By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
PORTLAND, Ore. -- Willamette University won #3 doubles and battled Lewis & Clark College into tie-breakers at #1 and #2 doubles in a Northwest Conference women's tennis match on Friday, April 19. The Pioneers won both of the tie-breakers on their way to a 7-2 victory over the Bearcats. In singles action, Sarah Dean (So., Boise, ID/Timberline HS) of Willamette downed Madelyn Landerfelt of Lewis & Clark in the #1 match.
Lewis & Clark advanced its record to 5-7 overall, 4-3 in the Northwest Conference. Willamette slipped to 4-9 overall, 2-5 in the NWC.
"It was a war," Willamette Head Coach Bryce Parmelly said. "We almost won all three doubles. It was a great match for us ... so close."
At #3 doubles, Willamette's team of Siena Ginsburg (So., Bend, OR/Summit HS) and Hannah Andres (Sr., Sammamish, WA/Skyline HS) defeated Caroline Hennes and Caitlin Jones form L&C, 8-4.
In the #1 doubles match, Landerfelt and Riley Hanks provided the Pioneers with a win over Dean and Robin Pashek (So., The Dalles, OR/The Dalles-Wahtonka HS) in a tie-breaker, 8-7 (7-4). At #2 doubles, Rachael Rice and Carla Thomas from L&C outlasted Sylvia Marr (So., Grants Pass, OR/Hidden Valley HS) and Alexis Gjurasic (Sr., Olympia, WA/Capital HS) of WU by the narrowest of margins in a tie-breaker, 8-7 (11-9).
Dean prevailed for Willamette in the top singles match by holding off Landerfelt in both sets for a 6-3, 6-4 win. Hanks of L&C edged out Pashek at #2 singles, 6-4, 6-4.
Lewis & Clark earned victories in the remeaning singles matches. Rice won at #3, while Thomas won at #4, and Natalie Kowal was the winner at #5. In the #6 singles match, Macarena Vives took a 6-1 win in the first set against Andres, but had to work hard for a 6-4 triumph in the second set.
Willamette will close out the season with the Senior Day match at the WU Tennis Courts on Saturday, April 20 against Linfield College. Seniors for the Bearcats are Andres, Gjurasic and Rachel Kong (Sr., Hayward, CA/Castro Valley HS). Match time has been moved to one hour later at 12 p.m. (PDT) to increase the chance that the match will be played outdoors.
Big Moment of the Match for Willamette
Sarah Dean won the #1 singles match by outplaying L&C's
Madelyn Landerfelt in two competitive sets. Dean grabbed the
first set, 6-3, and held off Landerfelt in the second set, 6-4.
Dean also played well in doubles, as she combined with Robin
Pashek to take Landerfelt and Riley Hanks into a tie-breaker,
before the L&C team won 8-7 (7-4).