By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

SALEM, Ore. -- The Colorado College women's tennis team defeated Willamette University, 9-0, on Friday, March 17 to open a five-games road trip in five days on the West Coast. The Tigers will complete the trip with matches at Linfield College, Pacific University, George Fox University and University of Puget Sound over the next four days.

Colorado College improved to 2-5 on the season. Willamette fell to 0-9

The Tigers were able to sweep all three doubles matches and all six singles matches after Caroline James rallied from one set down to defeat Mikaila Smith (Jr., Mill Valley, CA/Tamalpais HS) of Willamette at #1 singles in a super tie-breaker played instead of a third set. James won the match, 2-6, 6-3, 11-9.

At #6 singles, Morgan Smith from Colorado College held off Allie DiPasquale (So., Seattle, WA/Seattle Academy) from WU in the first set, 6-3, and then won the second set, 6-2.  At #2 singles, Maddie Doerre of the Tigers outlasted Alexis Gjurasic (So., Olympia, WA/Capital HS) in the first set, 6-3, before moving through he second set, 6-0.

The teams battled at #1 doubles, as Doerre and Jenna McDonald prevailed for the Tigers with an 8-5 victory over Mikaila Smith and Gjurasic.

At #2 doubles, James and Simone Hall won for Colorado College, 8-3, over Mina Mizutani (Fr., Los Alamitos, CA/Los Alamitos HS) and Rachel Kong (So., Hayward, CA/Castro Valley HS). The #3 doubles match went to Annie Zlevor and Maddie Cahill-Sanidas of Colorado College, who defeated Hannah Andres (So., Sammamish, WA/Skyline HS) and Noemi Cruz-Cruz (Jr., Galt, CA/Liberty Ranch HS), 8-2.

Willamette is at the beginning of a seven-match homestand. The Bearcats will continue the string of home matches by hosting Lewis & Clark College in a Northwest Conference contest on Saturday, March 18 at 11 a.m. (PDT). Willamette will compete for the third time in three days by taking on Linfield College in another NWC match on Sunday, March 19 at 1 p.m.