By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

BEAVERTON, Ore. -- George Fox University prevailed in four of six singles matches on its way to a 6-3 win over Willamette University in a Northwest Conference women's tennis match played indoors at Tualatin Hills Tennis Center on Saturday, April 7. George Fox, which lost to Willamette 7-2 in a non-conference match in Salem, Oregon, on Feb. 21, had its #2 and #3 singles players back in the lineup for the rematch, allowing other players to return to their normal singles positions.

"Today was arguably our best team effort of the year," Willamette Head Coach Bryce Parmelly said. "I've never seen this group compete as a whole like they did today. We showed real toughness, and fought to the very edn. I couldn't be more proud."

In the first meeting, Willamette was victorious in two of the three doubles matches to take an early lead. In the rematch, George Fox won two of the three doubles matches to lead 2-1 entering singles play.

At #1 doubles, the Bruins' team of Catrina Kwong and Kristen Mock defeated Mikaila Smith (Sr., Mill Valley, CA/Tamalpais HS) and Robin Pashek (Fr., The Dalles, OR/The Dalles-Wahtonka HS) of Willamette, 8-5. The Bearcats won #2 doubles, with Sarah Dean (Fr., Boise, ID/Timberline HS) and Sylvia Marr (Fr., Grants Pass, OR/Hidden Valley HS) outlasting Lydia Pia and Jillian Studer, 8-6. In the #3 doubles match, Laney Search and Sophia Lawrence of GFU downed Siena Ginsburg (Fr., Bend, OR/Summit HS) and Alexis Gjurasic (Jr., Olympia, WA/Capital HS) of WU, 8-5.

George Fox added wins in the top singles match and at the lower three singles positions.

Search won a battle at #5 singles against Marr, with Search gaining the edge in a tie-breaker at the end of the third set. Search won, 1-6, 6-0, 7-6 (8-6). The Bearcats won #2 singles and #3 singles in three-set competitions. At #2 singles, Pashek ralllied past Mock, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. At #3 singles, Dean won the first and third sets for a 6-3, 2-6, 6-3 triumph.

The #1 singles match went to Kwong, who took the first set quickly against Smith, 6-0, but had to hold off Smith in the second set 6-3. Lawrence also won 6-0, 6-3 for the Bruins, as she moved past Ginsburg at #4 singles. In the #6 singles match, Emily Brink of GFU defeated Hannah Andres (Jr., Sammamish, WA/Skyline HS) of Willamette, 6-3, 6-0.

Willamette will host Lewis & Clark College in a Northwest Conference match at the Salem Tennis and Swim Club on Sunday, April 8. Match time is scheduled for 11 a.m. (PDT).