YAKIMA, WASH. -- Whitman College led 2-1 after doubles and added three wins in singles to defeat Willamette University, 5-2, in the first round of the Northwest Conference Women's Tennis Tournament, Friday, April 18 at the Yakima Tennis Club. Two singles matches were not completed once Whitman clinched the team victory.
Whitman, seeded #4 in the tournament and ranked 12th in the NCAA Division III West Region, improved to 13-11 on the season. Willamette, seeded #5, fell to 8-12 overall.
Top-seeded Linfield College defeated Whitman, 7-2, in the semifinals later on Friday. Willamette was scheduled to take on Lewis & Clark College in the fifth place match at 3:30 p.m. (PDT) on Friday. The fifth place match was originally scheduled for Saturday, April 19, but was moved to Friday due to concerns about the weather.
Whitman's team of Elise Otto and Margo Lentz defeated Alaine Anderson (Sr., Santa Ana, CA/Foothill HS) and Jamie Slonaker (Fr., Bainbridge Island, WA/Bainbridge HS) at #1 doubles, 8-4. Willamette won #2 doubles as Tiffany Kam (Sr., Pearl City, HI/Punahou School) and Abby Funabiki (Sr., Pullman, WA/Pullman HS/Quinnipiac University) downed Hadley DeBree and Alex Robinson, 8-2.
The Missionaries achieved a victory at #3 doubles. Katie Oost and Divneet Kaur won the match over Alyssa Morrison (So., Anacortes, WA/Anacortes HS) and Samantha Wong ( So., Honolulu, HI/Iolani School) of Willamette, 8-2.
Otto won #1 singles and DeBree registered a triumph at #2 singles. Oost prevailed at #4 singles to give Whitman an insurmountable lead.
Willamette's only win in singles play was at #6 singles, where Wong defeated Jacquie Frank in straight sets, 6-3, 6-1. Wong improved to 11-2 for the Bearcats in singles competition this spring.
Friday, April 18
Northwest Conference Women's Tennis Championship
First Round
At Yakima Tennis Club, Yakima, Wash.
Whitman College 5, Willamette University 2
Singles
#1 - Elise Otto (WC) defeated Tiffany Kam (WU), 6-0, 6-3
#2 - Hadley DeBree (WC) defeated Alyssa Morrison (WU), 6-3, 6-1
#3 - Divneet Kaur (WC) vs. Alaine Anderson (WU), 3-6, 6-2, 1-1 - did not finish
#4 - Katie Oost (WC) defeated Abby Funabiki (WU), 7-5, 6-1
#5 - Alex Robinson (WC) vs. Jamie Slonaker (WU), 6-0, 3-6, 4-1 - did not finish
#6 - Samantha Wong (WU) defeated Jacquie Frank (WC), 6-3, 6-1
Doubles
#1 - Otto and Margo Lentz (WC) defeated Anderson and Slonaker (WU), 8-4
#2 - Kam and Funabiki (WU) defeated DeBree and Robinson (WC), 8-2
#3 - Kaur and Oost (WC) defeated Morrison and Wong (WU), 8-2
Records: Whitman is 13-11 overall (10-6 in the NWC in the regular season); Willamette is 8-12 overall (8-8 in the NWC in the regular season).
Samantha Wong defeated Jacquie Frank at #6 singles to improve to 11-2 on the season.
