By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director, (503) 370-6110

YAKIMA, WASH. -- Lewis & Clark College earned a 2-1 lead in doubles, including a tie-breaker win at #1 doubles, as the Pioneers gained an early edge on their way to a 7-2 victory over Willamette University in the fifth place match of the Northwest Conference Women's Tennis Tournament, Saturday, April 18 at the Yakima Tennis Center. L&C improved to 14-9. Willamette ended the season at 8-13 overall.

The NWC's top player, Amalia Nilsson combined with Whitney DeBree to slip past Willamette's top doubles team of Shannon Palmer (Fr., Salem, OR/Sprague HS) and Jamie Slonaker (So., Bainbridge Island, WA/Bainbridge HS) in a tie-breaker, 9-8. Willamette won #2 doubles, as Abby Funabiki (Sr., Pullman, WA/Pullman HS/Quinnipiac University) and Alyssa Morrison (Jr., Anacortes, WA/Anacortes HS) prevailed against Mika Yokoyama and Alix Dixon of L&C, 8-3.

With a win at #3 doubles, the Pioneers held a slim margin as the match moved into singles play. Nilsson defeated Palmer, 6-0, 6-1, at #1 singles to lead L&C to five singles wins overall. Willamette claimed #3 singles, as Funabiki downed Paige Earhart without losing a game, 6-0, 6-0.

Two of the singles matches were very close. At the #5 position, Clio Beatty of L&C edged Slonaker, 6-3, 7-6. At #6 singles, Yokoyama downed Kristen Dedijer-Small of Willamette in a super tie-breaker after Dedijer-Small won the first set, 6-1, and Yokoyama took the second set, 6-4.