Puget Sound Defeats Willamette, 9-0

Mikaila Smith (Jr., Mill Valley, CA/Tamalpais HS)
Mikaila Smith (Jr., Mill Valley, CA/Tamalpais HS)

By Timothy Walsh, Athletics Communications Writer

TACOMA, Wash. -- The University of Puget Sound swept the singles and doubles competitions, but earned only a narrow victory at #1 doubles, as the Loggers defeated Willamette University, 9-0, in a Northwest Conference women's tennis match on Saturday, March 11 at the Tennis Pavilion.

Puget Sound improved to 6-5 on the season, and evened its conference record at 4-4. The Bearcats fell to 0-7 overall, including 0-6 in the NWC.

In the closest match of the day, at #1 doubles, Nicole Bouche and Lisa Owen outlasted Alexis Gjurasic (So., Olympia, WA/Capital HS) and Mikaila Smith (Jr., Mill Valley, CA/Tamalpais HS), 8-6.

Although the Loggers won all six singles matches in straight sets, several featured very competitive play.

Smith also had the Bearcats' closest singles loss, battling Owen well at #1 singles before falling 6-2, 6-3. In the #2 singles match, Hannah Andres (So., Sammamish, WA/Skyline HS) dropped the first set to Bouche, 6-0, before falling 6-3 in the second set. Bridget Myers won #4 singles against Mina Mizutani (Fr., Los Alamitos, CA/Los Alamitos HS), also by a score of 6-0, 6-3, and Tamara Runnicles defeated Rachel Kong (So., Hayward, CA/Castro Valley HS), 6-2, 6-2, at #6. 

Willamette will return to action on Sunday, March 12 with a Northwest Conference match at Pacific Lutheran University. Match time in Parkland, Washington, is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. (PDT).