By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
SALEM, Ore. -- The Willamette University women's tennis team won all three doubles matches and added victories in five of six singles matches, as the Bearcats defeated Bellevue College (Wash.), 8-1, in an exhibition match on Friday, March 1 at the Salem Tennis and Swim Club. Bellevue, a two-year college, fell to 0-1 on the season. The Bulldogs compete in the NJCAA and the Northwest Athletic Conference (NWAC).
The match does not change the record of Willamette because the NCAA does not count results against two-year colleges. The Bearcats compete in NCAA Division III and the Northwest Conference (NWC).
Willamette's sweep in doubles included three sizable wins. At #1 doubles, Sarah Dean (So., Boise, ID/Timberline HS) and Robin Pashek (So., The Dalles, OR/The Dalles-Wahtonka HS) won for the Bearcats 8-2 over Anna Sneesby and Haylee Irving of Bellevue. Sylvia Marr (So., Grants Pass, OR/Hidden Valley HS) and Alexis Gjurasic (Sr., Olympia, WA/Capital HS) did not lose a game during their 8-0 win over Annie Luong and Joanna Sakoda at #2 doubles. In the #3 doubles match, Siena Ginsburg (So., Bend, OR/Summit HS) and Hannah Andres (Sr., Sammamish, WA/Skyline HS) grabbed an 8-3 victory over Heather Lin and Ginevra Luger.
At #1 singles, Dean led the way for the Bearcats by topping Sneesby, 6-1, 6-0. Pashek outplayed Luong at #2 singles for a 6-2, 6-3 win. Ginsberg swept through her match at #3 singles, as she registered a 6-0, 6-0 triumph over Lin.
In #4 singles, Marr of WU moved past Sakoda in the first set, 6-3, then marched through the second set, 6-0. Irving of Bellevue outlasted Gjurasic at #5 singles, as she rallied for a 3-6, 6-0, 10-6 win in a super tie-breaker played instead of a third set. Alexis Schwartz (So., Ontario, OR/Ontario HS) won #6 singles for Willamette, as she defeated Luger, 6-2, 6-1.
The Bearcats will play at home on Saturday, March 2 against the College of Idaho. Match time at the Salem Tennis and Swim Club is scheduled for 10 a.m. (PST).
Big Moment of the Match for Willamette
Alexis Schwartz won #6 singles for the Bearcats as she
took on Ginevra Luger. Schwartz surged out to a 6-2
victory in the first set. She then closed out the match
with a 6-1 in in the second set.