of the men’s cross country team has shattered Valpo program records in the 8K and 10K. His time in the 10K was set at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional, where he led a trio of Beacons who all out did the previous program record — now holding the second and third top times are Simeon Ehm ’24 and Joseph Scheele ’26.