By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
TACOMA, Wash. -- Willamette University registered wins at #1 doubles and added victories at #1 and #2 singles, but Pacific Lutheran University won the overall match, 6-3, in Northwest Conference men's tennis action on Sunday, March 17. PLU improved to 4-5 on the season, 1-3 in the NWC. Willamette fell to 1-7 overall, 10-1 in the NWC.
Andrew Kabacy (Fr., Vancouver, WA/Skyview HS) and Aaron Schechter (Sr., Seattle, WA/James A. Garfield HS) of Willamette teamed up to defeat Michael Campbell and Marcus Lee of PLU at #1 doubles, 8-6. Kabacy and Schechter also won their singles matches. Kabacy rallied past Campbell to take #1 singles, 4-6, 6-1, 7-5. Schechter was victorious at #2 singles, 6-2, 6-2, against Justin DeMattos.
Pacific Lutheran took wins at #2 and #3 doubles for an early 2-1 lead. At #2 doubles, the Lutes' team of DeMattos and Hampus Pers Eliasson downed Colin Fisher (Jr., Caldwell, ID/Thomas Jefferson Charter School) and Gene Perle-Jones (Jr., Eugene, OR/North Eugene HS), 8-6. At #3 doubles, Jake Kim and Brandon Near of PLU outscored Luke Hiserman (So., Monterey, CA/Pacific Grove HS) and Charles Pezeshki (Fr., Pullman, WA/Pullman HS), 8-6.
Eliasson and Fisher played a competitive match at #3 singles, with Pers Eliasson winning 6-3, 6-3. Marcus Lee of Pacific Lutheran held off Perle-Jones in the first set at #4 singles, 6-4, before winning the second set, 6-1. Also earning singles wins for the Lutes were Kim at the #5 position and Near at #6.
The Bearcats will play an exhibition match against Foothills College in Los Altos Hills, California, on Saturday, March 23 to start a three-match road trip.
Big Moment of the Match for Willamette
Andrew Kabacy rallied after losing the first set at #1 singles and
went on to defeat Michael Campbell, 4-6, 6-1, 7-5. Kabacy also
earned a victory at #1 doubles with Aaron Schechter, as they
downed Campbell and Marcus Lee, 8-6.