By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
SALEM, Ore. -- Nationally-ranked Lewis & Clark College defeated Willamette University, 9-0, in a Northwest Conference women's tennis match on Saturday, March 18 at the Salem Tennis and Swim Club. L&C upped its record to 7-2 overall as well as 7-2 in the NWC. Willamette fell to 0-10 on the season, 0-8 in the NWC.
Lewis & Clark is ranked 27th in the nation in the NCAA Division III Poll released by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA). The Pioneers are ranked #3 in the West Region.
At #1 doubles, the L&C team of Christine Eliazo and Josie Legarza outscored Willamette's Mikaila Smith (Jr., Mill Valley, CA/Tamalpais HS) and Alexis Gjurasic (So., Olympia, WA/Capital HS), 8-4. Natasha Hood and Carla Thomas won for the Pioneers at #2 doubles, 8-1, against Mina Mizutani (Fr., Los Alamitos, CA/Los Alamitos HS) and Rachel Kong (So., Hayward, CA/Castro Valley HS).
The #3 doubles match went to Chloe Sermet and Adrienne Fox from L&C, 8-3, over Hannah Andres (So., Sammamish, WA/Skyline HS) and Noemi Cruz-Cruz (Jr., Galt, CA/Liberty Ranch HS) for the Bearcats.
Smith and Eliazo played a solid battle at #1 singles that outlasted the other five singles matches. Elizabo won a tie-breaker in the first set and held off Smith in the second to win, 7-6 (7-4), 6-4. At #2 singles Hood downed Gjurasic, 6-0, 6-2. Gee-Taylor defeated Andres at #3 singles, 6-1, 6-3.
Also winning singles matches for the Pioneers were Sermet at #4, Fox at #5 and Thomas at #6.
Willamette will remain at home to take on Linfield College on Sunday, March 19. With good weather in the forecast, the match is scheduled to be played at the WU Tennis Courts, starting at 1 p.m. (PDT).