By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
SALEM, Ore. -- University of Puget Sound won three close matches on its way to a 6-3 victory over Willamette University in a Northwest Conference women's tennis match at the WU Tennis Courts on Saturday, March 16. The Loggers won two other matches that featured a close set. The narrow wins helped Puget Sound improve to 3-3 on the season and to 2-1 in the NWC. Willamette fell to 1-2 overall, 0-1 in the NWC.
"Today was definitely a close match with its share of bright spots and learning lessons," Willamette Head Coach Bryce Parmelly said. "Getting a win at third doubles from Hannah and Siena was huge, keeping us in the match. After losing five of the six first sets in singles, I was really impressed with how the team battled back. We are slowly getting better and it is fun to see."
In doubles, the Loggers picked up a tight win at #2 doubles, where Barclay Fagg and Lia Van Steeter downed Willamette's Sylvia Marr (So., Grants Pass, OR/Hidden Valley HS) and Alexis Gjurasic (Sr., Olympia, WA/Capital HS), 8-6. At #1 doubles, Nicole Bouche and Bridget Myers of Puget Sound defeated Sarah Dean (So., Boise, ID/Timberline HS) and Robin Pashek (So., The Dalles, OR/The Dalles-Wahtonka HS), 8-2.
Willamette kept Puget Sound from sweeping the doubles competition, as Siena Ginsburg (So., Bend, OR/Summit HS) and Hannah Andres (Sr., Sammamish, WA/Skyline HS) edged out Avery Honaker and Alexis Choy at #3 doubles in a tie-breaker, 8-7 (7-5).
Puget Sound prevailed at the top three singles positions to clinch the match with a 5-1 lead. At #1 singles, Bouche downed Dean, 6-2 in the first set, and then held on for a 6-4 win in the second set. In the #2 singles match, Fagg outlasted Pashek, 6-4, 1-6, 6-0. Myers of Puget Sound was victorious at #3 singles against Ginsburg with a 6-3 win in the first set and a close 7-5 triumph in the second set.
Marr won for Willamette at #4 singles, as she rallied past Van Steeter, 2-6, 6-1, 6-4. Andres won two tie-breakers, both by 7-3 margins, to defeat Choy at #6 singles, 7-6, 7-6. At #5 singles, Honaker of Puget Sound needed a tie-breaker in the second to get past Gjurasic of Willamette, 6-1, 7-6 (7-5).
The Bearcats will play at the WU Tennis Courts again on Sunday (March 17) when they take on Pacific Lutheran University. Match time is scheduled for 11 a.m. (PDT).
Big Moment of the Match for Willamette
Hannah Andres won #6 singles over alexis Choy of Puget Sound
by battling through -- and winning -- two tie-breakers. She won
the match 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-3).