By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
SALEM, Ore. -- Pacific University won all six singles matches in straight sets, as the Boxers defeated Willamette University, 9-0, in Northwest Conference women's tennis action at the WU Tennis Courts on Saturday, April 15. Pacific improved to 6-8 on the season, 4-7 in the Northwest Conference. Willamette ended the year at 0-15 overall, 0-12 in the NWC.
It was the last match for Willamette Head Coach Becky Roberts, who is retiring after 17 seasons with the Bearcats. In addition to coaching women's tennis, Roberts coached men's tennis at Willamette for five years from 2001-02 through 2005-06. She also coached 19 seasons of men's and women's tennis at the University of Texas at San Antonio.
During her coaching career, Roberts recorded 503 wins in women's tennis. Roberts was honored in a special ceremony prior to the match.
The match started with a close battle at #1 doubles. Danielle Du Plooy and Kaitlyn Lomartire held off Mikaila Smith (Jr., Mill Valley, CA/Tamalpais HS) and Alexis Gjurasic (So., Olympia, WA/Capital HS) by a slim 9-7 margin.
At #2 doubles, Johanna Wilson and Sophia Nishimura won 8-2 for Pacific against Rachel Kong (So., Hayward, CA/Castro Valley HS) and Mina Mizutani (Fr., Los Alamitos, CA/Los Alamitos HS). In #3 doubles, the Boxers' team of Marissa Hayashi and Chantelle Baclay downed Katie Adams (Jr., McLean, VA/American International School) and Allie DiPasquale (So., Seattle, WA/Seattle Academy) of WU, 8-0.
Pacific expanded its lead in singles. Lomartire defeated Smith in the top singles match, winning 6-1, 6-3. In the match at #6 singles, Mai Kobayashi of Pacific gained a 6-0 win in the first set, but had to battle for a 6-4 triumph over DiPasquale in the second set.
Also winning singles matches for the Boxers were Du Plooy at the #2 position, Baclay at #3, Nishimura at #4 and Hayashi at #5.