By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

GLENDALE, Calif. -- A close win at #3 doubles and a three-set victory at #4 singles helped Occidental College defeat Willamette University, 5-4, in a women's tennis match at the Scholl Canyon Club on Sunday, March 25. Occidental improved to 3-5 on the season. Willamette fell to 5-6.

The Tigers won two of the three doubles matches for an early lead. The triumph by Nicole Pelletier and Lauren Hutkin for Occidental against Siena Ginsburg (Fr., Bend, OR/Summit HS) and Alexis Gjurasic (Jr., Olympia, WA/Capital HS) by an 8-6 margin at #3 doubles allowed Occidental to be in front rather than the Bearcats when the teams moved on to single play.

Later, with Occidental holding a 4-3 overall lead, Pelletier battled past Sylvia Marr (Fr., Grants Pass, OR/Hidden Valley HS) of Willamette at #4 singles for a three-set win to clinch the team result for the Tigers. Pelletier defeated Marr, 1-6, 7-6 (7-3), 6-0. The win by Pelletier proved crucial, as Willamette's Hannah Andres (Jr., Sammamish, WA/Skyline HS) won the final match of the day at #6 singles over Emily Davis, 6-2, 2-6, 6-4.

"It's always tough losing 5-4, but honestly it was an amazing match," Willamette Head Coach Bryce Parmelly said.

Willamette took #1 doubles, as Mikaila Smith (Sr., Mill Valley, CA/Tamalpais HS) and Robin Pashek (Fr., The Dalles, OR/The Dalles-Wahtonka HS) outscored Andrea Clawson and Alana Adelman, 8-4. Occidental's #2 doubles team of Samantha Farrell and Davis downed Sarah Dean (Fr., Boise, ID/Timberline HS) and Marr, 8-2.

The first match to be completed was at the #2 position, where Clawson defeated Pashek, 6-0, 6-2, to give the Tigers a 3-1 lead. Willamette evened things up at 3-3 after Ginsburg won quickly at #5 singles over Lauren Hutkin, 6-1, 6-1, and Dean added a 6-0, 6-4 victory over Adelman. The Tigers edged into the lead with a win by Farrell over Smith at #1 singles, 6-3, 6-2. Pelletier's triumph at #4 singles clinched things for Occidental before Andres provided Willamette with the Bearcats' fourth win.

"Mikaila Smith and Robin Pashek played strong doubles and Siena Ginsburg continued her winning streak to five matches with another dominant singles effort," Parmelly said. "Sarah Dean was so mentally strong today and Sylvia Marr battled to the very end. The match of the day was Hannah Andres at #6 singles ... definitely her breakthrough match of the year. Overall, it was a tough loss, but a major improvement over yesterday."

Willamette lost to California Lutheran University, 6-3, on Saturday in the first of four matches on the team's trip to Southern California. The Bearcats will be back in action on Tuesday, March 27 at Hope International University in Fullerton, California. Match time is set for 10 a.m. (PDT). The Bearcats will play at Whittier College on Wednesday, March 28 at 5 p.m.