By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

WALLA WALLA, Wash. -- It took a super tie-breaker played instead of a third set to determine the winner at #1 singles between Andrew Kabacy (Grad., Vancouver, WA/Skyview HS) of Willamette University and Cameron Yang of Whitman College on Saturday, March 31 at the Whitman Tennis Courts. Kabacy took the first set in a regular tie-breaker 7-6 (7-4). Yang claimed the second set, 6-4. In the super tie-breaker, Yang was victorious 10-3 to win the match.

The teams also played close matches at #4 singles and at #1 and #2 doubles. Whitman won the highly competitive matches to win the team match, 9-0. The Blues, ranked #10 in the West Region of NCAA Division III by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA), upped their record to 8-11 overall and to 5-0 in the Northwest Conference. Willamette fell to 0-13 overall, 0-5 in the NWC.

In the #1 doubles match, Artem Manov and Charles Rush of the Blues outscored Kabacy and Quentin Nigbur (Sr., Newberg, OR/Newberg HS) of Willamette, 8-5. At #2 doubles, Yang and Lucas Huang of Whitman held off AJ Avansino (So., Reno, NV/Reno HS) and Zack Olander (Fy., Bend, OR/Summit HS) of WU, 8-6. The #3 doubles match was won by the Blues' team of Diego Guzman and Noah Baker, who defeated Andre Lief (Jr., Anchorage, AK/West Anchorage HS) and Luca Casano (So., Honolulu, HI/Punahou School), 8-2.

At #4 singles, Luca Viarengo from Whitman outlasted Avansino in both sets to claim a 7-5, 6-4 victory. Manov downed Nigbur at #3 singles, 6-3, 6-1, while Rush won 6-3, 6-1 for the Blues at #5 singles against Olander. Hanri Luo of Whitman won #6 singles.

The Bearcats are scheduled to host Whitworth University in an NWC match on Sunday, April 7. The match will be played at the WU Tennis Courts if weather permits. In the event the match has to be moved indoors, it will be played at the Salem Tennis and Swim Club.